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Nature Materials 7, 835–836 (1 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/nmat2312

Photovoltaics: Solar cells on curtains

Zhiyong Fan & Ali Javey

Photovoltaic devices directly convert solar energy into electricity, and thus are highly attractive for a wide range of applications. Although the energy harvested by solar cell technology accounts for only about 0.04% of today's global energy consumption, it is one of the fastest-growing energy sectors, in part because of the vast research and development efforts that have been undertaken in recent years for pursuing clean, renewable energy.