Scottish Institute for Solar Energy Research (SISER)

School of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Prof. Bryce Richards

Research and Grants Teaching and Administration Full CV (PDF)

 


 

Status: Professor.

Office room number: NS 2.02

Phone: +44 (0)131 451 3614

Email: B.S.Richards -at- hw.ac.uk

 


 
  Research
  • Design and fabrication of silicon solar cells
  • Optical, electrical and materials characterisation techniques
  • Dielectric thin-films for antireflection coatings and surface passivation
  • Application of luminescent materials to photovoltaics - up-conversion, down-conversion, spectral conversion (luminescence down-shifting), luminescent solar concentrators
  • Application of photonics to photovoltaics
  • Renewable energy powered desalination (membrane filtration) systems, specifically for application in developing countries and disaster relief
  • Renewable energy technology, solar energy, photovoltaics, small-scale wind turbines

Grants Awarded (with value >£10k)

  • Feb 2011 – Feb 2014 EPSRC-CAS grant together with Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter to investigate Luminescent Lanthanide Layers for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance (L3EAP2), HWU budget £631,000 over 3 years)
  • Oct 2010 – Oct 2013 Leverhulme Trust Research Grant “Aesthetic integration of PV into buildings” HWU budget £239,000 over 3 years (PI).
  • Jun 2010 – May 2013 EU FP7 grant “NanoSpec “ to investigate up-conversion for concentrating silicon solar cells, HWU budget €576,000 over 3 years (CI).
  • Jan 2010 – Jun 2011 Italian Government grant with Univ. Ca' Foscari (Venice, Italy) and XGroup S.p.A. (Itlay) to investigate spectral conversion for mc-Si solar cells, HWU budget €15,000 over 1 year (CI).
  • Mar 2008 – Mar 2011 DTI/TSB Technology Programme grant “High efficiency silicon solar cells with PECVD dielectric rear surface passivation - HIGHPOINT” (DT/F007345/1) together with NaREC (UK), HWU budget £366,095 over 3 years, PI Richards.
  • Jun 2008 – May 2010 Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme “Clean Water from Clean Energy”, together with Univ. Edinburgh, HWU budget: £124,321 no-FEC (co-PI).
  • Jan – Dec 2008 UNESCO Scotland grant “Feasibility study of solar-powered membrane filtration technology for the purification of contaminated water in remote functional community in Africa (Stage 1)”, together with Univ. Edinburgh and Univ. Dundee, £14,000 no-FEC (CI).
  • Oct 2007 – Mar 2009 EPSRC grant “Photophysical Strategies and Novel NIR Dyes for Optimisation of Luminescent Solar Concentrators” (EP/F02763X/1), together with Univ. Edinburgh, HWU budget £161,000 (PI).
  • Jan 2008 – Jun 2009 Royal Society Wolfson Laboratory Refurbishment grant “Renewable Energy Test Facility for Heriot-Watt University”, HWU budget £50,000, matched by internal funding of £56,000 (PI).
  • Jan 2007 – Dec 2008 Royal Society Brian Mercer Feasibility Award “Coloured photovoltaic windows for building integration”, HWU budget £30,000 (PI).
  • May 2006 – May 2008 Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage International grant “Enhancing the performance of thin film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down shifting layers”, together with ETH Zürich, ANU budget A$10,000 no-FEC (PI).
  • Mar 2005 – Mar 2008 ARC Linkage grant “Enhancing the Understanding and Performance of Passivation Dielectric Coatings for Photo-Active Devices” together with SierraTherm Production Furnaces (USA) and SunPower Corp. (USA), including a three-year ARC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Richards (relinquished Jul 2006 with move to HWU), ANU budget A$516,000 no-FEC (PI, until Jul 2006, then CI).
  • Jun 2005 – May 2008 Industry funded grant: BASF, Germany “Fluorescence Conversion Photovoltaics”, ANU budget €350,000 no-FEC (PI).
  • Oct – Nov 2005 Field trip sponsorship from Australian industry, New South Wales and Federal governments “Solar-powered desalination system field trials in the Australian outback”, ANU budget A$21,800 no-FEC.
  • Jan 2004 – Jan 2006 ARC Linkage grant “Sustainable Technology for Removal of Trace Contaminants in Rural Water Supplies”, together with Univ. Wollongong and Mono-Pumps (Australia), univ. budget A$330,000 no-FEC (CI).