| Abstract: | Solarex was founded in 1973 to develop photovoltaic products for terrestrial applications. Over the last 24 years, the company has moved from single-crystal silicon technology to polycrystalline silicon and has also developed both single-junction and multi-junction amorphous silicon solar cell technology. Solarex is now starting to produce 8-ft2 amorphous silicon tandem modules in a new plant in Virginia and has initiated new programs to develop the grid-connected markets in the USA and overseas. However, the current USA lead in photovoltaics is in jeopardy as government programs in both Japan and Germany are aggressively supporting the development of building integrated photovoltaic systems in those countries. In order to maintain its leadership in photovoltaics, the USA needs to implement a new national initiative to support the development of building integrated photovoltaics. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
