Raffaelle tapped as new director of NREL’s National Center for Photovoltaics

Ryne P. Raffaelle has been named director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Most recently, he was academic director for the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and director of the NanoPower Research Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology (NY).

“Dr. Raffaelle’s experience in scientific research and development in the private and academic sectors brings critical leadership to DOE’s and NREL’s solar program,” said Robert Hawsey, NREL associate director of renewable electricity and end use systems.  “With Dr. Raffaelle on board, we expect to build on our leadership position in solar research and accelerate photovoltaics technology research, development, and deployment to make solar energy a significant part of our energy future.”

Raffaelle has more than 20 years experience leading laboratory research teams. While directing the two institutions at RIT, he also was a professor of physics, microsystems engineering, and sustainability and was responsible for more than $20 million in research grants in PV, thin-film processing, and nanomaterials research. He cofounded two PV and power system start-up companies--Wakonda Technologies and Alpha V.  

His career has included working as a visiting scientist at the NASA-Glenn Research Center, the NASA Lewis Research Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He was an associate professor of physics and space sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology from 1992-1999. 

Raffaelle has authored or coauthored over 100 refereed publications and books.  He is coeditor of Progress in Photovoltaics and has served on the organizing committee for the past four IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conferences and the last World Conference.  He holds a PhD in physics from University of Missouri-Rolla, and BS and MS degrees in physics from Southern Illinois University.