Media

OTTAWA, October 21, 2010  —  University of Ottawa scientists Karin Hinzer, Henry Schriemer and Trevor Hall, world-leading experts in photonics and proponents of clean technologies, are part of a major research project in solar powered energy that could bring Canadian homeowners closer to using the sun as a primary source of electricity.

A team of researchers has designed, developed and implemented a "solar-tracker," a highly efficient clean energy system based at the University of Ottawa that can capture, boost and convert sunlight into the equivalent of more than 2 kilowatts of power—an amount large enough to power a typical household on a sunny day.

The project, called SUNRISE (Semiconductors Using Nanostructures for Record Increases in Solar-cell Efficiency), is a collaboration between the University of Ottawa, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the Université de Sherbrooke, Cyrium Technologies and Opel International, and has received a $1,751,000 investment from the federal government. The research involves developing very high efficiency solar cells, new testing equipment and methods, and training staff, who include undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Karin Hinzer, who leads the SUNRISE project, is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Photonic Nanostructures and Integrated Devices. She, Henry Schriemer (associate professor and researcher in integrated nanophotonics and complex engineered systems) and Trevor Hall (Director of the Centre for Research in Photonics and Canada Research Chair in Photonic Network Technology) are part of the University of Ottawa's thriving photonics program, centred around one of the most advanced photonics research centres in the world.

The University of Ottawa, one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities, contributes significantly to the development of clean technologies. We are committed to research excellence and encourage an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world.

Read the NRC press release for more details on the SUNRISE project