The IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (also called PVSC) is the longest running technical conference dedicated to photovoltaics, solar cells, and solar power. The first PVSC was in 1961 at the NASA headquarters in Washington DC. The number of conference areas have expanded and now include PV reliability and solar resource. The conference has also had many diverse and distinguished keynote speakers like Sarah Kurtz who won the conference's William Cherry Award in 2012. PVSC is also where the most notable breakthroughs in PV are often first announced, such as record Solar-cell efficiency, new technologies like perovskite, TOPCon, heterojunction (HJT), and tandem cells, derivation of new algorithms, and discoveries of new phenomena such as Potential-induced degradation and light and elevated temperature induced degradation (LeTID).
PVSC is one of the three hosts of the quadrennial World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC), along with the International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference (PVSEC) on the Asia-Pacific side and European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) on the European side.
William R. Cherry Award PVSC honors scientists and researchers who have made significant contributions to the field of photovoltaics since 1980. Notable recipients include Joseph J. Loferski in 1981, Martin Green in 1990, Richard Swanson in 2002, Stuart Wenham in 2009, Pierre Verlinden in 2016 and Professor Harry Atwater in 2019.
Women in PV Lunch For at least the past ten years, PVSC has held a luncheon with speakers who have recognized the significant contribution of women in photovoltaics.
Middle and high school competition For over 20 years, PVSC has inspired high school youth to engage with scientists, explore and present their concepts at the conference, and compete to win prizes. Starting in 2020, the competition was expanded to include middle school students. The format was changed to encourage more creativity by asking students to write about how solar energy will change the future in the "Solar Future Narratives" competition, and to pitch solar energy projects that could positively impact their communities in the "Solar Energy Video Pitch" competition.
Location history
PVSC #YearLocationChairCherry AwardPVSC-11961Washington, DCPVSC-21962Washington, DCWalter C. ScottPVSC-31963Washington, DCWalter C. ScottPVSC-41964Cleveland, OHPVSC-51965Greenbelt, MDPaul RappaportPVSC-61967Cocoa Beach, FLWilliam R. CherryPVSC-71968Pasadena, CARobert E. FischellPVSC-81970Seattle, WAJoseph J. LoferskiPVSC-91972Silver Springs, MDMartin WolfPVSC-101973Palo Alto, CARichard L. StatlerPVSC-111975Scottsdale, AZDenis R. CurtinPVSC-121976Baton Rouge, LAAmerico F. ForestieriPVSC-131978Washington, DCJohn V. GoldsmithPVSC-141980San Diego, CACharles E. BackusPaul RappaportPVSC-151981Kissimmee, FLCharles J. BishopJoseph J. LoferskiPVSC-161982San Diego, CAHenry W. Brandhorst, Jr.Martin WolfPVSC-171984Kissimmee, FLEugene L. RalphHenry W. BrandhorstPVSC-181985Las Vegas, NVAllen M. BarnettEugene L. RalphPVSC-191987New Orleans, LALawrence L. KazmerskiCharles E. BackusPVSC-201988Las Vegas, NVJoseph F. WiseDavid E. CarlsonPVSC-211990Kissimmee, FLJohn D. MeakinMartin A. GreenPVSC-221991Las Vegas, NVCosmo R. BaronaPeter A. IlesPVSC-231993Louisville, KYRichard J. SchwartzLawrence L. KazmerskiPVSC-24 (WCPEC-1)1994Waikoloa Village, HI (1st World Conference)Dennis J. Flood (General Chair), Jurgen Schmid and Masafumi Yamaguchi (Vice Chairs)Yoshihiro HamakawaPVSC-251996Washington, DCEldon C. BoesAllen M. BarnettPVSC-261997Anaheim, CAPaul BasoreAdolf GoetzbergerPVSC-27 (WCPEC-2)1998Vienna, Austria (2nd World Conference)Jurgen Schmid (General Chair), Kosuke Kurokawa and Sheila G. Bailey (Vice Chairs)Richard J. SchwartzPVSC-282000Anchorage, AKAjeet RohatgiChristopher R. WronskiPVSC-292002New Orleans, LAJohn BennerRichard SwansonPVSC-30 (WCPEC-3)2003Osaka, Japan (3rd World Conference)Kosuke Kurokawa (General Chair), Lawrence L. Kazmerski and Bernard McNelis (Vice Chairs)Ajeet RohatgiPVSC-312005Lake Buena Vista, FLChristopher R. WronskiTimothy J. CouttsPVSC-32 (WCPEC-4)2006Waikoloa Village, HI (4th World Conference)Sheila Bailey (General Chair), Heinz Ossenbrink and Makoto Konagai (Vice Chairs)Antonio LuquePVSC-332008San Diego, CATimothy J. CouttsMasafumi YamaguchiPVSC-342009Philadelphia, PATim AndersonStuart WenhamPVSC-352010Honolulu, HIRobert WaltersRichard R. KingPVSC-36 (WCPEC-5)2010Valencia, Spain (5th World Conference)Giovanni De Santi (General Chair), Makoto Konagai and Robert Walters (Vice Chairs)PVSC-372011Seattle, WADavid WiltJerry M. OlsonPVSC-382012Austin, TXB.J. StanberySarah KurtzPVSC-392013Tampa, FLRyne RafaelleKeith EmeryPVSC-402014Denver, CORichard R. KingRonald A. SintonPVSC-41 (WCPEC-6)2014Kyoto, Japan (6th World Conference)Makoto Konagai (General Chair), A. Jager Waldau and B.J. Stanbery (Vice Chairs)PVSC-422015New Orleans, LASteven A. RingelChristiana HonsbergPVSC-432016Portland, ORAngus RockettPierre VerlindenPVSC-442017Washington, DCAngèle ReindersEli YablonovitchPVSC-45 (WCPEC-7)2018Waikoloa Village, HI (7th World Conference)Alex Freundlich (General Chair), Marko Topič and Akira Yamada (Vice Chairs)Vasilis FthenakisPVSC-462019Chicago, ILSarah KurtzHarry AtwaterPVSC-472020Virtual (COVID-19)Seth HubbardJames SitesPVSC-482021Virtual (COVID-19)Sylvain MarsillacThorsten TrupkePVSC-492022Philadelphia, PABill ShafarmanStephen R. ForrestPVSC-502023San Juan, PRMariana BertoniJenny NelsonPVSC-51 (WCPEC-8)2022Milan, ItalyAlessandra Scognamiglio (General Chair), Yuzuru Ueda and Seth Hubbard (Vice Chairs)PVSC-522024Seattle, WAArno SmetsChris Xixiang XuPVSC-532025Montreal, Canada (7th World Conference)Tyler Grassman
References
Further reading www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/keynote-speaker-selected-for-39th-ieee-photovoltaic-specialists-conference_100011234/ www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/call-for-papers-and-registration-open-for-39th-ieee-photovoltaic-specialists-conference_10009871/ www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/pvd-is-the-key-von-ardenne-presents-coating-solutions-for-heterojunction-topcon-and-tandem-cells-in-milan/ https://solarindustrymag.com/ieee-photovoltaic-specialists-conference-calls-for-papers https://www.pv-tech.org/tracker-terrain-loss-the-elephant-in-the-room-and-the-low-hanging-fruit/