Professor Green – often described as the “father of modern photovoltaics” – is recognized for his pioneering efforts and groundbreaking achievements in high conversion efficiency of silicon photovoltaic materials as well as leading the invention and development of the passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cell.

PERC technology improved the quality of both the top and rear surfaces of standard silicon solar cells, resulting in greater and more efficient generation. This allowed more electricity to be generated from sunlight, lowering costs and increasing the adoption of sustainable solar energy worldwide.

The technology breakthrough helped increase the conversion efficiency of standard solar cells by over 50% in relative terms from 16.5% in the early 1980s to 25% in the early 2000s. Through successive improvements to cell design and fabrication, Green and his team held the record for silicon cell efficiency for 30 of the past 40 years.

PERC currently dominates solar cell production worldwide. Together with Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) cells – first demonstrated by Green’s research group at UNSW – the cells account for more than 90% of solar cells manufactured in the world today at a sales value exceeding $100 billion USD to date.

Development of this technology also resulted in the training of a generation of students who, with Green’s support, applied their acquired skills to establish solar cell manufacturing in Asia. These achievements are unique globally in both the quantum of efficiency improvement and the share of manufacturing capacity.

Professor Green is thrilled to be awarded the Leigh Ann Conn Prize. “From the start of my career, I was determined to do something that would make a difference in the world. I am very proud that, through the efforts of my team and countless others, we now have low-cost solar as a means for reducing the impact of climate change while, at the same time, reducing the cost of energy generation, something not widely thought possible only a decade ago,” said Green.

UNSW’s acting Vice-Chancellor and President Professor George Williams congratulated Professor Green on winning the Prize.

“Martin is a brilliant engineer whose leadership and accomplishments have led to the creation and development of the world’s solar manufacturing industry. His life’s work benefits people around the globe every day and is arguably our biggest weapon to combat global warming and climate change. Everyone at UNSW is proud to celebrate this well-deserved honour with him,” Williams said.

In March 2024, Green will give a public lecture in Louisville about his winning work and achievements, trials and tribulations. He will receive the Conn Prize medal and $50,000 award at a formal ceremony.

“Professor Martin Green is a true pioneer in the field of photovoltaics,” said University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel, who will confer the award. “His work in solar cell technology is of great importance worldwide, and it is an honor to bestow upon him the Leigh Ann Conn Prize.”

The UofL prize is named for the late daughter of Hank and Rebecca Conn, who were university alumni, supporters and the prize benefactors. Their vision to create a legacy in honor of Leigh Ann celebrates scientists with the fortitude, patience, and resiliency to endure renewable energy technology innovation and translation into the marketplace, where impact occurs.

Nominations for the 2025 Leigh Ann Conn Prize competition close Dec. 31, 2024. Criteria and instructions are found at . For more information, contact Andrew Marsh at 502-852-8597 or LeighAnnConnPrize@louisville.edu.

Snaith is recognized for his work on the development of perovskite solar cell technology. This technology enables more electricity to be generated from sunlight, increasing the adoption of sustainable solar energy worldwide. 

Snaith was one of the first people in the world to recognize the potential of metal halide perovskite, a crystalline semiconductor material, as a solar absorber and charge conductor in 2012. In the decade since, he has led the research community in advancing fundamental understanding of perovskite materials and making them practically useful by improving device efficiencies, long-term stability and cost effectiveness.  His ongoing research at the University of Oxford aims to increase the efficiency and durability of perovskite solar cells further with the goal of reducing the overall cost of electricity production.

“This is a wonderful achievement and richly deserved,” said Ian Shipsey, professor and head of the Department of Physics at Oxford. “Henry’s work is indeed ground-breaking; photovoltaic research is vital if we are to address the impact of energy use on the Earth’s climate and Henry’s group is leading the way.”

Snaith’s work on perovskite materials has contributed to Oxford PV’s commercial plans for a perovskite-on-silicon tandem cell. These solar cells, which combine a layer of perovskite on top of conventional silicon, are poised to increase solar power’s practical conversion efficiency beyond 30% in the next decade.

“Professor Snaith’s research is not only at the forefront of science but, as this award recognizes, his practical, commercial approach means that it stands to enormously benefit society in very real terms,” said Laura Herz, professor and associate head for research for the Maths, Physics and Life Sciences division at Oxford. “It is a fantastic example of our research portfolio here at Oxford and I congratulate professor Snaith on this achievement.”

In March, Snaith will give a public lecture in Louisville about his winning work and achievements, trials and tribulations. He will receive the Conn Prize medal and $50,000 award at a formal ceremony.

“The University of Louisville celebrates professor Snaith’s research and clear efforts toward improving our world through technology,” said UofL Interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who will confer the award. “Energy generation from renewables is a defining global challenge. Dr. Snaith’s work renders renewable energy more competitive, reliable and accessible.”

The UofL prize is named for the late daughter of Hank and Rebecca Conn, who are university alumni, supporters and the prize benefactors.

“Henry Snaith is transforming the field of solar energy generation,” Hank Conn said. “It is exciting to celebrate a scientist with the fortitude, patience and resiliency to endure technology commercialization into the marketplace, where impact occurs. That recognition is Leigh Ann’s lasting legacy through the prize.”

Nominations for the 2023 Leigh Ann Conn Prize competition close Dec. 31. Criteria and instructions are found at . For more information, contact Andrew Marsh at 502-852-8597 or LeighAnnConnPrize@louisville.edu.

Nakamura will give a free, public talk about his work on Monday, April 18, 2022, at 4 pm at Rauch Planetarium. The talk also will be livestreamed on the and will be available on the after the event.

Nakamura, recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics and a University of California-Santa Barbara materials professor, is recognized for scientific innovations and commercialization of efficient solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs). His LEDs have revolutionized electronics and lighting at more than 10 times the efficiency of incandescent lighting, more than twice the efficiency of fluorescents and a durability of 30 to 40 years. His innovations have enabled efficient use of energy, reduced the burden on the environment and helped create sustainable lighting worldwide.

Solid-state lighting and electronics are estimated to save $98 billion in cumulative energy consumption by 2030 in the United States, or the energy equivalent of 30 1-gigawatt power plants. Worldwide, the effects are five times greater.

“Dr. Nakamura is a world-class scientist dedicated to the viability of LED technologies. His work and perseverance are inspiration to us all. The University of Louisville celebrates his research and its positive influence. In a world where energy use must be environmentally responsible, he is an outstanding winner of the Leigh Ann Conn Prize,” said Neeli Bendapudi, president of UofL at the time the award was announced.

The Leigh Ann Conn Prize for Renewable Energy includes a medal, $50,000 and a series of campus events, including the public lecture and research meetings with faculty, staff and students. Administered by UofL’s at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, the prize is named for the late daughter of Hank and Rebecca Conn, who are center supporters and the prize benefactors.

“The impact of Dr. Nakamura’s work is massive and exactly what Leigh Ann thought mattered most — What good is innovation if it never changes the world?” Hank Conn said. “LED lighting touches people in all economic strata, saving energy and money with global reach. It is exciting to recognize this outstanding scientist, his innovations and their translation into clearly impactful technology.”

This project will pilot a commercially viable process using previous research to convert soybean hull biomass into a low-calorie, diabetic-friendly sugar substitute while simultaneously extracting micro and nanoscale fibers to be used for lightweight fiber composites and thermoplastic packaging products via 3D printing.

“Agriculture and agricultural processing are keys to economic development and employment in the U.S. Xylose separation and use of soy hull fibers for natural fiber composites are potent opportunities for addressing worldwide farming economics, nutrition issues and material needs from a renewable source,” said Mahendra Sunkara, director of the Conn Center. “In conjunction with BioProducts LLC, the Conn Center expects the development of a pilot-scale operation in the next two years.”

The U.S. has world-scale processing facilities to convert grain and its byproducts to various industrial and food products, including alcohols and spirits, dietary fibers, industrial proteins and others. Both agriculture and agricultural processing generate significant amounts of residual biomass, including 8 million tons per year of soy hulls from soybeans.

The UofL project will utilize these soy hulls to produce xylose, a natural and low-calorie sugar, using a patented process developed by UofL and licensed by , based in Louisville. After xylose extraction, the residual fiber, which is about 80% of the starting biomass, has a modified fiber structure that can be used as a natural fiber in composites for 3-D printing applications.

These natural fiber composites also have potential uses in the automotive, civil engineering, military and aerospace industries, which rely on petroleum-based fiberglass and expensive carbon fiber composites to reduce weight and maintain assembly strength over all-metal constructions. The Conn Center project pursues the development of a stable and efficient method to process the hemicellulose-removed biomass from soybeans into lightweight natural fiber composites.

The food-grade sugar xylose from soy hulls also has high value industrial applications. This sugar can be used to produce cyclopentadiene, a key ingredient in cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), an amorphous thermoplastic used in polyolefin “shrink films” for medical, food safe and industrial packaging. This COC market, which currently depends on petroleum as the source, was valued at $14.9 billion in 2017.

The new USB grant will fund pilot phase development of innovations resulting from previous research at UofL, including 3-D printing using soy hull-polymer composite filaments, , and additive manufacturing prospects, as well as a patent application on polymer composite feedstock production. That work initially was funded by USB in 2019.

The major challenge of utilizing soy hulls to produce sugars and fibers is to create efficient, economical and achievable technology at a commercial scale. Meeting these three criteria elevates the value of this biomass. Currently, one limited outlet for soy hulls is as animal feed. Processing the hulls for a high value product such as xylose could make growing soy more profitable for farmers.

The research team is led by theme leader for at the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, and mechanical engineering professor in the UofL . Satyavolu and Kate recruited several graduate students and postdoctoral scholars for the two-year project, “An integrated approach to utilize soy hulls in modified fiber composites for 3-D printing applications and produce xylose as a value-added product.”

In the pilot phase, the team will pursue process optimization and design to meet the demands of a commercially viable process. This includes large volume production of xylose and composite filament samples for evaluation by commercial partners in the food and 3-D printing industries.

Carbon dioxide is the most significant greenhouse gas in Earth’s atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution, human-caused emissions of CO₂ – primarily from combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation – have rapidly increased its concentration in the atmosphere, leading to global climate change. Projected increases in worldwide energy usage will result in even higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels unless practical alternatives are developed. The new funded research has the potential to decrease CO₂ emissions by creating a profitable pathway to convert this waste into marketable industrial chemicals such as solvents, alcohols, acids and polymer precursors.

NSF funding of the UofL team focuses on development of new catalyst materials and convert it to fuels and chemical products. The catalyst employs an abundant metal, such as zinc, within a supporting framework. The catalyst works synergistically with an alloy electrode to generate higher value products.

The research is led by chemistry professor Craig Grapperhaus and Joshua Spurgeon, theme leader for Solar Fuels at the in the . Funding of $323,542 over three years was secured by Grapperhaus and Spurgeon to conduct the research, which includes opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and high school students.

“Rising CO₂ levels are a serious problem,” Grapperhaus said. “The technology from this research could be used to treat carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion directly at the source. We may even be able to directly convert atmospheric carbon dioxide, too.”

“The thoughtful design of molecular catalysts such as these gives us the opportunity to achieve greater control over the products we make, which may ultimately make chemicals and fuels from CO₂ commercially viable,” Spurgeon said. “The Conn Center is excited to collaborate with the and NSF to develop these advances in green, sustainable chemistry.”

The masks are being developed using nanomaterial research at the Conn Center, a J.B. Speed School of Engineering center that usually focuses on commercializing innovations in solar energy storage, biofuels, solar fuels and energy efficiency. Researchers saw an opportunity to use their innovative work to help provide low-cost, effective personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers.

Unlike currently available N95 masks, which cannot be reused without special decontamination procedures, these cost-effective nanofilter masks can be easily washed, dried and reused.

They are made using inorganic nanowires impregnated into a woven polymer cloth with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 15 that together form a porous network whose openings are too small for viral particles to pass through. Current N95 masks rely on an electrostatic charge on polymer fiber cloth to capture nuisance particles such as dust, mold and pollen. This method may not be effective with liquid droplets or viral pathogens and doesn’t offer any disinfection capabilities.

The titania and zinc oxide nanowire materials that form the nanofilter are also capable of absorbing ultraviolet (UV) light, a benefit of their adoption from the renewable energy research at Conn Center. The filters can be disinfected using a low energy UV light source, helping to reduce PPE costs in hospitals.

The partnership includes Ed Tackett, director of workforce development at AMIST, and chemical engineering Professor Mahendra Sunkara, director of the Conn Center. Sunkara co-founded ADEM in 2010 with his wife, CEO Vasanthi Sunkara, to scale up energy materials innovations from his work at the university.

Since then, ADEM has scaled up manufacturing of nanowire materials from grams at a time to ton scale. “Producing bulk quantities is a considerable challenge in translating a new material from laboratory to marketplace,” Mahendra Sunkara said. “In the lab, we only make very small amounts to test and study, but tons per day are required for meeting commercial demand.”

Tackett and Sunkara realized a growing PPE challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded.

“How do we as Kentucky respond to multiple waves of disease and low case rate due to success of ‘stay safe’ measures?” Tackett said. “We are all working together to keep the rate of incidence low, but that also means we will have difficulty in priority purchasing for PPE since Kentucky isn’t a hotspot. Our solution is making them here instead of buying elsewhere.”

The manufacturing method for the masks is adopted from Conn Center’s roll-to-roll printing techniques used in battery electrode and solar cell fabrication. The availability of materials at quantity and adapted expertise made this nanofiltered cloth innovation possible.

“The shortage of protective gear during this pandemic has made us rethink our strategy to utilize ADEM’s nanowire materials for PPE,” said Vasanthi Sunkara. “It just shows that with the right connections, expertise and resources, the university and industry can come together quickly to move innovation through manufacturing and into the market to affect this challenge head-on.”

Prototype testing on the nanofilters is underway. Once validated, the next steps are to set up manufacturing in two types of facilities. The first is a large-scale, roll-to-roll printing operation for making the nanofilter cloth. The second is a forming and assembly line to make flat filters and ready-to-wear N95-style respirators.

ADEM in conjunction with Conn Center will produce both flat filters and respirators right away. The center can produce thousands over the next two months until automated production equipment is put in place for mass production at several million per year. AMIST and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development are looking at what is needed to build the mask-making capacity for Kentucky.

Funding for this phase has been made possible by Hank and Rebecca Conn, benefactors of the Conn Center. The gift is intended to be matched by donors who want to help during the COVID-19 crisis.

“It is the right thing to do,” said Hank Conn. “Conn Center technologies are intended for renewable energy but can impact the immediate health crisis. We are giving this innovation early support that it may reach a commercialization partner for the good of us all.”

This initial facility is meant to serve as the foundation of a billion-dollar worldwide effort to grow large diamond stones for a myriad of applications, including gems. KAMM is the first to establish such capabilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and one of only a handful of global players in this highly advanced field.

UofL’s Conn Center has conducted research on lab grown diamonds since 1997 and has a large interest in advanced materials, like diamond, for both power devices and biosensors. KAMM’s founder, Vikram M. Shah, sought out the Conn Center to be a U.S. partner in a pilot plant/demonstration facility. KAMM’s current facility is already 1 producing around 1,000 carats of diamond per month.

A long-term home for the large production facilities is still to be determined.

“We are exploring the USA to see where we can settle,” Shah said. “Our priority is Kentucky because of our great relationship with the Conn Center, but we are looking at various options.”

KAMM is a subsidiary of Da Vinci holdings, a global organization with existing operations spanning the entire diamond industry from jewelry manufacturing (cutting/polishing) to trading and distribution. In addition to KAMM, Da Vinci has also operated a diamond growing operation in India for the past decade and is currently establishing a similar operation in Limburg, Belgium. Shah is also founder and owner of Da Vinci holdings.

Diamonds are most commonly known for their beauty and brilliance with the jewelry industry serving as their largest market. Currently, most diamonds are extracted from mines around the world and sent for cutting and polishing in India and Israel. KAMM is producing the highest purity (category IIa or better) diamonds, which are prized for both gem applications (for their clarity and brilliance) as well as industrial applications (for their superior hardness, thermal conductivity, and electrical/optical properties). Only 2% of mined diamonds fall into the IIa category. KAMM’s Kentucky plant will produce diamonds which will then be cut, polished, and distributed in a similar manner to mined diamonds.

“Diamond is an advanced material with superlative properties making it the best choice for many technological applications, including those that enable connection of renewables to the grid,” explains Dr. Mahendra Sunkara, professor of Chemical Engineering and director of  the Conn Center. “The availability of diamond wafers can make innovation possible with next generation renewable energy and biosensors.”

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi said attracting high tech research and manufacturing companies is critical to the success of the university.

“As the university enhances the business ecosystem through innovative research-based engagements, like this one, we also lay a foundation for increased economic impact. This partnership will drive more and more companies and startups to look to UofL and Louisville as the global intellectual capital of high-tech manufacturing,” she said. 

Per a report from Bain & Co., the current capacity of lab-grown diamonds for the gem market alone is estimated at 2 million carats per annum. By 2030, the market could increase to 10 million and 17 million carats per annum with a growth rate of 15 to 20 percent. Currently, about 150 million carats gems-grade natural diamonds are mined annually. Industrial applications for large single crystal diamond can be in the range of several billion dollars per year for power devices and sensors.