FYI,

"SunPower Installs First A-300 Solar Electric Power System at NASA
Flight Center - Revolutionary 20% Efficient Solar Cells to Supplement
Power Used At Dryden Flight Research Center"
NASA Dryden Press Release
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031208/85236_1.html

: NASA and SunPower Corporation, the silicon solar cell performance
: leader, today announced that they have completed the installation
: of a 5-kilowatt solar electric power system at the NASA Dryden
: Flight Research Center, located at Edwards Air Force Base,
: California.

: The system is the first to incorporate SunPower's revolutionary
: 20% efficient A-300 solar cells, which are a significant
: improvement over currently available cells in the 12%-15% range.

: SunPower, a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp, has a history
: of collaboration with NASA. NASA used SunPower solar cells in its
: Helios solar-powered aircraft, which set an altitude record of
: 96,863 feet in 2001.

: Over the past seven years, we have worked with SunPower to develop
: high-efficiency solar cells to energize our highly successful
: Pathfinder Plus and Helios solar-powered aircraft as part of the
: Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology program.

: Unlike conventional solar cells, SunPower's A-300 incorporates all
: electrical contacts on the back surface. This architecture allows
: for significantly higher conversion efficiency of light to
: electricity, and also eliminates unsightly reflective front-side
: contacts. With rated efficiency over 20%, the A-300 can deliver up
: to 50% more energy from a given roof area compared with traditional
: solar products.

Mark Reiff