Photovoltaics Technology: Where we are, how we got here, and where we are going

Abstract:
The birth of modern photovoltaics (PV) traces only to the mid-1950s, with
the Bell Telephone Laboratories’ development of an efficient, single-
crystal Si solar cell. The inventors (Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and
Gerald Pearson) did not envision that their 2-sq.cm, 6%-efficient solar
cell would lead to our world of electricity projecting terawatts generated
from this simple device. In this talk, we examine the current status of PV
— where we are with the technology (costs, manufacturing, markets) and the
industry. We will present the status of R&D, and look toward the future—
the prospects, potential, gaps, needs, and coming generations of solar
electricity. We will look back to time, providing insights into the Bell
Labs activities and personalities involved—their motivations, their
expertise, and how these beginnings have brought us closer “the
realization of one of mankind’s most cherished dreams.”

About the speaker:
Lawrence L. Kazmerski is Emeritus Research Staff Member of the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory, having served as Executive Director, Science
and Technology Partnerships at NREL since 2009. Previously, Kazmerski
served as the founding Director of the National Center for Photovoltaics
for the period 1999-2008. Kazmerski has more than 320 publications and
some 200 invited talks. He has been recognized with several national and
international awards, including the World PV Prize, the IEEE William R.
Cherry Award, the AVS Peter Mark Memorial Award, the ASES Charles Greeley
Abbot Award, and the ISES Christopher A. Weeks Award. He is a Fellow of
the IEEE, a Fellow of the APS, a Fellow of the AVS, and a Fellow of the
American Solar Energy Society (ASES). Kazmerski is a member of the
National Academy of Engineering.