University of Toledo

October 2024

The Power To Do Advanced Photovoltaic Research

Exploring New Ways to Harvest Solar Energy in Space

Randall Ellingson, Ph.D. working in a lab

Outer space presents an opportunity to harvest significantly more energy from the sun, but the harsh environment for solar cells puts a high demand on advanced materials that can withstand the unique environmental challenges.

The University of Toledo, with its Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, is a leader in solar energy research and development, and has been exploring space applications of thin-film photovoltaics with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory since 2002.

Physicist Randall Ellingson, Ph.D., heads the latest collaborative research project developing new materials to absorb and convert electromagnetic radiation from the sun that can withstand the potentially damaging particle radiation and greater fluctuations in temperature as a cell moves in relation to the sun.

This research by Ellingson, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization Endowed Chair, has been supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory with nearly $35 million since 2019.

Randall Ellingson, Ph.D.

Advancing Photovoltaics

At UToledo’s Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, physicists have for decades pioneered research into thin-film solar technology exploring perovskite, cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide and other materials as high-potential alternatives to the industry-standard silicon. Their work in the Glass City is accelerating the growth of the photovoltaic industry by driving advancements in technology, reducing costs and fostering innovation.

Learn More
Last Updated: 10/7/24