NSERC awardee is exploring new ways to store solar energy

UBC chemist and chemical engineer Curtis P. Berlinguette has been awarded a 2016 NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship for his research on solar energy conversion technologies.

Berlinguette’s team is researching new catalysts which could convert sunlight into high-density fuels, such as hydrogen, allowing for improved fuel storage. Berlinguette’s lab is also developing advanced solar cells that can be incorporated into urban environments and operate more efficiently than conventional technologies under lower light conditions.

Building on his track record of working with industry collaborators, Berlinguette is now commercializing some of this materials through a spin-off company. Berlinguette is also a CIFAR Fellow, the recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and a Tier II Canada Research Chair.

NSERC’s E.W.R Steacie Memorial Fellowships honour the memory of Dr. Edgar William Richard Steacie, an outstanding chemist and research leader who made major contributions to the development of science in Canada. Every year, NSERC awards up to six Steacie Fellowships, allowing fellows to devote themselves to their research.