PHOTON International - The Photovoltaic Magazine

Allen Barnett, president and CEO of AstroPower Inc., has received two awards, one for helping to create energy and the other for fighting a disease which saps the body of energy.

New Böer-medallist: Allen Barnett, president of the US cell manufacturer AstroPower

In February, Barnett was selected as the 2001 recipient of the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit, named for the former director of the University of Delaware's Institute of Energy Conversion, who Barnett succeeded in 1976. The award, given every two years, will be presented to Barnett on April 12 at the University of Delaware. There were nine nominees.

In March, Barnett and his wife, Marsha, received the first United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Award for their efforts in trying to find a cure for mitochondrial disease, a deadly ailment often referred to as the »energy disease,« due to the way it robs its victims of the means to survive. The Barnetts’ sons, Michael and Charles, lost their battle with the disease in the early 1980s.

For the Böer Award, Barnett was cited for his pioneering work on high-performance, thin-crystalline silicon solar cells and for commercializing the technology at Delaware-based AstroPower. Robert Birkmire, executive director of the Böer Trust, also noted Barnett's contributions to the PV industry as president of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) from 1995 to 1997, where he remains on the board of directors; his service on the advisory board of the US Department of Energy's National Center for Photovoltaics; and his efforts in trying to convince Congress to support funding for the development of solar electricity.

Barnett holds 23 patents, has authored or co-authored 198 technical publications, and has six R&D awards for new industrial products. In 1996, he also received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) William R. Cherry Award for outstanding contributions to photovoltaic science and technology. The first Böer Medal winner, in 1993, was former US President Jimmy Carter in honor of his work in focusing world attention on solar energy. The most recent winner was Stanford Ovshinsky, president and CEO of Energy Conversion Devices and United Solar Systems Corp., in 1999.