Though we don’t see a lot of sun around these parts, solar energy has been touted as having enormous potential as a renewable energy source. But solar cells are expensive to make. The growing demand for renewable energy requires significant investment in the development of efficient and inexpensive materials that can convert solar radiation into direct electric current. The latest trends in photovoltaics, as solar energy is known, include the development of nanoscale materials such as semiconductor nanocrystals, or 'quantum dots,' which are promising candidates for photovoltaics due to their unique optical and electronic properties. Host Jenny Nelson talks with Cornell graduate student David Moore about the work he and his colleagues are doing in the Hanrath Energy Lab to advance seminconductor nanocrystals for use in capturing solar power.