What is sustainable energy development? It is development which meets the energy needs of the present without compromising those of the future. Solar energy stands to become a dominant part of the global energy mix. It is by far the largest potential source of energy for the planet. Solar energy dwarfs all other sources combined.

The Advanced Photovoltaics and Devices Research Group at the University of Toronto is actively carrying out innovative research and technology developments in the areas of photovoltaics and allied fields of photonics and electronics.

The APD Group focuses on novel technology developments, working closely with industry, and conducts forwarding looking fundamental and applied research to develop semiconductor and nanostructured materials and devices for photovoltaics and other applications.

APD research is multidisciplinary, involving researchers from the departments of electrical and computer engineering, materials science and engineering, physics and chemistry. R&D activities include silicon photovoltaics, thin film nanocrystalline-amorphous silicon-carbon materials and devices, photonic crystal - semiconductor devices, radioisotope micropower sources, tritium-material interactions.

With considerable support from industry and granting agencies, the APD Group at the University of Toronto is steadily making research and technology advances towards its goal of leading Ontario and Canada into a future where sustainable solar energy sources are pervasive.








Nazir P. Kherani
Associate Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and
Department of Materials Science and Engineering