Arizona State University, Light Works Initiative (LightWorks®)

RCAST and LightWorks® (former the Arizona Initiative on Renewable Energy (AIRE)) formed a partnership in 2010 to conduct joint research and educational activities in the area of solar energy technology and to advance research in the field.

The three-year agreement includes:
- Joint research projects
- Exchange of educational information and joint educational activities
- Lectures and symposia
- Exchange of faculty members, research staff and students

The initial goal of the partnership is research and development of high-efficiency, multi-junction solar cells, using compound semiconductor materials to optimize absorption of the full solar spectrum. This type of solar cell could be used for High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) power generation. These systems focus solar energy at 1,000 times its normal intensity, using a fraction of the amount of semiconductors currently required and reducing the cost of generating solar electricity. Future research could also include intermediate-band solar cells.