UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 25, Page 11
March 21, 1996
IEC hosts visiting scientists

     The Institute of Energy Conversion served as host of meetings of
the Thin Film Partnerships for Polycrystalline Solar Cells from Jan.
22-26. The partnerships were established to coordinate the research
activities of university, industrial and government laboratories
supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The goal is to
accelerate the commercialization of thin film solar cell technology.
     Fifty-one researchers representing 10 universities and 13
companies attended the meeting, along with representatives from the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of
Energy. The partnerships include two teams each for CuInSe2 and CdTe
solar cells. The institute was represented on the teams by James
Phillips and William Shafarman on the CuInSe2 teams and Brian
McCandless and Peter Meyers on the CdTe teams. Meyers also was co-
chairperson of the CdTe Team Guidance Committee.
     In addition, a session of the Electric Power Research Institute
"Alloy for CIS Tandems" group attracted the principal investigators
from four universities in which Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) sponsors research programs, plus EPRI representatives and
industrial and NREL participants. The UD was represented by institute
director Robert Birkmire and graduate student Matt Marudachalam.