In a virtual ceremony, Ulrike Jahn, senior researcher at VDE Renewables, was conferred the prestigious Becquerel Prize for her path breaking research in the field of photovoltaics. The award was presented during the opening day of 38th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition which was being held from 6th - 10th September 2021 in virtual online mode.
The Becquerel Prize was instituted in 1989 in the honor of Alexandre Edmund Becquerel, who first discovered the photovoltaic effect along with influence of the spectrum of light on the photovoltaic effect . Every year, this award is given to scientists who have made an outstanding contribution to photovoltaics. Presenting this prestigious award to Ulrike Jahn on the opening day of EU PVSEC 2021, Christophe Ballif, chair of the Becquerel Committee, said that Jahn was chosen for her “outstanding and continuous contribution to the field, which is extremely important and sometimes underestimated in its difficulty, of the quality performance and assessment of photovoltaics modules and systems.”
Ulrike Jahn has worked her carrier long for the development of PV technology, with a focus on reliability and performance that new electricity generation technologies must demonstrate to be accepted in the market. Her activities have evolved from working for the 1000-Roof PV systems program in the 90s, to module reliability characterization and PV system performance assessment, up to the definition and establishment of methodologies for good practice to reduce technical risks during the implementation and working life of PV systems. She became not only one of the world leading experts, collaborating with 80 experts all around the world, but also one of the face in the field and thereby a role model for young scientists and engineers.
Ulrike Jahn is currently a senior researcher at VDE renewables in Alzenau. From 2008 to 2020, she was with TUV Reinhland in Cologne. Prior to that, she worked with ZAE Bayern and with ISFH. Since 2010, she has being coordinating the international operation Task 13 of the IEA PVPS program dealing with the performance assessment, operation and reliability of PV modules and systems.