The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in global energy consumption. While this need has been largely met by fossil fuels, increasing global competition has generated growing concern over future availability and environmental impact. CO2 emissions are adversely affecting global climate, and developing renewable carbon-neutral energy sources constitutes a grand challenge for the scientific community.
SERC, the UNC Solar Energy Research Center is positioning the University to be a leader in formulating a sustainable energy future. Our current research focus is on solar fuels by artificial photosynthesis and next-generation organic and hybrid photovoltaics.