ASES Celebrates Award Winners

American Solar Energy Society congratulates award winners during
SOLAR 2009; leaders recognized for contributions to the field of solar energy and to the ASES organization 

BOULDER, CO – June 8, 2009 – The American Solar Energy Society congratulates this year’s award winners for their significant contributions in the field of solar energy. Awards were presented to recipients at the ASES National Solar Conference awards banquet in Buffalo, NY in May.

Charles Greeley Abbot Award
Harold R. Hay, a solar pioneer and an original founding member of the American Solar Energy Society, was presented with the Charles Greeley Abbot Award, the most prestigious award in solar energy. Conferred upon an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Society or to the field of solar energy, Hay, 100, was celebrated for his lifetime achievements on both accounts. 

Hay is best known for his efforts pioneering rooftop solar ponds and is credited with several patents, including the invention of the SkyTherm system of heating and cooling buildings using passive solar techniques. Hay has lectured in universities throughout Europe, China and the Philippines, and has published his research in several top-rated scientific journals. He has been listed by TIME magazine for “American Ingenuity,” and was named to the Solar Hall of Fame by the Solar Energy & Energy Conversion Laboratory at the University of Florida.

Passive Solar Pioneer Award
Baruch Givoni, longtime innovator of passive building design, was honored with the Passive Solar Pioneer Award, which recognizes trendsetters in the passive solar energy field who have laid a path for others to follow.

Today’s passive buildings draw on the scientific foundation laid out in Givoni’s book Man, Climate and Architecture, published in 1971. Since that time, Givoni has published several books on climate responsive building, urban design and passive cooling, including Passive and Low Energy Cooling of Buildings and Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design, acknowledged throughout the solar industry to be among the most technically complete books available in their fields. Givoni has been a leader in the Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) group, and engaged students with his research of thermal phenomena.

Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award
Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi was recognized with the Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award for more than 30 years of significant contributions to solar technology, specifically in the fields of PV research, manufacturing, education and leadership. Dr. Rohatgi, in his career-long mission to make solar energy cost-effective, has advanced Silicon PV technologies through novel approaches, and used rapid thermal processing (RTP) to reduce solar processing time and enhance cell efficiency – now the industry standard for screen-printed solar cells. Dr. Rohatgi founded the top-ranked solar research center at Georgia Tech, the first University Center for Excellence in Photovoltaic Research (UCEP) endorsed by the DOE. He recently founded Suniva, a manufacturing company that has launched 32 MV of solar cells annually.

John and Barbara Yellott Award
Clara Changxin Fang, a Masters candidate of Environmental Management at Yale University, with a concentration in Urban Ecology and Environmental Design, was awarded the John and Barbara Yellott Award, which recognizes a graduate student concentrating on solar energy. Ms. Fang has managed a number of projects at the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners and hopes to “help implement solar energy in communities and design urban environments that create less pollution and improve quality of life.”

Women in Solar Energy Award
Marlene Brown, an educator of photovoltaics at the New Mexico Solar Energy Association and a solar policy advocate for city and state governments, was honored with the Women in Solar Energy Award for her significant contributions to the acceptance and advancement of women in this industry. Ms. Brown, a graduate of Colorado Mountain College’s Solar Retrofit Training Program in the 1980s, has worked as a technical solar expert for Sandia National Labs, in addition to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and Solar Electric Light Fund.

Fellows of the American Solar Energy Society
Bruce Haglund, a pioneering educator in the field of passive solar design at the University of Idaho, and Joseph McCabe, a solar engineer credited with advancing Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and developing a solar usage quantification computer program for students, have been named Fellows of the American Solar Energy Society.  The ASES Fellow designation recognizes longtime ASES members who have provided exceptional service to the Society.

Mr. Haglund connected ASES with the Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE), in order to integrate energy education with architectural design. He has also been described as a consummate volunteer for ASES, taking on a range of roles from chairing sessions to presenting workshops at ASES conferences.

Mr. McCabe, a longtime ASES Board Member and Magazine Advisory Councilman for SOLAR TODAY, has written numerous articles for SOLAR TODAY and papers for ASES conferences, in addition to authoring chapters for Advances in Solar Energy.

ASES Special Staff Award
Dona McClain, an essential ASES staff member for more than 25 years, has been honored with the American Solar Energy Society Special Staff Award, for her commitment, dedication and many years of service.


About the American Solar Energy Society
Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and grassroots advocates. Supported by more than 13,000 members, ASES’ mission is to speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. ASES advances education, research and policy, inspiring the nation to go solar. ASES publishes the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, presents the National Solar Conference, and leads the National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world. www.ases.org