Low-Cost Solar to Electric Energy Generation Using Concentrating Photovoltaic III-V Solar Cell Technology

Dr. Nasser H. Karam is Vice President of Advanced Technology

Products and is responsible for Boeing - Spectrolab's internally and externally funded Research and Development. He has over twenty years experience in the field semiconductor materials research, photovoltaic and Optoelectronic devices. He received the B.S. degree in Materials Engineering from The American University in Cairo in 1980, and Ph.D. degree in Materials Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1984. He is actively involved in the development of advanced Space solar

cells for satellites, as well as terrestrial concentrating solar cells, and other Optoelectronic devices. In 2001-2002, Dr. Karam and his Advanced Technology Products Team won the "R&D 100" and the "Scientific American 50" awards for contributions in the field of terrestrial energy generation and demonstration of concentrating terrestrial photovoltaic cell with 34% efficiency. Recently Dr. Karam's group at Spectrolab demonstrated the world record of 40.7% efficient terrestrial solar cell under concentration; the team has been recognized with "R&D 100" award for this

accomplishment in 2007. Dr. Karam is a five-time winner of the Hughes and Boeing Technical Excellence awards and a recipient of the Hughes Electronics Chairman's Award. In 2004 Dr. Karam was inducted in the Space Technology Hall of Fame along

with colleagues from Boeing-Spectrolab, and the Air Force for their contributions to the development of Multijunction Space solar cells. Spectrolab is in production with the most efficient solar cell in the world at an average efficiency of 28.3% AM0 and expects to introduce a 30% average AM0 efficiency cell in 2007. Dr. Karam has over one hundred and fifty publications and holds ten patents in the fields of compound semiconductor materials and devices research.