Solutions addressing energy security and the climate crisis are urgently needed. Locally produced, renewable energy is key in combating these challenges, and of our planet’s renewable resources, sunlight is the most abundant. But how do we harness this energy in an effective and sustainable way? This question forms the base of my research which focusses on the following areas.

Sustainable Solar:

Compared with research into improving solar efficiencies, little work exists in considering sustainable strategies in PV. But as these devices often rely on rare earth materials extracted through intensive mining, new developments in PV might exacerbate future materials shortages.

I investigate solar sustainability using a range of lenses, including using plants and plant-based materials to generate electricity, as well as identifying trends in materials use, device fabrication, and waste streams with the ambition of embedding sustainability into device and system design.

Equitable Solar:

I am interested in equitable energy access - how we can transition to clean technology according to the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda. I am involved in local (Bristol) and international (Sub-Saraha Africa) projects investigating how clean energy solutions can be best deployed and managed according to the needs of the communities who will use them. 

Emerging Photovoltaics:

Emerging photovoltaics (PV) are primarily thin-film solar cells capable of converting visible light into electricity. The wide-ranging potential of these devices is exciting. For example, they could be incorporated into urban infrastructure, existing in roof tiles and windows, or developed for indoor use to power the internet of things (IoT).

I employ a range of materials characterisation techniques – including X-ray and neutron diffraction, optical microscopy, steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence – to investigate organic-inorganic materials for solar applications. The aim is to improve the performance of thin film PV through materials engineering.