Sixty researchers from various universities across the country attended the event to discuss the scientific foundations of solar energy development and its current potential to contribute to carbon neutrality goals.

SERC Chile (Solar Energy Research Center) held its annual meeting this past July to present the progress, projects, and challenges of the country’s energy transition, as well as to develop guidelines for the continued operation of the research center, which is currently in its 12th year.

This year's plenary session was held in the Metropolitan Region and brought together 60 of the 80 SERC Chile researchers, who are affiliated with various universities across the country. There, they shared and discussed the scientific foundations of solar energy—a field in which they are currently working—to contribute to the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient country by 2050 at the latest.

The director of SERC Chile, Rodrigo Palma, stated that the goal of these types of events is to collaboratively build a solid foundation of knowledge about solar energy in order to leverage the exceptional conditions in the northern region of the country. “Through research, we promote initiatives that enable the northern region of the country to establish itself as a scientific hub in global solar energy research. These annual plenary sessions of SERC Chile serve to address strategic issues such as these, as well as the guidelines and foundations for the continued operation of our center,” said Palma.

He also noted that they remain committed to undertaking a multidisciplinary study of the barriers that science has not yet overcome, from the perspective of six lines of research: solar energy in industry and mining; high-power electrical systems with solar energy integration; solar energy coordination systems for rural and urban communities; solar energy storage; solar water treatment; and economic, social, and regulatory aspects of solar energy development.

Currently, SERC Chile brings together more than 80 researchers and is composed of the University of Antofagasta, the University of Chile, the Pontifical Catholic University, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Federico Santa María Technical University, the University of Concepción, and Fraunhofer Chile.

Recognition and Awards

During the event, SERC Chile presented special awards to three researchers who, as of this year, are no longer active members of the center, recognizing each of them for their contributions since the center’s inception: Dr. Héctor Mansilla, professor emeritus at the University of Concepción; Dr. Héctor Galleguillos of the University of Antofagasta, whose research focuses on energy storage; and a posthumous award to Hugh Rudnick, an engineer specializing in energy issues and professor emeritus at the Catholic University.