In the past week or so, we've gotten used to seeing broken records. The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) won't get a gold for its work, but they now hold the solar cell efficiency record with a 40.8% conversion of sunlight to electricity.

The unique PV construction splits the light spectrum into three parts, using every part of the light buffalo to up efficiency.

Called the inverted metamorphic triple-junction solar cell, its inventors say..wait, what exactly does all that mean? Inversion of the cell, makes it ultra-thin by removing the wafer that it grows on. Metamorphic layers are misaligned to make them more efficient and triple-junction refers to the three layers of materials used.

The cell, which I'll call the IMTJ, is made of elements you probably didn't memorize is high school, like gallium and indium.

NREL believes the new panels will find applications on space satellites as well as more earth-bound locals. The solar cell arms race has been a-boilin' for a while now. I can't wait to see what they'll think up next.