Is this giant crystal ball the future of solar energy?

Form, meet function

Rawlemon
(Image credit: (Facebook.com/Rawlemon))

It hasn't been easy to make solar energy competitive with traditional forms of energy. After all, solar panels can't turn all of the light that hits them into useable energy.

Currently, the best sunlight conversion rate is around 21.5 percent in commercial products, although scientists have already developed a solar cell with 44.7 percent efficiency, and some projects in the pipeline are aiming for conversion rates as high as 80 percent.

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John Aziz is the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also an associate editor at Pieria.co.uk. Previously his work has appeared on Business Insider, Zero Hedge, and Noahpinion.