Lattice‐matched and strained indium gallium arsenide solar cells can be used effectively and efficiently for thermophotovoltaic applications. A 0.75 eV bandgap InGaAs solar cell is well matched to a 2000 K blackbody source with a emission peak around 1.5 &mgr;m. A 0.60 eV bandgap InGaAs cell is well suited to a Ho‐YAG selective emitter and a blackbody at 1500 K which have emission peak around 2.0 &mgr;m. Modeling results predict that the cell efficiencies in excess of 30% are possible for the 1500 K Ho‐YAG selective emitter (with strained InGaAs) and for the 2000 K blackbody (with lattice‐matched InGaAs) sources. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.