Richard Swanson
Richard Swanson (born 1945) is an American electrical engineer and businessman, retired founder of SunPower, a solar photovoltaic cell manufacturer.
Biography edit
Swanson was born in Davenport, Iowa in 1945.[1]
He graduated in 1969 with Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degrees from Ohio State University and, in 1975, received a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical engineering from Stanford University.[1] He then joined the university faculty at Stanford and began research in solar cell technology.[2][3] In 1985 Swanson received grants for his solar energy research from the Electric Power Research Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy.[4] That same year he founded SunPower Corporation.[4] Swanson is credited for creating Swanson's law, an observation that solar cell prices decline by 20% for every doubling of solar panel industry capacity.[5] The law is often compared to the better known Moore's Law.[5]
Honors edit
In 2002, Richard was awarded the William R. Cherry award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).[1] Additionally, Swanson received the Becquerel Prize in Photovoltaics from the European Communities in 2006.[1] He was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 2008 and has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 2009.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Solar Energy Mini-Series: The Silicon Photovoltaic Roadmap". Stanford University. from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ "The father of solar in the U.S." Greentech Media. 2012. from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ Wolfe, Philip (May 22, 2018). The Solar Generation. John Wiley & Sons & Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). p. 185. ISBN 9781119425588.
- ^ a b "SunPower History". SunPower. 2012. from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ a b "Sunny Uplands: Alternative energy will no longer be alternative". The Economist. November 21, 2012. from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
External links edit
- Richard Swanson at Stanford University