Some silicon solar cell makers have been able to hit 21% on their best days, but doing so consistently and in high volumes are far more difficult. (Panel efficiency is usually a bit lower than cellefficiency).
SunPower boasts the highest efficiency among all players in the solar industry and has developed a Gen 3 cell technology, which has a conversion efficiency greater than 23%.
Using this technique doubled the efficiency of Dr Kamat's cell from 5% to 10% at ultraviolet wavelengths and he reckons it would create similar increases in efficiency in both plastic and dye-based cells.
's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) computer keyboards to Nokia 's (nyse: NOK - news - people ) cell phones, and a few smart businesses are already using Bluetooth to increase efficiency and promote a safe workplace.
In addition to the extremely expensive process of cloning, for each patient you have to culture stem cells and reliably turn them into the tissue you want with 100% efficiency, so you don't get a single left over stem cell that will cause tumors.
The design aims to increase efficiency by reducing the amount of energy lost when sunlight is reflected off the solar cell or absorbed into the material before reaching the contact wires.