Rodrigo Escobar, a researcher from SERC Chile's RL 2, was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Solar Energy Society, ISES. He states that from this position he will promote the recruitment of new members, actively support educational and research initiatives in underrepresented regions, and foster the strengthening of ISES's communications with its members and the community.
Escobar values this appointment as recognition of his career and states that he will take it on “with a spirit of service” to make his knowledge available to the national and international community. Personally, he adds, the position will give him the opportunity to contribute to the leading scientific and professional society in solar energy, while serving as a link between ISES and the scientific and outreach work carried out by SERC Chile.
In the current context, where it is of vital importance to successfully transition towards a sustainable energy system, Escobar argues that no single technology alone can solve all energy problems and the climate emergency. “I firmly believe in a solar-driven energy transition for the entire world, but I consider that an ultimate approach must help foster communication and interaction with other renewable energy communities for the parallel development of strategies based on the application of scientific knowledge, translated into the languages of different communities and stakeholders: society, industry, and governments,” he says.

Research areas
With a research line focused on solar resource assessment, modeling and simulation of hybrid solar, photovoltaic, and CSP plants, solar polygeneration and desalination, and topics related to the sustainable energy transition, the associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile has 65 publications in indexed journals, books, and chapters. He has also created diploma courses and professional master's programs for the industry.
Since 2008, he has been a member of ISES; of Task 16 of IEA-PVPS on “Solar Resource Assessment” and of Task 64 of IEA-SHC on “Solar Process Heat.” He has participated in international master's and doctoral student committees, and recently joined the ISES InCore international student mentoring and supervision network.