The symposia that have been combined to compose this volume - Symposium B: ‘Thin Film Compound Semiconductor Photovoltaics’, Symposium C: ‘Perovskite Solar Cells’, Symposium D: ‘Organic-Based Photovoltaics’, and Symposium E: ‘Advance Solar Cells-Components to Systems’ - were held from April 6-10 at the 2015 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California. Solar photovoltaics represent the ultimate goal in the quest for clean, renewable electricity generation. This symposium proceedings volume represents the recent advances in inorganic thin-film compound solar cell materials, the emerging perovskite solar cells, organic solar cells, and components and systems of advanced solar cells. Each paper in this volume provides a glimpse of the exciting recent developments occurring in various solar cell technologies and components and systems. The papers convey the breadth of exciting advancements happening in the area of advanced solar cell research.