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New solar cells convert 35.5% of energy from sunshine into useable electricity, breaking previous solar panel efficiency records.
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On July 14th, Longi, a Chinese manufacturer of solar panels, announced that a new photovoltaic cell they have developed converted 35.5 percent of the solar energy that hit the solar cell into electricity. The result was verified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI), an independent testing body.
The first solar practical solar cell had an efficiency of 6%. In 2026, most commercially available solar panels in the U.S. are at least 20% efficient, with top models reaching an efficiency of 23%.
“A generation ago, the idea that more than a third of the solar energy that hits a panel could be converted into useful electricity would have been the stuff of science fiction. Today, thanks to human ingenuity, it’s reality,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center.
The record-setting efficient solar cells are not yet available for commercial use, but their development shows the opportunity to extract more energy from sunshine than previously thought possible.
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