Swansea Hosts Major International Conference On Solar Energy

The International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV16) is taking place at Swansea University Bay Campus. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This prestigious international conference – the first to be held at the University’s new Bay Campus facilities – brings 400 delegates from all over the world together with global leaders in the field to discuss the latest developments in hybrid and organic solar cell materials. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It comes at an exciting and challenging time for these technologies, which offer significant promise for low-cost, low-carbon power. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Their advancement is underpinned by research at the SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre at Swansea University, where world-class printing and coating facilities are enabling the development of high-speed, large-scale processing techniques. These will allow high-efficiency thin-film photovoltaics to be manufactured at scale, supporting rapid entry to market. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Dave Worsley, Research Director at SPECIFIC, said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We are delighted to welcoming HOPV16 to Swansea, and looking forward to some fruitful and interesting discussions that will support the advance of next generation solar energy technologies. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This is a welcome recognition by the international photovoltaic research community of SPECIFIC’s leading role in the scale-up of solar cell technology, and also of Swansea University’s substantial investment in its new innovation campus, which accommodates 400 delegates”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This will be the first time the HOPV conference series has come to the UK, having been held in Rome, Lausanne and Seville in the last three years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event is chaired by Professor James Durrant, Imperial College London and Sêr Cymru Research Chair at Swansea University; Professor David Worsley from SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre, Swansea University; and Professor Henry Snaith from Oxford University. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

‌It features keynote presentations from Professor Sir Richard Friend,Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge; Professor Karl Leo,Technische Universitaet Dresden, Germany; and Professor Ayodhya N. Tiwari, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology, Switzerland. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

HOPV16 runs until Friday 1st July. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​