Great to see that the solar industry is getting recognition in the technology sector - Tim

Swiss solar cell inventor wins technology prize

The German-born chemist, director of the photonics and interfaces laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne in the Swiss city of the same name — was awarded the euro800,000 ($960,000) prize by the Technology Academy of Finland for his innovation, which led to the development of electricity-generating windows and mobile solar panels.

The Finnish academy said finding ways to replace the Earth's diminishing fossil fuel supply was one of mankind's greatest challenges, adding that the sun is "the most obvious energy source."

"The constraint of solar energy has traditionally been its price. Graetzel cells provide a more affordable way of harnessing solar energy," said Ainomaija Haarla, president of the academy. "Graetzel's innovation is likely to have an important role in low-cost, large-scale solutions for renewable energy."

The academy described the price-performance ratio of Graetzel's cells as "excellent, adding that they had just made their commercial debut.

"The technology often described as 'artificial photosynthesis' ... is made of low-cost materials and does not need an elaborate apparatus to manufacture," the academy said.

Graetzel, 66, won the main prize while runners up — Sir Richard Friend and Stephen Furber, both British — were each awarded euro150,000 ($180,000) for plastic electronics and microprocessors.