JUNE 8-13, 2014 • DENVER, COLORADO
15
IN MEMORIAM
John “Bill” Yerkes, a solar
pioneer considered the
“father of terrestrial PV”,
died on January 29, 2014
in Santa Barbara from an
adenocarcinoma. He was
79.
Yerkes was an innovator and
entrepreneur in PV for his
entire life. He got his solar
start as designer/manager
of the Boeing Spacecraft
test facility in Kent, WA. His
supplier of sun-simulators,
Spectrolab, hired him as
General Manager to further
develop flashers and search
lights. As President, he led
the development of solar arrays for Apollo 11 and his signature
– among other key contributors’ - is still on the moon. When
he left Spectrolab, Yerkes looked for ways to use solar
energy on earth and founded Solar Technology International
in 1973, where he scaled up low-cost processes such as
POCl diffusion and screen printing. The purchase by oil giant
Atlantic Richfield in 1979 allowed Yerkes’ company to become
the world’s #1 cell and module producer out of Chatsworth
and Camarillo, CA, where today’s essential solar module
components were born. Markets included an alternative to
thermoelectric power for telecom, aids to navigation, cathodic
protection, vaccine refrigeration, water pumping and lighting
in developing countries. Charlie Gay, who was VP of R&D
under Yerkes and later ARCO Solar’s President recalls “Bill
was magical. His raw, positive enthusiasm was contagious.”
ARCO Solar’s ownership transitioned over the years to
Siemens, Shell and 10 years ago to German giant SolarWorld,
who still runs the largest solar cell and panel production in the
USA out of Hillsboro, OR.
In the early 90’s, Yerkes returned to Seattle to build Boeing’s
High Tech Center and later to lead the power systems division
of Teledesic’s ambitious broadband satellite constellation
program. More recently, Yerkes co-founded Solaicx to develop
novel continuous-growth Czochralski pullers delivering record
productivity, and its ingot production operation in Portland,
OR, is still growing today under Sun Edison’s ownership.
Yerkes’ passion beyond solar included wine and great food,
art, Formula 1 and his family. His natural hands-on skills and
just-do-it attitude inspired many people to become passionate
about solar and launch careers in photovoltaics. Richard
Swanson, SunPower Corp.’s founder and long-time friend
says “Bill had a unique ability to form lifelong friendships with
his former employees and partners.”
Yerkes is survived by his wife Sara, his daughter Kari Hummel
and three grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM
