Designing Scalable, Low-Cost Photovoltaic Materials | |
| Tonio BuonassisiMassachusetts Institute of Technology |
Tonio Buonassisi, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, heads an interdisciplinary laboratory focused on photovoltaics (solar energy conversion into electricity). Prof. Buonassisi completed his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, with research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and the Max-Planck-Institute for Microstructure Physics. Following his Ph.D., Prof. Buonassisi became a crystal growth research scientist at Evergreen Solar, Inc., where he spearheaded efforts to improve solar cell efficiency and yield, and helped to develop the Quad furnace platform. Aside from teaching classes focused on PV technology, Prof. Buonassisi is an author of 65 journal, conference, and workshop articles focused on PV, and has delivered over 51 invited talks and plenary/oral presentations on his work throughout the world. Prof. Buonassisi's research has resulted in several industrial collaborations and a start-up company. His work has been honored with awards including the European Materials Research Society Young Scientist Presentation Award, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Graduate Research Fellowship, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Graduate Student Award.
