A solar cell research project has won $1 million in the Connaught Global Challenge funding competition.
The project is directed by Ted Sargent, a U of T professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The fund will allow Sargent and his six co-investigators to develop more efficient and cost-effective solar cells.
In an interview with U of T News, Sargent pointed out that current solar technologies constantly face a compromise between affordability and efficiency. To solve this problem, Sargent’s team hopes to borrow ideas from a natural expert in energy capture: plants.
One incredible feature of plants is their ability to not only capture light but also funnel it to only a few reaction centers, where it is stored as chemical energy. In order to study and apply this idea to solar cells, the project will see collaboration among distinct disciplines, including quantum biology and solar engineering. The project will also engage both basic and applied research.
“Sustainable energy solutions are one of the most critical environmental and economical needs facing our society today,” says Sargent. Better solar cells may be a leap forward towards the ultimate goal of cleaner renewable energy.
With files from U of T News
