Date: April 13-15, 2025
Location: UBC Okanagan (UBCO), Kelowna, BC
Hosted by: Solar Energy for Net Zero Research Excellence Cluster
The Solar Energy BC Conference (SEBC 2025), held from April 13-15, 2025, brought together over 70 attendees from across academia, industry, and government (representation from local municipalities of Kelowna, Penticton, Lake Country, and Vernon) to explore the latest advancements in solar energy and its role in achieving Canada’s net-zero goals. The conference featured a dynamic mix of keynote talks, thematic sessions, panel disuccison, best speaker competition and lab tours showcasing cutting-edge solar research.
This inaugural event, themed “Path to Net Zero”, featured a robust program of techical sessions, keynote presentations, and collaborative discussions focused on three core themes: Photovoltaics, Solar Fuels & Catalysis, and Solar Integration.
The conference opened with a welcome reception by Dr. Rehan Sadiq, Provost and Vice-President, Academic UBC Okanagan and continued with a series of engaging sessions, including a panel discussion on collaborative strategies for maximizing solar energy’s contribution to Canada’s net-zero goals. A dedicated poster session showcased innovative research from students and early career scientists, with top student presenters receiving awards for excellence.
The event concluded with guided lab tours of UBCO’s cutting-edge solar research facilities, including the LSEF and SolarSpec labs.
We extend our sincere thanks to all participants, presenters, and volunteers for contributing to the success of SEBC 2025. Your engagement and insights are instrumental in driving forward the solar energy sector in British Columbia and beyond.
For more information, including access to the full program and abstract booklet, please visit:
We look forward to continuing this important dialogue and welcoming you to future SEBC events.
— The SEBC 2025 Organizing Committee
Notable Speakers
- Dr. Michael Adachi, Simon Fraser University – “Flexible Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Devices Based obn Asymmetric Geometry 2D MoS2)”
- Dr. Jeff Warren, Simon Fraser University – “Lessons from Carbon Dioxide Reduction Molecular Electrocatalyst Designs: Where can we go from here?”
- Dr. Makhsud Saidaminov, University of Victoria – “Upscaling Perovskite Solar Cells”
- Jeremy Dresner, Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) – “Agrovoltaics: Shaping the Future of Solar and Agriculture”
- Laurence Lemay, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. – “The Importance of Ecosystems in the Creation of Successful Renewable Energy Projects”
- Dr. Alexandra Tavasoli, The University of British Columbia – “Challenges Facing the Scale-up and Commercialization of Solar-Driven Chemical Processes”
Speaker Awards
We proudly recognize the winners of the Best Speaker Presentations, each awarded $250 for their outstanding contributions:
Best Oral Presentations
- Davis Kurdyla, UBC – “Electroposition of Conductive Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films”
- Dongyang Zhang, UVic – “All Scalable Fabrication of Perovskite Solar Cells in Ambient Air”
- Sutripto Khasnabis, UBC- “Exploring Spatial and Temporal Charge Carrier Dynamics in Carbon Nitride Using Transient Absorption Microscopy”
Best Poster Presentations
- Shahrukh Hossain Rian, UBC – “Feasibility of Solar in the City of Kelowna – A Socio-Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Photovoltaics in Interior BC”
- Katherine Latosisnky, UBC – “Solution-Processed Perovskite-Chalcogenide Tandem Solar Cells”
- Dr. Pravin Pawar, UBC- “Enhanced Efficiency in Ink-Based CuIn(S,Se)2 Solar Cells via Compositional Engineering and Rear Surface Passivation”
Event Gallery
We’re pleased to share a glimpse into the vibrant atmosphere of SEBC 2025. Here are some highlights from the event in photos.
