A solar-cell electrical-overstress-failure model and the results of experimental measurements of threshold pulsed failure currents on four types of silicon solar cells are presented. The transient EMP field surrounding a lightning stroke has been identified as a potential threat to a photovoltaic array, yet failure analysis of solar cells in a pulsed environment had not previously been reported. Failure in the low-resistivity concentrator cells at pulse widths between 1 ..mu..s and 1 ms occurred initially in the junction. Finger damage in the form of silver melting occurs at currents only slightly greater than that required for junction damage. The result of reverse-bias transient-overstress tests on high-resistivity (10 ..cap omega..cm) cells demonstrated that the predominant failure mode was due to edge currents. These flat-plate cells failed at currents of only 4 to 20 A, which is one or two orders of magnitude below the model predictions. It thus appears that high-resistivity flat-plate cells are quite vulnerable to electrical overstress which could be produced by a variety of mechanisms.