Known as organic solar technology, special cells designed to convert light into energy in the same way that plants do via photosynthesis are set to become a whole lot more efficient as a result of some new tweaks, which means their potential for inexpensive, large-scale use is soon on the horizon.

For years, technologists have been trying to improve the conversion efficiency of solar cells, as all across the board conversion rates have traditionally been low. Typical silicon-based solar cells today, for instance, achieve between 20 and 25 percent energy efficiency, while emerging organic solar cells achieve only about half this amount, or 12 percent efficiency. To make these technologies beneficial on a commercial scale, conversion rates obviously need to be as high as possible.