June 8, 2026
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rau has been awarded the 2026 IEEE William R. Cherry Award. Presented today at the 54th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) in the United States, the award is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of photovoltaics worldwide. It recognizes Rau’s fundamental contributions to the development of more efficient solar cells—a key technology for the climate-neutral energy supply of the future.
Until 2025, Uwe Rau was Director of the Institute for Energy and Climate Research – Photovoltaics at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Professor of Photovoltaics at RWTH Aachen University. His work has significantly shaped modern photovoltaic research and has gained worldwide recognition.
Rau’s research focuses on the physical fundamentals of photovoltaic materials and devices. His work on the so-called reciprocity theorem—which relates the photovoltaic quantum efficiency to the electroluminescence of solar cells—has gained particular significance. This fundamental concept has decisively expanded our understanding of loss mechanisms and efficiency limits and is now used worldwide in research and development.
During his scientific career, Rau investigated a wide variety of solar cell technologies, including silicon heterojunction solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and thin-film technologies based on copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS), thin-film silicon, organic semiconductors, and perovskites. In addition, he focused on the analysis of operational data from photovoltaic modules as well as the optical and electronic characterization of semiconductor materials.
After studying physics at the University of Tübingen, including study visits to France, Rau earned his doctorate at the Institute of Physics at the University of Tübingen. He entered the field of photovoltaics in 1991 as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart. This was followed by leadership roles in research at the Universities of Bayreuth, Oldenburg, and Stuttgart, as well as a research stay at the Sony Research Center in Yokohama, Japan. He completed his habilitation in 2002 at the University of Oldenburg.
In 2007, Rau moved to the Jülich Research Center and RWTH Aachen University. In addition to his research, he was deeply committed to promoting young scientists, including as scientific director of the Helmholtz Graduate School HITEC and as coordinator of the “Energy and Green Hydrogen” master’s program in collaboration with the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) and partner universities in West Africa.
The William R. Cherry Award was established in 1980 in honor of photovoltaics pioneer William R. Cherry. It is awarded to scientists who have made significant contributions to the science and technology of photovoltaic energy conversion over a long period of time and have disseminated their findings through major publications and presentations.
With this award, Uwe Rau joins the ranks of the world’s leading figures in photovoltaic research. His work has made a significant contribution to establishing the scientific foundations for more efficient solar cells and thereby advancing the development of a climate-neutral energy supply. In addition to a certificate and prize money, the honor includes a keynote address during the opening ceremony of the IEEE PVSC.
