Bright Ideas
To move to the forefront of solar energy research, UNLV is going big and thinking small.
The UNLV Center for Energy Research recently installed the world's largest and most powerful solar energy generator. Meanwhile, a UNLV chemist is studying microscopic materials to expand the applications of solar cell technology.
The new photovoltaic system, the Amonix 7700, is the first of its kind. It is capable of converting as much as a quarter of incoming sunlight into electrical energy, making it the world's most efficient system, according to Bob Boehm, director of the center.
Chemistry professor Dong-Chan Lee's research into tiny materials for solar energy generation earned him a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.
