Japanese researchers have set a new record for the efficiency of mass-produced solar panels, converting more of that solar energy hitting the panel into electricity.

Academic experiments have created solar arrays that can capture up to 40-percent of the sun's energy and convert it to electricity.  But consumer grade silicon cells are less efficient, and past attempts to boost their output are not cost-effective.

Researchers at Kaneka corporation announced that they've developed a silicon solar cell with a record-breaking 26.3 percent efficiency rating (.pdf link), breaking the previous record established in 2015.  "Improving the photoconversion efficiency of silicon solar cells is crucial to further the deployment of renewable electricity," says the Kaneka team.  "This result confirms the strong potential of silicon photovoltaics."

Kaneka's breakthrough is called thin-film heterojunction (HJ) optimisation.  The technique layers silicon inside individual cells to minimize the space called band gaps where electrons can't exist.  They also placed low-resistance electrodes toward the rear of the cell, which maximized the number of photons that collected inside the cell from the front. And, as is common on many solar cells, they coated the front of the cell with a layer of amorphous silicon and an anti-reflective layer to protect the cell's components and collect photons more efficiently.

Increasing efficiency will help make the prices of solar power continue to drop.  Last year, the world was able to double its solar power capacity.  Better panels will just increase that.