Ajeet Rohatgi and his start-up company, Suniva, received the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Envention Award at the 2009 Environmental Awards, held at the Georgia Aquarium on April 9.

The Envention Award is given to a new product developed by an Atlanta company or an individual who exhibits outstanding environmental or green benefits. Dr. Rohatgi and Suniva were honored for his trailblazing efforts in the field of solar energy. Founded in 2007 by Dr. Rohatgi, Suniva is an Advanced Technology Development Center start-up company that is based in Norcross.

The company's success is built on Dr. Rohatgi's 24-year career at Georgia Tech, where he has been dedicated to making solar energy more efficient and cost-effective. In October, the company completed installation of its first production line, the ARTisun solar cells, which it’s already shipping to solar panel manufacturers around the world. The ARTisun solar cells have about 17 percent to 18 percent efficiency, and Suniva is currently working on a cell that would have an efficiency of 20 percent.

Dr. Rohatgi is a Regents' Professor and a Georgia Power Distinguished Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. He is the director of the University Center for Excellence in Photovoltaics Research and Education, which has been funded continuously by the U.S. Department of Energy since 1992.