TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The article is a solar cell pre-lamination assembly for a thin film solar cell, where layers are deposited onto a glass or flexible film substrate. The article comprises a front encapsulant layer positioned next to the light-receiving side of the solar cell component and a back encapsulant layer positioned next to the back side of the solar cell component. The article further comprises an incident layer, and a backing layer positioned next to the back encapsulant layer. The multi-layer film or sheet is an encapsulant. The multi-layer film or sheet is positioned next to the light-receiving of the solar cell component and serves as a front encapsulant. The solar cell pre-lamination assembly further comprises a solar cell component formed of one or more electronically interconnected solar cells having a light-receiving side that faces a light source and a back side i.e. opposite from the light source. The solar cell is multi-crystalline solar cells, thin film solar cells, compound semiconductor solar cells, and/or amorphous silicon solar cells. The safety glass laminate pre-lamination assembly further comprises at least one outer laminate layer comprising or formed of a rigid sheet or polymeric film. The safety glass laminate pre-lamination assembly comprises the outer glass layer and a second outer layer with an interlayer sandwiched between the two outer layers. Each of the first and second surface sub-layers has a thickness of 0.5-5 mils. The inner sub-layer has a thickness of 0.5-120 mils. The multi-layer film or sheet has a thickness of 15-120 (preferably 15-90) mils. The total thickness of the multilayer film or sheet is 2-250 mils. The front encapsulant layer is formed of the multi-layer film or sheet and has a thickness of 2-20 mils.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The acid terpolymer comprises 18-25 (preferably 18-23) wt.% of copolymerized units of the alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and 0.5-5 wt.% or 15-40 wt.% of copolymerized units of the alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid ester, based on the total weight of the terpolymer. The alpha -olefin is ethylene (preferred), propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 3-methyl-1-butene, and/or 4-methyl-1-pentene. The alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid is acrylic acids, methacrylic acids (both preferred), itaconic acids, maleic acids, maleic anhydrides, fumaric acids, and/or monomethyl maleic acids. The alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid ester is methyl acrylates, butyl acrylates (both preferred), methyl methacrylates, ethyl acrylates, ethyl methacrylates, isopropyl acrylates, isopropyl methacrylates, and/or butyl methacrylates.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The back encapsulant layer is formed of a polymeric material comprising acid copolymers, ionomers, ethylene vinyl acetates, poly(vinyl acetals), polyurethanes, PVC, polyethylenes, polyolefin block elastomers, poly( alpha -olefin-co- alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid ester) copolymers, silicone elastomers, and/or epoxy resins. The incident layer is (ia) glass sheets, (iia) polymeric sheets formed of polycarbonates, acrylics, polyacrylates, cyclic polyolefins, polystyrenes, polyamides, polyesters, and/or fluoropolymers, and (iiia) polymeric films formed of polyesters, polycarbonate, polyolefins, norbornene polymers, polystyrene, styrene-acrylate copolymers, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, polysulfones, nylons, polyurethanes, acrylics, cellulose acetates, cellophane, poly(vinyl chlorides), and/or fluoropolymers. The backing layer comprises or is formed of (ib) glass sheet, (iib) polymeric sheet, (iiib) polymeric film, (ivb) metal sheet, and (vb) ceramic plate. The polymeric sheet comprises or is formed of polycarbonates, acrylics, polyacrylates, cyclic polyolefins, polystyrenes, polyamides, polyesters, and/or fluoropolymers. The polymeric film comprises or is formed of a polymeric material consisting of polyesters, polycarbonate, polyolefins, norbornene polymers, polystyrene, styrene-acrylate copolymers, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, polysulfones, nylons, polyurethanes, acrylics, cellulose acetates, cellophane, PVC, and/or fluoropolymers. The rigid sheet is glass or rigid polymeric sheets formed of polycarbonates, acrylics, polyacrylates, cyclic polyolefins, polystyrenes, polyamides, polyesters, and/or fluoropolymers. The second outer layer comprises a rigid sheet or polymeric film. The second outer layer is glass sheets or rigid polymeric sheets formed of polycarbonates, acrylics, polyacrylates, cyclic polyolefins, polystyrenes, polyamides, polyesters, and/or fluoropolymers. The second outer layer is a polyester film which is optionally hard-coated on the outside surface. The interlayer is the multi-layer film or sheet. Preferred Method: The laminating step further comprises subjecting the assembly to vacuum or pressure.