Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden is being honored for his work in solar energy.

Arthur Nozik will receive the award from the American Chemical Society's Northeastern Section at Harvard University April 14. He and his colleagues have identified processes in solar cells that could increase solar conversion efficiency by using more of the sun's energy to produce electricity or fuel.

Nozik is also a professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Federal energy officials say Nozik and fellow researchers at the university have reported a breakthrough that could lead to a 35% increase in the light-harvesting yield in solar cells and fuels.

Nozik is receiving the Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest.