
Leadership 71
Independently, the oil company Total approached me in Paris
on the subject of CdS solar cells. I was introduced to them by my
long-time friend Bernard Devin from the CEA, France’s powerful
Atomic Energy Commission. At that time, Franc¸ois Fiatte was Total’s
Director for Diversification into solar power, coal, etc., and I became
his consultant and friend. Total wanted my advice about whether to
develop a spray process that was offered to them by the company PA
in Britain. Eventually, in 1975, a decision was made to build a plant
in El Paso employing the spray process; the US glass company Owens
Ford decided to enter into the joint venture