Foundations for the reality of a broadly based, large scale deployment of photovoltaics in commercial applications are described. Research, development, and applications experience and efforts are presented. Special sessions on the problems relating to financing, installing, and operating photovoltaic power generating systems are given. Production problems and techniques are described.

Research and development of photovoltaic solar cells is playing an ever larger practical role in energy supply and ecological conservation all over the world. Many materials science problems are encountered in understanding existing solar cells and the development of more efficient, less costly, and more stable cells. This important and timely book provides a historical overview, but concentrates primarily on exciting developments in the last decade. It describes the properties of the materials that play an important role in photovoltaic applications, the solar cell structures in which they are used, and the experimental and theoretical developments that have led to the most promising contenders./a