White House names Indian-American "Solar Champion of Change"

White House has named Indian-American professor Rajendra Singh as one of ten "Solar Champions of Change" who are taking the initiative to spur solar deployment across America.

Rajendra Singh is D. Houser Banks Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Clemson University's Centre of Silicon Nanoelectronics in South Carolina.

"Today, the White House is celebrating ten Solar Champions of Change who are driving policy changes at the local level to expand energy choices for Americans, grow jobs, and add new clean energy to the grid," a White House announcement said

The champions include community leaders helping to reduce permitting times, business owners looking for a cleaner energy source, or homebuilders looking to offer new, renewable options for their customers, it said

According to a Clemson University release Singh is leading the charge across the country to create jobs and economic opportunity in solar power and driving policy changes at the local level to further advance solar deployment.

Singh devoted his doctoral thesis research to solar cells in 1973 during the Arab oil embargo and in the last 40 years he has served as a visionary leader to advance the technology of photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing.

"The vision I had in 1980 is happening only now, 30 years later," Singh said.

"The economic crisis of 2008, followed by recession or low economic growth in developed economies and high growth in emerging economies, has changed the landscape of energy business all over the world."

As part of the Climate Action Plan launched by President Barack Obama in 2013, the US has observed a record-breaking year for new solar installations, increasing almost 11-fold, which is enough to power more than 2.2 million American homes.

Solar power now is a cost-competitive option that offers financial and environmental benefits and yields new economic opportunities for many Americans.

To transform global electricity infrastructure, Singh is providing leadership to use photovoltaics as the source of local direct-current electricity in the US and emerging and underdeveloped economies.

He is also actively involved with civic groups to bring legislation and regulations in South Carolina that will lead to the growth of solar-generated electricity, the university said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)