During the five-day conference, a variety of presentations were given by national and international guest speakers who explored the topic of basic sciences and solar energy.
The Workshop on Research Strategies in Solar Energy and Basic Sciences took place with a large turnout of academics, related companies, students, and key stakeholders in the country’s energy sector.
This is the first conference held in the country to examine the fundamentals of physics and other basic sciences—such as optics, astronomy, and chemistry, to name a few—and their relationship to the development of solar energy.
Experiences from other countries were also presented, providing insight into the opportunities that exist in technological and scientific advancements with an eye toward the future.
As a result, this event sparked an interesting discussion about strategies that could be applied to the national context and solar energy research.
Among the international guests who participated were Radovan Kopecek from ISC Konstanz, Germany, and Chilean engineer Enrique Cabrera. Representing the University of Marburg, Germany, was physics professor Stephan Koch; and Paulraj Manidurai, a professor at the University of Concepción.
Among the national exhibitors were Ernest Michael, from the University of Chile’s astronomy group; Andrea Cortés, a chemist from the Federico Santa María Technical University; Professor Patricio Haberlé, from the same institution; Professor Jaime Llanos from the Pontifical Catholic University of the North; Marcelo Matus, from SERC Chile; and Eduardo Soto, from Fundación Chile.
As part of the presentation by the companies, Axel Metz of Halm (Germany) and Francisco Mardones of Nimbic spoke.
As part of the same workshop, a mini-symposium titled “Integration of Solar Energy and Strategic Management of Urban Transportation Systems” was held, organized by the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) at the University of Chile.
This mini-symposium focused on the various areas of research and application of solar energy in urban transportation, as well as efficiency measures to reduce energy consumption in the transportation sector.
The presenters at this Mini Symposium were Jorge Amaya, Pablo Orellana, Raphael Hofstädter, and Paula Uribe from the CMM, along with the Chilean Energy Efficiency Agency (ACEE).
On the final day, a series of keynote lectures was held in the Library Hall of the National Congress Building in Valparaíso, where professors Stephan Koch, Paulraj Manidurai, and Andrea Cortés presented their research on basic sciences and solar energy to an audience of students and members of the general public.
Finally, the event concluded with a cocktail reception for the guests at La Piedra Feliz restaurant.
We would like to extend our special thanks to everyone who made this event possible.
