4th October 2017
With the Farrington Daniels Award, ISES recognises outstanding international contributions from individuals in science or technology development in solar energy applications that contribute to improving human living conditions. The award will be handed over to Robert Pitz-Paal during the Solar World Congress, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 29 October to 2 November this year. Part of the prize is a lifetime ISES Gold membership.
Starting with his doctoral studies, Robert Pitz-Paal focused on the research of solar thermal power plants and has since advocated the further development of related technologies. He has been working in various capacities at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, for 25 years and is regarded as one of the worldwide leading experts in his field of research. He is co-founder of the DLR Institute for Solar Research.
For Pitz-Paal the award is not only an appreciation of his personal achievements: "I also see this award as recognition of the solar thermal power generation, which is now, after a long warm-up time, well on its way to making important contributions to a globally sustainable energy supply". Founded in 1954, ISES is the largest international solar organization with members in more than 110 countries. Its members include scientists, individuals and companies in the solar industry, solar energy associations and other private and public organisations. The price has been awarded every two years since 1975 and is named after the American physicist Farrington Daniels (1889-1972), who is considered one of the pioneers in the field of solar energy research.