More and more people around the world are turning to the sun in the hopes harvesting energy in a clean and sustainable way that could wean us from our dependence on foreign sources of oil and other fuels. Tony Paniagua talks to to two University of Arizona experts about this subject.

Joe Simmons is the director of AzRise and Ardeth Barnhart is the co-director. AzRISE is a global institute at the University of Arizona built on multi-disciplinary partnerships that span academia and industry with the goal of driving innovative solar energy solutions.

AzRISE provides seed funding for innovative ideas and collaborations and collects accurate economic and performance data for decision-makers about solar energy options. It also is actively involved in developing and delivering curricula specific to the solar industry.