University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 29, May 1

             Speakers, awards to mark IEC 25th anniversary
     
     As newly deregulated utility companies scramble to
identify clean, renewable energy options, large-scale
manufacturing technologies pioneered by the University's
Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) promise less expensive
solar power, according to Delaware Gov. Thomas R. Carper
and other speakers who will celebrate the IEC's 25th
anniversary May 1-2.
     IEC-one of only two facilities designated by the U.S.
Department of Energy as a University Center of Excellence
for Photovoltaic Research and Education-is spearheading
efforts to boost the nation's solar energy industry.
     "We simply can't rely so heavily on fossil fuels
forever," Robert W. Birkmire, IEC director, said. "But,
solar energy won't become a truly viable option in the
United States until we can lower the cost of producing
solar-electric modules, or photovoltaics, which convert
sunlight into electricity. This can only be possible
through the development of new and innovative large-scale
manufacturing technologies."
     Promising technologies include solar-electric modules
based on thin films of semiconductor material, Birkmire
reported. Currently, most solar-electric modules use
relatively small crystalline-silicon solar cells, which
must be wired together to form the module, he explained.
Thin-film solar electric modules, on the other hand, are
made by depositing semiconductor materials onto large-area
substrates such as glass or plastic. A laser "scribing"
[etching] method can then be used to define and connect
individual solar cells within the module. This approach
requires only about 1/100th the amount of semiconductor
material used in current silicon modules, and it's
compatible with large-scale manufacturing technologies,
Birkmire noted.
     Consequently, he added, "It has the potential of
greatly reducing the cost of these modules."
     UD President David P. Roselle, along with researchers
and policy makers from universities, industry and
government, will discuss strategies to transfer the results
of proof-of-concept laboratory studies involving thin-film
solar cells to commercial-scale production during IEC's
upcoming Thin-Film Photovoltaic Symposium to commemorate
its 25th anniversary.
     A technical symposium scheduled today will feature
five presentations by some of the nation's leading industry
representatives such as AstroPower president and former IEC
director Allen M. Barnett. One of Delaware's most prominent
start-up companies, AstroPower is a spin-off of research
conducted by IEC scientists and engineers. Formal
presentations will be followed by interactive workshops, to
stimulate discussion of major issues in photovoltaic
manufacturing. On May 2, Carper will kick off the
anniversary ceremony planned to address the future of solar-
electric energy.
     "In the years to come, solar power will have an
increased and positive impact on our environment and
economy," Carper said. "I'm pleased that UD continues to
lead the way toward realizing the boundless potential of
this energy source."
     IEC was established in May 1972, by physics professor
Karl W. Ber with approval and endorsement from UD's Board
of Trustees. Since its inception, IEC has championed
research in inexpensive thin-film photovoltaic
semiconductor materials such as copper sulfide, amorphous
silicon, cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide.
These materials convert sunlight into electricity at fairly
efficient rates, ranging from 12 percent to 17 percent.
     Making solar power more affordable means the
photovoltaics industry must learn to produce one module
that generates about 50 watts of electricity every minute,
says T.W. Fraser Russell, Allan P. Colburn Professor of
Chemical Engineering and director of IEC from 1979-1996.
Toward that end, IEC researchers have developed a number of
new technologies to more accurately and efficiently deposit
semiconductor materials onto substrates.
     A large-scale, thin-film photovoltaic module
production facility will soon be established in Tucson,
Ariz., thanks in part to UD's participation in a research
consortium sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency, Russell said. The new facility will use
technology developed at the IEC to produce low-cost,
flexible solar-electric modules for terrestrial, military
and space applications.
     Throughout its 25-year history, IEC has collaborated
withmore than 50 companies and 45 universities in the
United States and throughout the world. The IEC's team
approach to addressing research issues and
multidisciplinary staff has provided a unique educational
experience for both graduate and undergraduate students.
Over 110 students have received advanced degrees from UD
while performing research at the IEC, Russell said. The
research environment is further enhanced by the IEC's
support of postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists and
scholars from many regions of the world, he added.
     A Thin-Film Photovoltaic Symposium, part of the 25th
anniversary celebration, begins at 10 a.m.,today, in Room
120, Clayton Hall.
                                         -Ginger Pinholster