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Benjamin G. Lee is a native of Toronto, Canada. He received the B.S. degree from Caltech in 2002, and the Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics from Harvard University in 2009. In the first half of 2009, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, in Mumbai, India. From 2009, Ben joined the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden, CO. He is currently a Research Scientist there, working to advance high efficiency solar cells. Outside of work, Ben enjoys the outdoors, playing piano, volunteering with refugees, and is an active member of the Mile High Vineyard church.|
The sun is a promising source of renewable energy, due to the widespread abundance of sunlight and rapid advances in solar cell technology allowing us to capture and utilize that energy. I will briefly discuss some background on the need for renewable energy, due to the finite availability of fossil fuels and their contribution to global climate change, as well as the needs of people in developing countries. I will also give an overview of different potential sources of renewable energy, including the wind, tides, geothermal, as well as solar. Then I will discuss the present status of solar energy, specifically concentrating on solar cells that convert sunlight directly to electricity. I will give a taste of active research and development for better, more efficient, and cheaper solar cells; I'll present some of the work being done at the National Renewable Energy Lab, right here in the Denver area. Finally, I welcome the audience to envision a more sustainable future, based on our choices and aided by technology such as solar cells. |