  Solar cells have been used since several decades for the detection of fission
fragments at about 1 AMeV. The advantages of solar cells regarding their cost
(few euros) and radiation damage resistance make them an interesting candidate
for heavy ion detection and an appealing alternative to silicon detectors. A
first exploratory measurement of the response of solar cells to heavy ions at
energies above 1 AMeV has been performed at the GANIL facility, Caen, France.
Such measurements were performed with 84Kr and 129Xe beams ranging from 7 to 13
AMeV. The energy and time response of several types of solar cells were
studied. The best performance was observed for cells of 10x10 mm2, with an
energy and time resolution of {\sigma}(E)/E=1.4% and 3.6 ns (FWHM),
respectively. Irradiations at rates from a few hundred to 106 particles per
second were also performed to investigate the behavior of the cells with
increasing intensity.
