As photovoltaic systems improve in efficiency and affordability, solar energy is likely to play an increasingly important role in meeting the world’s energy needs. Industry expert Mark Pinto will discuss the expanding capabilities of these systems in a Director’s Special Colloquium, “Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics: Accelerating to Grid Parity,” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 9 in the Building 402 Auditorium. This is a timely and important topic, and I encourage you to attend.
Photovoltaic system installations recorded a 10-fold increase between 2007 and 2012, due primarily to cost reductions afforded by manufacturing and technology improvements to the crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic cell. In fact, c-Si photovoltaic systems have reached parity with conventional forms of electricity in more than 20 countries worldwide. In his presentation, Dr. Pinto will review likely technology paths and market implications that have led to projections that, by 2020, c-Si photovoltaic electricity will be cost-effectively delivered to more than 95 percent of the world’s population.
Dr. Pinto is a senior technology industry executive who has led innovative organizations in multiple fields, including semiconductors, telecommunications, large area displays and renewable energy. Most recently, he served as an executive vice president of Applied Materials, Inc. in Santa Clara, Cal., and general manager of its energy and environmental solutions. Previously, Dr. Pinto spent 19 years with the research division of Bell Laboratories and later the Lucent Microelectronics group, where he worked in R&D and management of IC technology, optoelectronics and network product design. He was named a Bell Labs Fellow, the company’s highest technical honor. In 2010, he was elected into the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to modeling and manufacturing technologies for semiconductor devices; in 2008, he received the IEEE’s J.J. Ebers award.
Dr. Pinto has authored or co-authored more than 150 papers and holds nine patents. He is a fellow of the IEEE and served as an adjunct professor at Yale University. He received bachelor’s degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He is currently a senior advisor to a clean technology investment firm and a board member of a start-up pursuing a novel technology to increase capacity of public wireless networks.
The growth of photovoltaic technology has implications for many research fields, from materials to infrastructure planning. If your schedule permits, I hope you will plan to attend this Director’s Colloquium next Tuesday. Refreshments will be provided.