The mission of the Center for Solar Energy in the School of Physical Sciences at UCI is to study the fundamental scientific principles of solar energy conversion and to educate scientists, students, and the general public about harnessing our most abundant energy resource.
Presently, solar energy provides an insignificant fraction (<< 1%) of our overall energy needs and fundamental scientific breakthroughs will be required to change this status quo. The Center for Solar Energy fosters innovative research strategies across the fields of chemistry, physics, engineering, and biology. The core research initiatives use this multi-disciplinary approach to overcome fundamental obstacles of converting the sun’s energy into a usable chemical and electrical energy resource.
