TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Assembly: The diameter of the cross-section of a solar cell in the solar cells is 0.5 to 20 millimeters (mm). The assembly has a length of 1 to 50000 cm. The solar cell assembly further comprises a transparent electrically insulating substrate that covers all or a portion of the first face of planar array; and a transparent insulating covering disposed on the second face of array, to encase the solar cells between transparent insulating covering and insulating substrate. The transparent insulating covering and insulating substrate are bonded together by a sealant. There is an intrinsic layer disposed between the semiconductor junction and transparent conductive layer; and formed by an undoped transparent oxide. Preferred Components: The semiconductor junction is a homojunction, a heterojunction, a heteroface junction, a buried homojunction, or a p-i-n junction. The semiconductor junction comprises an outer coaxial layer containing a first conductivity type; and an inner coaxial layer containing second, opposite, conductivity type. At least two elongated solar cells are electrically connected in parallel or in series. The solar cell further comprises an antireflective coating that is circumferentially disposed on the transparent conductive layer. The solar cells are arranged such that at least one cell does not contact adjacent elongated solar cells. The solar cell has an elliptical cross-section, or a cross-section that is generally circular or quadrilateral.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The back-electrode comprises molybdenum; and is a transparent conducting oxide. The semiconductor junction comprises an absorber layer made of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide and a window layer made of cadmium sulfide. The intrinsic layer is made of zinc oxide and/or indium-tin-oxide. The inner coaxial layer comprises copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS). The outer coaxial layer comprises cadmium sulfide (CdS), tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), or doped ZnO. The transparent conductive layer is made of tin oxide (SnOx), with or without fluorine doping, indium-tin oxide (ITO) and/or ZnO. The antireflective coating is made of magnesium difluoride (MgF2).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The sealant is ethylene vinyl acetate.