Subhendu Guha Innovative Lives Presentation
name: label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Creator
content: Guha, Subhendu
label: Names
content: United Solar Systems Corporation.
label: Names
content: Berger, Sondra
topic: label: Topic
content: Photovoltaic cells -- 1960-2000
label: Topic
content: Solar energy -- 1960-2000
label: Topic
content: Solar energy
label: Topic
content: Shingles -- 1960-2000
label: Topic
content: Photovoltaic power generation -- 1960-2000
label: Topic
content: Electricity -- 1960-2000
label: Topic
content: Inventions -- 1950-2000
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was created by the Innovative Lives Program of the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on October 21, 1998. The Innovative Lives series brings young people and American inventors together to discuss inventions and the creative process and to experiment and play with hands-on activities related to each inventor's product.
creator: label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Creator
content: Guha, Subhendu
setName: label: See more items in
content: Subhendu Guha Innovative Lives Presentation
abstract: label: Summary
content: This collection contains original, master, and reference videos documentingSubhendu Guha, inventor of the solar shingle.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Subhendu Guha was born in Calcutta, India. He studied physics at Presidency College and later did graduate work at the University of Calcutta.  Guha earned his Ph.D from the University of Calcutta in 1968 and joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, India.  At the Tata Institute, Guha investigated certain properties of semiconductors.  He became interested in the use of semiconductors to convert sunlight into electricity.  The conversion of sunlight to electricity is known as photovoltaics.  Guha's concern for environmental and societal problems led him to focus on amorphous silicon, an element found in sand that can be applied as a thin film to produce photovoltaic material.  This research led Guha to add hydrogen in the production process, which made a more useful amorphous silicon . Practical applications for Guha's work led him to Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) in the United States.  ECD promoted the use of solar energy for a variety of applications.  Ultimately, Guha joined an ECD joint company, United Solar Systems to manufacture solar cells.  His research led him to produce a photovoltaic panel that is seven feet long and a foot wide, is lightweight, flexible, rugged, durable, and is easy to install with conventional panels.  The panels were innovative because of their design, materials, and production process.  Manufacturing begins with stainless steel that is washed to remove surface dirt. Two layers of reflective coating are then applied followed by layers of amorphous silicon and amorphous silicon-germanium alloys. Each layer absorbs a different photon-energy wave length.  The panels can be mounted on a roof with nails. Wires are then dropped from the panels into a building where they are hooked to the buildings electrical boxes to channel energy to circuits.  The flexible solar shingle is manufactured by United Solar Systems Corporation of Troy, Michigan.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.5 Cubic feet (3 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1998
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was transferred from the Lemelson Center to the Archives Center on October 22, 1998.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0668
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Oral history
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection divided into three series. 

Series 1: Original videos, 1998

Series 2: Master videos, 1998

Series 3: Reference videos, 1998

Series 4: Photographs, 1998
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Alison Oswald, 1999.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Collection digitized in 2015.  See repository for details.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Oral history -- 1990-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes -- 1990-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This collection contains original, master, and reference videos and photographs and transcripts for select footage from the Subhendu Guha Innovatibve Lives Presentation.