ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – The Department of Energy is working with a group of RIT to develop low=cost high efficiency solar cells. Most solar panels on houses or buildings are less than 20 percent efficient at turning sunlight into energy.

The most efficient solar panels are too expensive for commercial use. The group at RIT has found a way to bring that cost down and make the most effective solar cell for everyone.

This could lower the cost and improve battery life of more portable solar cells like cell phones, watches and electric vehicles.

“All the satellites that are up in the sky around us use high efficiency solar cells, because there’s no other source of power in space, so you use the best that you can and cost is less of a factor in space. What we want to do is bring those costs down to earth,” Seth Hubbard, Professor of Physics and director of Nanopower Research Laboratory at RIT, said.