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Silvana Ovaitt has received the IEEE Stuart R. Wenham Young Professional Award at PVSC 54
The award recognizes early-career professionals advancing solar PV science and technology
Ovaitt is known for her work on PV reliability, bifacial solar, agrivoltaics, and sustainability
Dr. Silvana Ovaitt, a Research Scientist and Bifacial PV Analyst at the US National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)—previously National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has been named the recipient of the IEEE Stuart R. Wenham Young Professional Award. The award was presented during the 54th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 54) in New Orleans.
It is awarded annually to a young scientist or engineer who has made significant contributions to solar PV energy conversion and demonstrated leadership potential within the solar industry.
Ovaitt specializes in photovoltaic reliability, field performance, and sustainability. Her research covers areas including bifacial PV, agrivoltaics, degradation modeling, repowering, and solar circularity. She has also held leadership roles in several international solar initiatives, including DuraMAT, InSPIRE, and IEA PVPS Task 13.
In addition to her research work, according to the IEEE, Ovaitt is active in education and industry outreach. She leads the Hands-On Photovoltaic Experience (HOPE) program, which provides practical training in solar technologies for Ph.D. students and early-career researchers.
Ovaitt has also organized and led international workshops focused on bifacial PV and solar circularity.
As part of the recognition, Ovaitt delivered an honorary presentation titled “The Next Phase of Solar Deployment Is Reliability” during the conference.
The award includes a cash prize, complimentary conference registration, a plaque, and recognition.
It was recently renamed in honor of the late Stuart Wenham (1957-2017), a leading figure in the field of solar PV from Australia, and recognizes outstanding young professionals advancing solar energy technologies worldwide.
Previous winners of the award include Yifeng Chen (2023), Marta Victoria (2022), Sam Stranks (2021), and Brett Hallam (2020), among others (see Australian Solar Researcher Wins Award).
