Gratzel cells mimic natural plant photosynthesis
The inventor of a low-cost solar cell that could be used to build electricity generating windows has been awarded this year's Millennium Technology Prize.
Professor Michael Gratzel of the Lausanne Federal Technology Institute received the €800,000 (£660,000) prize at a ceremony in Helsinki.
Professor Gratzel's innovation mimics the way plants turn light into energy.
Two British inventors also won prizes of €150,000 (£124,000) each.
The three shortlisted entries were all vying for the world's biggest technology prize, which is awarded every other year by Finland's Technology Academy.
Big honourProfessor Gratzel expressed his excitement to BBC News: "It was a wonderful experience to win the grand prix, and of course a tremendous honour".
"The constraint of solar energy has traditionally been its price. 'Gratzel cells' provide a more affordable way of harnessing solar energy," said Dr Ainomaija Haarla, President of Technology Academy Finland.
"Gratzel's innovation is likely to have an important role in low-cost, large-scale solutions for renewable energy."
Professor Michael Gratzel Millennium Technology Prize winnerYou could think that the glass of all high-rises in New York would be electricity generating panels
Explaining his inspiration, he said: "I was always intrigued by the way plants capture sunlight and turn it into fuels like sugar.
"Natural photosynthesis was the inspiration, and our solar cell is the only one that mimics the natural photosynthetic process."
