TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The lead-free and cadmium-free sealing glass composition, comprises, a first glass fit, comprising, prior to firing, (a) 25-65 mol% Bi2O3, (b) 3-60 mol% ZnO, (c) 4-65 mol% B2O3, (d) 0.1-25 mol% of at least one selected from copper oxide (CuO), iron oxide (Fe2O3), cobalt oxide (Co2O3), manganese oxide (MnO), nickel oxide (NiO), chromium oxide (Cr2O3), and combinations, (e) no intentionally added oxides of silicon, and (f) no intentionally added oxides of aluminum. The sealing glass composition further comprises a second glass composition, where the second glass composition comprises: (a) 37-45 mol% Bi2O3, (b) 30-40 mol% ZnO, and (c) 18-35 mol% B2O3, and optionally includes (d) 0.1-25 mol% of at least one oxide of a metal selected from iron, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper and chromium, including mixed metal oxides of the foregoing. The first glass fit comprises, prior to firing, (a) 30-60 mol% Bi2O3, (b) 15-50 mol% ZnO, (c) 7-60 mol% B2O3, (d) 0.1-25 mol% of at least one selected from CuO, Fe2O3, Co2O3, MnO, NiO, Cr2O3, and combinations, (e) zero oxides of silicon, and (f) zero oxides of aluminum. The composition further comprises a second glass fit, the second glass fit comprising: (a) 5-65 mol% ZnO, (b) 10-65 mol% SiO2, and (c) 5-55 mol% B2O3. The first glass fit further comprises 0.1-20 mol% alkali metal oxides, and where the composition further comprises a second glass fit, comprising prior to firing: (a) 5-65 mol% ZnO, (b) 10-65 mol% SiO2, and (c) 5-55 mol% B2O3. The second glass fit comprises, prior to firing, (a) 15-75 mol% lead oxide (PbO), and (b) 5-75 mol% B2O3 + SiO2. The second glass fit comprises, prior to firing, (a) 5-55 mol% lithium oxide (Li2O) + sodium oxide (Na2O) + potassium oxide (KO), (b) 2-26 mol% titanium dioxide (TiO2), (c) 5-75 mol% B2O3 + SiO2. The sealing glass further comprises, prior to firing, 0.1-20 mol% K2O. Preferred Method: In bonding first and second glass panels to one another, so as to hermetically seal and isolate a cavity defined between it, at least one solar cell is contained in the cavity defined between the first and second glass panels. The glass panels are architectural window glass panels. Preferred Apparatus: Alternatively, the apparatus comprises a MEMS device, where the MEMS device is hermetically sealed in a vessel defined by a cap wafer, a device wafer, and a hermetic glass seal, the hermetic glass seal comprising the sealing glass composition. Preferred Assembly: The sealed assembly is a sealed architectural window including at least two glass plates, and where at least one solar cell is located within the cavity. Alternatively, the sealed assembly comprises two or more glass plates, at least one seal, the seal comprising the sintered glass composition comprising, prior to firing, (a) a first homogeneous powder glass sealing composition comprising: (i) 25-65 mol% Bi2O3, (ii) 3-60 mol% ZnO, (iii) 4-65 mol% B2O3, (iv) no intentionally added oxides of silicon, and (v) no intentionally added oxides of aluminum (vi) 0-15 mol% of at least one selected from CuO, Fe2O3, Co2O3, MnO, NiO, Cr2O3, and (b) a second homogeneous powder glass sealing composition comprising: (i) 32-55 mol% Bi2O3, (ii) 15-45 mol% ZnO, (iii) 10-50 mol% B2O3, (iv) 0.1-15 mol% of at least one selected from CuO, Fe2O3, Co2O3, MnO, NiO, Cr2O3, (v) no intentionally added oxides of silicon, and (vi) no intentionally added oxides of aluminum. Preferred Device: Alternatively, the encapsulated MEMS device comprises: (a) a MEMS device, (b) a device wafer comprising silicon or glass, (c) at least one conductive pathway, (d) a cap wafer comprising silicon or glass, (e) a seal comprising a fused glass composition, the fused glass composition comprising prior to fusing, (i) 25-70 mol% Bi2O3, (ii) 3-60 mol% ZnO, and (iii) 4-65 mol% B2O3, where (f) the cap wafer, the seal, and the device wafer are connected to define a cavity within which the MEMS device is hermetically sealed.