It is my distinct pleasure to invite you to be a part of the 43rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, June 5 - 10, 2016, which I am proud to host at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. This year’s conference promises to uphold PVSC's tradition as a premier international conference on the science and technology of photovoltaics by providing an interactive forum for researchers, students, scientists, engineers, technology and business leaders from industry, academia, government in an environment conducive to strengthening collaborations and sharing knowledge across the field of photovoltaics. 

From PV discovery to deployment, our vision is to share state-of-the-art research results to hasten the widespread availability of solar electricity. The PVSC technical program covers the full spectrum of basic photovoltaic science, novel PV materials, device and module architectures, device and system performances, novel characterization techniques, component and system deployment and reliability. The 43rd PVSC will host keynote addresses, plenary talks, oral-presentation sessions and poster sessions in all technical areas, which are designed to provide each PV specialist ample opportunity to delve deeper into select topics or to expand their horizons into new PV-related areas. To complement our technical program PVSC-43 also expects to offer full day short courses and half day tutorials covering a wide range of topics by leading experts, and will host a dynamic Exhibition for companies and research labs to showcase their latest products and innovations ranging from characterization to manufacturing. 

Portland is a beautiful city and a home for outstanding science and technology. It is easily accessible from Europe and East Asia by air with direct flights to Tokyo, Ontario, Keflavik Iceland, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, among others. Portland is the home to many notable local organizations such as the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and is the home of Intel’s research center, Solar World, SoloPower, and many others. Portland is also known for excellent food with a wide variety of outstanding restaurants and food trucks, and gardens. We expect the rose garden to be at the peak of its beauty in June when the conference is there. The region is well known for outdoor activities including hiking, birding, wind surfing, cycling, and many others.

Please join us in continuing the PVSC's tradition as the preeminent conference dedicated to the science and technology of photovoltaics! On behalf of all of the volunteers who comprise the PVSC Organizing, Cherry, and International Committees, I look forward to personally welcoming you in Portland for the 43rd IEEE PVSC!