TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Solar Cell Assembly: The substrate is a handle substrate comprised of a material selected from silicon, silicon on sapphire, amorphous silicon, aluminum, and germanium. The p-n junction is a simple diffused p-n junction. The multijunction solar cell is an inverted metamorphic solar cell. The electrical connector element comprises an electrically conductive metal. The first contact is a metal contact having a first polarity, and where the at least one second contact is a metal contact having a second polarity. The solar cell assembly further comprises an interconnect element for attaching the solar cell assembly to a second solar cell assembly, where the interconnect element has a top portion attached to the at least one second contact, a bottom portion attached to the first contact, and a middle portion attached to an electrical connector element of the second solar cell assembly. An inverted metamorphic solar cell assembly comprises a silicon handle substrate having a front surface and a back surface, where the substrate has a p-n junction providing reverse bias protection, and where the substrate functions as a bypass diode; an inverted metamorphic solar cell having solar cell layers, where the inverted metamorphic solar cell has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being attached to the front surface of the substrate; an electrical connector element where a portion of the electrical connector element is positioned adjacent the front surface of the substrate and the first surface of the inverted metamorphic solar cell, and where the electrical connector element comprises an electrically conductive metal; a first metal contact having a first polarity coupled to the back surface of the substrate; and at least one second metal contact having a second polarity coupled to a portion of the second surface of the inverted metamorphic solar cell. The solar cell assembly further comprises an interconnect element for attaching the solar cell assembly to a second solar cell assembly, where the interconnect element has a top portion attached to the at least one second metal contact, a bottom portion attached to the first metal contact, and a middle portion attached to an electrical connector element of the second solar cell assembly. Preferred Method: In the method for enhancing performance of a solar cell assembly, the first substrate is a growth substrate comprised of a material selected from germanium, gallium arsenside, and silicon. The second substrate is a handle substrate comprised of a material selected from silicon, silicon on sapphire, amorphous silicon, aluminum, and germanium. The multijunction solar cell is an inverted metamorphic solar cell.