September 15, 2023--Written by Paul Wiseman for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Thin-film solar panels, while less efficient at converting sunlight into electricity, have a strong market in space and aerospace applications. While flat panels average 15-20% efficiency, the thin film variety has previously peaked at about 10.8%. For some applications, however, thin film's small size and light weight make it the only alternative. But thin-film developer and manufacturer Ascent Solar Technologies has announced a new formula that has reached 15.2% in tests.