Solar3D’s maiden prototype,which uses a three-dimensional design to trap sunlight inside a PV structurewhere photons “bounce around” until converted into electrons, produced 250% of thepower of a conventional CSi cell made under the same conditions.

“When we completed our firstprototype...we achieved more power,relative to current technology, than we dared to hope. As we continue ourwork, we have discovered a number of ways to fine-tune our process so theproduct will produce even more power, and be less expensive to manufacture,”says director of technology Changwan Son

Although high-grade CSi cells have a theoretical maximum ­efficiency of 33%,current technology often has conversion rates of under 20%.