( CNN ) -- The energy needs of the world could all , in principle , be fulfilled by one single source -- the sun . There are challenges in making this a reality , however : affordability first , and finding a way to capture this energy efficiently to turn it into electricity . Recently , a new material known as perovskite has seen the light of day and within just a few years it has started rivaling the efficiency of traditional photovoltaic solar cells , which currently maxes out at roughly 20 percent . This is the amount of solar energy that gets converted into electricity and the higher this is , the more we meet our energy needs . Over 80 percent of today 's photovoltaics are made from crystalline silicon , but the high expense of both their production and installation means we are in need of alternatives . Perovskite is a mineral found in the Earth 's mantle , named after Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski . Since 2009 , it has caught the attention of researchers across the globe , including those at Oxford University and the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ) . `` In a very short time , perovskite has begun to produce extremely high efficiencies and there 's 'perovskite fever ' going on , '' says Michael Graetzel , Director of the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces at EPFL . `` Today , efficiency has peaked at 18 percent , but it 's expected to get even higher in the future . '' Graetzel discovered how perovskite works and he 's helping develop new solar cells as well as potential ways to add on to existing ones : `` You can put perovskite on top of traditional silicon cells to make them more efficient , '' he says . `` This is not an expensive process and can become an attractive application for mainstream solar panels . '' Stability tests are still needed as this magical material is sensitive to water and high temperatures : `` This is all being examined now . I 'm optimistic and sure this can be tackled . It 's an exciting time '' . Perovskite solar cells may be the ones to watch , but the search for the most efficient , affordable and usable form of solar energy is a diverse battlefield . Click on the images above to discover the many ways our sun 's rays are being harvested to power our lives .
Perovskite is a new wonder material used to make cheap and efficient solar cells . New , self-cooling solar cells could overcome the challenges of overheating . Regular windows could produce electricity by using a new , transparent solar cell technology . Comment: