Low-Cost Solar Electric Power

Dr. Fraas has been active in the development of Solar Cells and Solar Electric Power Systems for space and terrestrial applications since 1975. He led the research team at Boeing that demonstrated the first GaAs/GaSb tandem concentrator solar cell in 1989 with a world record energy conversion efficiency of 35%. He received awards from Boeing and NASA for this work. He has over 30 years of experience at Hughes Research Labs, Chevron Research Co, and the Boeing High Technology Center working with advanced semiconductor devices.

Dr. Fraas joined JX Crystals in 1993, where he has led the development of advanced solar cells and concentrated sunlight systems. At JX Crystals, he pioneered the development of various thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems based on the new GaSb infrared sensitive PV cell. In 1978 while at Hughes Research Labs, he published a pioneering paper proposing the InGaP/GaInAs/Ge triple junction solar cell predicting a cell terrestrial conversion efficiency of 40% at 300 suns concentration. This 40% efficiency has now been achieved and this cell is the predominant cell today for space satellites. It is now entering high volume production for terrestrial Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) systems.

Dr Fraas holds degrees from Caltech (B.Sc. Physics), Harvard (M. A. Applied Physics), and USC (Ph.D. EE). At Caltech, he studied Physics with Prof. Richard P. Feynman. Dr. Fraas has written over 350 technical papers, over 60 patents, and a book entitled Path to Affordable Solar Electric Power & The 35% Efficient Solar Cell (2005). He is co-editor and co-author of a Wiley book entitled Solar Cells and Their Applications (2nd Edition) published in 2010.

Mark O'Neill has been active in the development of solar energy systems for space and ground applications since 1969 when he began his engineering career at Lockheed in Huntsville, Alabama, doing research for NASA. In 1972, he proposed a NASA spin-off program which led to the demonstration of the first solar-cooled house at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. In 1974, O'Neill joined a small firm in Dallas, Texas, where he developed the first commercially available Fresnel lens solar concentrator system. In 1975, O'Neill invented a performance-optimized Fresnel lens solar concentrator and licensed the patent to a large Dallas firm, E-Systems. While at E-Systems, O'Neill proposed and won a number of significant contracts from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the development and demonstration of photovoltaic concentrator systems based on his optimized lens. These systems proved to be the highest performing PV systems of all types demonstrated by the DOE around the country. In 1983, O'Neill and some colleagues purchased the solar division from E-Systems and established the new company, ENTECH Inc. ENTECH became a leader in the field of photovoltaic concentrators, winning significant contracts from DOE, DOD, Sandia National Labs, National Renewable Energy Lab, and multiple utility firms. In 1986, O'Neill proposed a space photovoltaic concentrator system to NASA, and began a long relationship that culminated in a number of successful space flights, including the award-winning SCARLET (solar concentrator array using refractive linear element technology) array on Deep Space 1. That 1998-2001 mission used the SCARLET array to power ion thrusters to visit an asteroid and a comet. NASA and DOD funded many follow-on programs to improve the Fresnel lens photovoltaic concentrator systems. After ENTECH was acquired in 2008, O'Neill remained with the acquiring firm until 2011, when he formed Mark O'Neill, LLC (www.markoneill.com), which has continued performing contracts for NASA and aerospace firms related to space photovoltaic arrays, and research in other areas including ultra-bright traffic stripes and daylighting.

O'Neill received his B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Notre Dame in 1968, and has done graduate studies in mechanical engineering at other schools. O'Neill holds 23 U.S. patents on solar concentrators, prismatic cell covers, daylighting, and retroreflective traffic stripes. He has authored over 200 publications, including chapters on photovoltaic concentrators in two books, Solar Cells and their Applications (1995 Wiley) and Photovoltaics for Space: Key Issues, Missions and Alternative Technologies (2022 Elsevier). O'Neill has won a number of awards, including a NASA TGIR (turning goals into reality) award in 2001, a NASA Exceptional Space Act Cash Award (2012), and an R&D 100 Award in 2012. O'Neill has collaborated with Dr. Lew Fraas since 1989 on programs using Fraas's photovoltaic cells under O'Neill's Fresnel lenses.

Dr. Fraas 自1975年以來一直活躍於太陽能電池和太陽能電力系統的開發，應用於太空和地面。他在1989年領導波音的研究團隊，展示了第一個 GaAs/GaSb 並聯濃縮太陽能電池，並創下了35%的世界紀錄能量轉換效率。因這項工作，他獲得了波音和NASA的獎項。他在Hughes Research Labs、Chevron Research Co和波音高科技中心擁有超過30年的經驗，專注於先進半導體設備的研究。

Dr. Fraas於1993年加入JX Crystals，並領導先進太陽能電池和集中陽光系統的開發。在JX Crystals，他開創了基於新型GaSb紅外敏感PV電池的各種熱光伏（TPV）系統的開發。1978年，他在Hughes Research Labs發表了一篇開創性的論文，提出了InGaP/GaInAs/Ge三接面太陽能電池，預測在300倍陽光集中下，電池的地面轉換效率可達40%。這一40%的效率如今已經實現，並且這種電池目前是太空衛星的主要電池，現在也開始進入地面集中光伏（CPV）系統的高產量生產。

Dr. Fraas擁有加州理工學院（Caltech，物理學學士）、哈佛大學（Harvard，應用物理碩士）和南加州大學（USC，電機工程博士）的學位。在加州理工學院，他跟隨理查德·費曼教授學習物理。Dr. Fraas已撰寫超過350篇技術論文，擁有超過60項專利，並出版了一本名為《Path to Affordable Solar Electric Power & The 35% Efficient Solar Cell》（2005）的書籍。他還是2010年出版的Wiley書籍《Solar Cells and Their Applications (2nd Edition)》的共同編輯和共同作者。

Mark O'Neill自1969年以來一直活躍於太陽能系統的開發，當時他在阿拉巴馬州亨茨維爾的洛克希德開始了他的工程職業生涯，為NASA進行研究。1972年，他提出了一個NASA的衍生計劃，導致在NASA馬歇爾太空飛行中心展示了第一個太陽冷卻房屋。1974年，O'Neill加入德克薩斯州達拉斯的一家小公司，開發了第一個商業可用的菲涅耳透鏡太陽能濃縮系統。1975年，O'Neill發明了一種性能優化的菲涅耳透鏡太陽能濃縮器，並將專利授權給一家大型達拉斯公司E-Systems。在E-Systems工作期間，O'Neill提出並獲得了美國能源部（DOE）的一些重要合同，以支持基於他優化透鏡的光伏濃縮系統的開發和示範。這些系統被證明是全國各地DOE展示的各類型中性能最高的光伏系統。1983年，O'Neill和一些同事從E-Systems購買了太陽能部門，成立了新公司ENTECH Inc.，該公司成為光伏濃縮器領域的領導者，贏得了來自DOE、國防部、桑迪亞國家實驗室、國家可再生能源實驗室和多家公用事業公司的重要合同。1986年，O'Neill向NASA提出了一個太空光伏濃縮系統，並開始了一段長期的合作關係，最終成功進行了多次太空飛行，包括獲獎的SCARLET（使用折射線性元件技術的太陽濃縮陣列）陣列，該陣列在深空1號任務中使用。1998年至2001年的任務利用SCARLET陣列為離子推進器供電，以訪問一顆小行星和一顆彗星。NASA和國防部資助了許多後續計劃，以改進菲涅耳透鏡光伏濃縮系統。2008年ENTECH被收購後，O'Neill留在收購公司直到2011年，隨後成立了Mark O'Neill, LLC（www.markoneill.com），該公司繼續為NASA和航空航天公司執行與太空光伏陣列相關的合同，以及在其他領域的研究，包括超亮交通條紋和日光照明。

O'Neill於1968年獲得了聖母大學的航空航天工程學士學位，並在...