Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame
Transformative Solar
In the long-term, the most desirable and sustainable way to meet society’s energy needs is through the development of solar energy technology. The sun deposits up to 340 W/m2 of energy to the earth, a flux that far exceeds the human demand for energy. The two main challenges that confront the practical use of this solar energy are its efficient capture and its conversion into practically transportable, readily storable and useful forms.
The SEI's Transformative Solar research will focus on the development of new functional materials that are engineered at the nanoscale to effectively capture solar radiation, interfaced to materials that can use that energy to drive useful chemical reactions. In particular, the SEI will build on institutional strengths to develop leading technology in two key areas:
- Highly efficient and tailored light-harvesting structures, and
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Highly efficient and selective catalytic processes for converting fuels.
