Heather Mirletz Email & Phone Number

Denver, Co

Circular Economy Priorities for Photovoltaics (PV) in the Energy Transition• Capturing and harmonizing evolving mass and energy flows of PV modules in open-source Python model, PV ICE, enabling tradeoff analyses of design and life cycle management options, ex: lifetime extension vs design for recycling• Quantifying mass, energy, and carbon impacts of circular pathways for PV in the context of energy transition goals• Classwork covered fundamentals of energy systems, transportation, life cycle assessment (LCA), and energy policy

San Francisco Bay Area

Tucson, Arizona Area

• Championed investigations of macro and micro-scale defects in CIGS flexible modules, made recommendations to project managers, process engineers, and technicians, enabling pilot line yield increase from 70% to 93%• Performed practical, efficient failure analysis, developing methodologies utilizing more than 8 characterization tools, and collaborated with process engineers to obtain accurate, statistically robust answers and implement solutions• Reported failure analysis results directly to CEO, managers, engineers, and technicians alike, ensuring clarity and comprehension by understanding department priorities and technical depth

Cleveland, Oh

- Contributed to validation of product viability by characterizing uniformity and defects of multilayer polymer films for optical data storage, utilizing fluorescence confocal microscopy, AFM, microtome, and ImageJ analysis- Performed DOE and analysis for product lifetime and ASTM-adhesion-standard compliant lamination process- Lead author on NSF SBIR Phase I and IB Final Reports, integral to Phase II grant funding decisions- Designed, voiced, and produced product and technology showcase video, rejuvenating company image for investors

Solar Durability And Lifetime Extension Center

Masters Thesis with Professor Roger H. FrenchDegradation of Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs); Mechanistic Observations and the Role of Interfacial Layers• Lifetime, degradation and reliability testing to quantify mechanistic degradation of TCOs, relating outdoor and accelerated exposures on 258 TCO samples with statistically robust analysis techniques• TCO interface modifications using organosilanes and conductive polymer, altering degradation mechanisms• Photovoltaic and display applications, implications for reliability science and testingWork at the SDLE Center• Mentored and collaborated with Kelly Peterson for 2 years, enabling her to publish as 2nd year undergraduate• Developed protocols for Kruss contact angle and surface free energy analysis, QUV exposure chamber, and lab-specific user guides for LaTeX, R, and Git; utilized new statistics-based predictive modeling techniques• Collaborated with subgroup to coordinate long-term equipment usage, improved data organization

• Created protocols for Angstrom and Plasma Systems ARC plasma sputter deposition systems for ITO and AZO• Self-directed summer research: Deposition Parameters of TCO films for OPV; Oxygen and Temperature Effects• Generated 4 undergraduate research projects across 4 academic departments, and led directly to masters research• Exercised precision, efficiency and delicacy in handling ITO and AZO samples with sensitive chemistry

Columbia, Maryland

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd

Activities and Societies: DI&A AmbassadorCircular Economy Priorities for Photovoltaics (PV) in the Energy Transition • Capturing.

Mse, Materials Science And Engineering, Solar Reliability

Activities and Societies: MRS student member, SPIE student member, AVS student memberResearch explores reliability testing and interface.

Bs, Chemical Engineering

Activities and Societies: CWRU Swing Club

Ph.D., Advanced Energy Systems

Trying to save the world from catastrophic climate change