“What’s a perovskite solar cell and why should I care?”

UW Chemistry Professor and Clean Energy Institute (CEI) Chief Scientist David Ginger (pictured below) presented a webinar on Thursday, June 4, 2020 on Opportunities for emerging perovskite-based PV. Perovskite solar cells seem to be in the news practically every week. In this talk David introduced perovskite solar cells and talked about some of the potential advantages – and remaining challenges – to the widespread adoption of this emerging photovoltaic technology. This webinar was hosted by Solar Washington Board Member Sarah Vorpahl (also pictured below). 

• Click to view the webinar on Solar Washington's YouTube page.
• Link to David's presentation file. (PDF file) 

David Ginger is CEI’s chief scientist and Alvin L. and Verla R. Kwiram Endowed Professor of Chemistry and Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Scholar in Chemistry at the UW. Ginger earned his Ph.D. in physics in the optoelectronics group at the University of Cambridge (UK) in 2001. His research centers on the physical chemistry of conjugated polymers and nanostructured materials with applications in optoelectronics – especially thin film solar cells – and sensing. Ginger has been recognized by the Research Corporation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, NSF, ACS, and the Microscopy Society of America, and was elected a Fellow of the AAAS in 2012. More info on David and the CEI.

Sarah Vorpahl is a Senior Energy Policy Specialist specializing in distributed energy resources at the Washington State Department of Commerce based in Olympia. Sarah has a doctorate in emerging solar cell technology from University of Washington where she worked at the Clean Energy Institute.

Click to read more about perovskite solar cells. The UW Clean Energy Institute announced a new research and development coalition to accelerate the domestic commercialization of perovskite technologies. Click to read release. Here is a release from NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Thanks to the University of Washington's Clean Energy Institute for making this webinar possible.