2025 KARL W. BÖER

SOLAR ENERGY MEDALS

 
  NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2025 AWARDS

Honoring advancements in renewable energy

The Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit
Karl W. Böer

Karl W. Böer

The Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medals are awarded every two years for pioneering advancements in renewable energy. These distinguished awards include a bronze medal and monetary prizes. Nominations are due August 1, 2025.

In 2025, two medals will be awarded: the traditional Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit, carrying a $100,000 prize, honoring a world-renowned individual who has made pioneering advancements in renewable energy as an alternative source of energy; and the newly endowed Karl W. Böer Renewable Energy Mid-Career Award, carrying a $25,000 prize.

The medals are named in honor of Dr. Karl Wolfgang Böer, a trailblazing scientist in the field of renewable energy who founded the Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) at the University of Delaware. Since its founding in 1972, IEC has been a leader in photovoltaic research. It is the oldest solar cell institution in the world and a U.S. Department of Energy-designated University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education.

Dr. Böer, who passed away on April 18, 2018, at the age of 92, was a visionary scientist whose work led to significant progress in the field of renewable energy. The medals he so generously endowed through the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit Award Trust, established at the University of Delaware in 1991, have become the most prestigious awards for the global solar energy community and now honor leadership in all forms of renewable energy. The first Böer Medal was awarded in 1993 to former President Jimmy Carter.

The Böer Medals will continue to honor those who have, through their vision and inventiveness, made enduring progress toward the evolution of a more sustainable future for our planet.

The Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit

Karl W. Böer

Karl W. Böer

The Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal Awards are named in honor of Dr. Karl Wolfgang Böer, a pioneering scientist in the field of renewable energy who founded the UD Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC). Since its founding in 1972, IEC has been a leader in photovoltaic research and is the oldest solar cell institution in the world. It is a U.S. Department of Energy-designated University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education. Dr. Böer, who passed away on April 18, 2018 at the age of 92, was a visionary scientist whose pioneering work led to significant progress in the field of renewable energy.

Funding for the Awards comes from the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit Award Trust which was set up at the University of Delaware in 1991. The Böer Medal has been awarded every two years with the first Medal awarded in 1993 to former President Jimmy Carter and the last Medal given out in 2018. The Boer Medal has become the most prestigious award for the global solar energy community and is now expanded to honor leadership in all forms of renewable energy.

In 2022, there will be two Medals awarded – the traditional Karl Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit to honor individuals who have made significant, pioneering advancements to renewable energy as an alternative source of energy and the newly endowed Karl W. Böer Renewable Energy Mid-Career Award that will be awarded for the first time in 2022. These Medals will continue to honor those who have, through their vision and inventiveness, made enduring progress toward the evolution of a more sustainable future for our planet.

PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS

1993

President Jimmy Carter
The one individual who, more than anyone else, spurred development and focused world attention on the relatively unknown technology for safe and environmentally sound energy production from the sun.

1995

David E. Carlson
For the discovery and commercial development of thin film amorphous silicon cells for converting sunlight to electrical energy.

1997

Adolf Goetzberger
For his leadership in the international solar energy community, his research accomplishments and for founding the eminent Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

1999

Stanford R. Ovshinsky
For pioneering the science of amorphous semiconductors resulting in the development of low-cost thin-film silicon solar cells.

2001

Allen M. Barnett
For his pioneering high-performance, thin-crystalline silicon solar cells, and outstanding continuing service to the solar electric power community.

2003

Martin A. Green
For his innovative research efforts in the development of high performance crystalline silicon solar cell technology.

2005

Yoshihiro Hamakawa
For his significant pioneering contributions to the development of high-efficiency thin-film solar cells and the advancement of solar photovoltaic science and technology as a clean energy source.

2007

Lawrence Kazmerski
For his leadership in the field of solar electricity from its infancy.

2009

Hermann Scheer
For his long-lasting and worldwide commitment to the dissemination of solar energy.

2011

Richard M. Swanson
For his innovation in the field of photovoltaics and for his tenure as president of SunPower Corporation.

2013

Zhores I. Alferov and Viacheslav M. Andreev
For their contributions to the investigation and development of semiconductor device technology and physics which have led to greater performance and efficiency of solar cells and arrays.

2015

Antonio Luque
For inventing the intermediate band solar cell, which raises the efficiency limit from 41 percent to 63 percent.

2016

D. Yogi Goswami
For his outstanding contributions to renewable energy including reducing costs and developing efficient, effective storage methods for solar energy as well as harnessing solar energy as a catalyst to address environmental problems.

2018

Alex Zunger
For pioneering new theories to improve the performance of solar devices and using unconventional approaches to find new materials to power solar technology.

2020

No award made
Typically awarded every two years. No award made due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022

Vasilis Fthenakis
MEDAL OF MERIT RECIPIENT

For pioneering research at the interface of energy and environment that provided the underpinning of energy lifecycle impacts and catalyzed photovoltaic technology advancement and deployment worldwide.

2022

Anke Weidenkaff
MID-CAREER AWARD RECIPIENT

For visionary leadership and pathbreaking in renewable energy and sustainability technologies with seminal contributions to materials for solar fuels, thermoelectric converters, catalysts, and self-regenerative functionalities.

NOMINATION APPLICATION

The Awards

The 2025 Nomination


Energy collage solar

Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit

Cash award: $100,000

Purpose: The medal will be awarded to a world-renowned individual who has made significant pioneering contributions in solar energy, wind energy, or other forms of renewable energy as an alternate source of energy through research, development, or economic enterprise, or to an individual who has made extraordinary valuable and enduring contributions to the fields of solar energy, wind energy, or other forms of renewable energy.

Karl W. Böer Renewable Energy Mid-Career Award

Cash award: $25,000

Purpose: The Mid-Career Award will be presented to an individual who is actively making significant contributions with promise for an enduring impact in solar energy, wind energy, or other forms of renewable energy through research, development, or economic enterprise, or to an individual making extraordinary valuable and enduring contributions to the fields of solar energy, wind energy, or other forms of renewable energy.

 

Karl Boer Solar Energy Medal of Merit
  • Nominator Info
  • Nominee Info
  • Citations
  • Justification
  • Letters of Support
    • Submit

    NOMINATION APPLICATION -- DEADLINE AUGUST 1, 2025

    NOTE: Applications should be completed in one session as information is not saved until form is submitted.

    Select one *

    Please check for which Medal the nominee is being considered.

     

    Guidelines

    Award Guidelines

    1. Nominations must be submitted on the form provided in this announcement. Please note that only electronic submissions of the nomination form and supporting documents will be considered.
    2. Everyone is eligible, without any discrimination by profession or discipline. The Award Committee seeks individuals of great distinction who by their research, development, application, economic enterprise, or policies have made or are making extraordinary contributions to the fields of solar energy, wind energy, or other forms of renewable energy that are recognized nationally and internationally.
    3. The nomination must be accompanied by a complete curriculum vitae of the nominee and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of up to five references. Do not send copies of the publications, nominee’s patents, press releases, or other materials.
    4. The medals and cash awards will be presented in 2025.
    5. Nominations, with accompanying curricula vitae and references must be received by August 1, 2025. No nominations for the 2025 medal will be considered after that date.

     

    NOTE: Applications should be completed in one session as information is not saved until form is submitted.

     

    Panel of Judges

    The Award Committee

    2022 Böer Award Presentations and Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) 50th Anniversary Celebration.

    Anke Weidenkaff (center left), director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies in Germany, and Vasilis Fthenakis (center right), founding director of the Center for Life Cycle Analysis at Columbia University, were the 2022 Karl Böer award recipients in recognition of their contributions to renewable energy.

    The Award Committee is composed of the presidents of the International Solar Energy Society, the American Solar Energy Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Physical Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, or their designated representatives, a representative of the Böer family, and the executive director of the Trust.

     

    Award Ceremony

    The Ceremony

    Karl W. Böer Solar Medal of Merit 2018 Ceremony

    A ceremony to honor the award recipients will be held at the University of Delaware.

    Registration information and additional details coming soon.

     

    Questions? Please contact Cherie Conrad.

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