Dana Olson joins DNV GL as Global Solar Segment Leader
Dr Olson’s expertise and leadership will enable the acceleration of the solar industry
OAKLAND, CA, U.S. – 8 November 2018 - DNV GL is pleased to announce that Dana Olson is the new Global Solar Segment Leader for DNV GL. With his many years of experience at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Dr Olson brings a deep understanding of the evolution, performance and reliability of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology to DNV GL. This will help our customers achieve their goals and advance the solar industry, which is expected to grow rapidly.
As identified in DNV GL’s 2018 Energy Transition Outlook, solar is the fastest growing type of electricity generation, and is projected to meet one third of the world’s electricity demand by 2050.
“Dana’s focus on reducing operational risk by increasing the performance and reliability of PV technologies is ideal for our customers as the solar industry is facing exponential growth globally,” said Ditlev Engel, CEO of DNV GL - Energy. “This aligns with projections regarding the decarbonization of the energy sector overall, and the role we believe that solar will play in it. Dana’s leadership and expertise in the solar sector will enable the acceleration of this trend.”
Prior to joining DNV GL, Dr Olson was a Technology Manager in the DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. There he created and managed industrial consortia on PV technology development. He led an extensive portfolio of development programs focused on novel PV module technologies to improve the performance and reliability of PV systems while reducing system and energy costs. He also managed programs to improve testing standards for PV system quality and reliability to reduce risk and improve return on investment.
Before he joined DOE, he was a senior scientist at NREL, where he led a diverse team of scientists toward the development and demonstration of novel PV materials and device architectures based on carrier selective contacts, which are now finding their way into silicon heterojunction, CdTe thin film, and perovskite PV technologies. Additionally, he did his postdoctoral research at Sandia National Laboratories while he was an Intelligence Community Fellow. He completed his graduate research at NREL while earning his Ph.D. at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.
Dr Olson is currently based in DNV GL’s Arlington, Virginia office, but will relocate to the San Diego, California office in the United States.
About DNV GLDNV GL is a global quality assurance and risk management company. Driven by our purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, we enable our customers to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. Operating in more than 100 countries, our professionals are dedicated to helping customers in the maritime, oil & gas, power and renewables and other industries to make the world safer, smarter and greener.
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