Support for OPV projects

The University of Minnesota’s Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE), in partnership with the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), has selected several OPV projects as part of the 2009 renewable energy scholarship programme.

In all, 14 projects have been chosen. The chosen ones include:

·         Increasing absorption in organic solar cells through the use of molecular aggregates – Gareth Westler, with faculty advisor Russell Holmes, chemical engineering and materials science. Westler will study methods for increasing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic cells.

·         Investigation of optical microcavities in organic photovoltaic cells – John Bertram, with faculty advisor Russell Holmes, chemical engineering and materials science. Bertram will research new materials that could decrease the cost and increase the efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices.

·         Modeling the performance of organic solar cells – Robert Halperin, with faculty advisor Russell Holmes, chemical engineering and materials science.  Halperin will model and test the electrical properties of organic photovoltaic cells.

·         Quantum dot and dye-sensitized solar cells – Brent Keller, with faculty advisor Eray Aydil, chemical engineering and materials science.  Keller will investigate methods for producing low-cost solar energy.

To fulfill the scholarship objectives, the projects must focus on expanding IREE’s renewable energy research portfolio at the University of Minnesota. Proceeds for the scholarship fund come from the annual E3—Energy, Economic and Environmental—conference. E3 2008 received generous support from Piper Jaffray, Faegre & Benson LLP, and numerous other sponsors and supporters.