College holds first Ethio-Swedish workshop
College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, hosted the first Ethio-Swedish workshop from 27-28 November 2014 on the theme “Organic Photovoltaic and Biopolymer-based Batteries and Supper capacitors for Solar Electricity Storage”. The workshop was opened in the presence of Mr. Jan Sadek, Swedish Ambassador in Ethiopia. High profile researchers from Chalmers University of Technology and Linkoping University of Sweden and Addis Ababa University, Hawasa, Bahir Dar, and Wollega University, Ethiopia have taken part in the workshop.
The workshop was aimed at development of organic-based photovoltaic energy conversion and promises to deliver new alternatives to well-established silicon photovoltaic and biopolymer composite electrodes. This in return opens avenues towards the use of renewable materials in the construction of wooden batteries or super capacitors for charge storage.
It was discussed during the workshop that the globe currently consumes 15 terawatts of power and probably will double by 2050. However, our energy source is not only non-renewable and limited but also not eco-friendly. One of the most critical challenges facing the scientific community is finding sustainable solution to meet the world wide growing energy demand while maintaining the quality of our environment. Organic solar cell technology that converts solar energy to electrical energy is becoming solution to this problem. Consequently, polymer solar cell attracts considerable attention as a potential renewable energy technology. In light of this, the need for clean, inexpensive and renewable energy has increasingly turned research attention towards polymer photovoltaic cell.
The department of chemistry, Addis Ababa University, has been extensively working in collaboration with Linkoping University of Sweden for a decade on this area and has developed new organic polymers and biopolymers for solar energy conversion, storage and sensor devices. This effort is currently extended to develop electrochemical methods for monitoring environmentally polluting heavy metals as well as biopolymer electrode for waste water treatment using solar electricity.
The academic work presented by different scholars during the workshop has momentous role towards commercializing solar energy in our country in the future and promising effort for rural areas electrification now lacking electrical grids having sufficient solar energy inputs.
Workshop was held at the graduate building of the College of Natural Sciences.