Suraj Soman, a scientist with the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Pappanamcode, has won the CSIR Young Scientist Award in the Chemical Sciences category for his work on dye-sensitised solar cells (DSC), a technology for indoor photovoltaics and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). He is attached to the Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-NIIST.
He has been selected for the prestigious award “for developing semi-automatic equipment for large-area dye-sensitised solar module fabrication by introducing alternate copper and cobalt electrolytes,” the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has said.Unlike conventional solar cells which require sunlight, DSCs work even in low, artificial or indirect light, making them ideal for indoor use. Dr. Soman said he owed his achievement to NIIST director A. Ajayaghosh and his colleagues. The award will be presented on September 26.
