Joachim Luther was originally a professor of nuclear physics at the University of Oldenburg in the 1970s, who later became interested in renewable energy sources like solar power and wind power. In 1993, Luther became head of the renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany. Professor Luther retired from ISE in 2006, and became the head of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS).[1]
In 2005, Luther was awarded the German Environment Foundation prize. In 2008, he was named a Heroes of the Environment (2008) by Time magazine.[1]