Ishaq M. Shahryar (January 10, 1936 – April 12, 2009) was the inventor of the low-cost photovoltaic cell and the first Afghan ambassador to the United States since the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
In 1987, Solec provided the solar cells for an electric racecar being built by the hair care entrepreneur and billionaire John Paul DeJoria, who later became his business partner.
[6] His latest endeavor, Global Energy, aimed to reduce the cost of electricity to 6 or 7 cents a kilowatt in order to develop largely solar-powered model villages in underdeveloped nations.
[citation needed] Alongside his achievements in the solar industry, Shahryar remained involved in mitigating the plight of Afghan immigrants and in the politics of Afghanistan.
Shahryar also served as an advisor to the exiled Afghan King Zahir Shah, and was a delegate at the Bonn Conference of 2001 that established Afghanistan's post-invasion roadmap.