Sunlight is converted into electricity by solar panels. Photovoltaic cells, semi-conducting components that generate an electric field when exposed to sunlight, are the building blocks of these devices. The quantity of sunlight converted into power is known as a solar panel's efficiency, and the greatest efficiency ever recorded is 44.7 per cent.  In other words, the solar panel only generates power from less than half of the sunshine it receives. Commercial solar panels do, however, have an average efficiency of about 15-20%, which is still quite respectable. Moreover, as technology advances, solar panels' efficiencies rise steadily, and even greater efficiencies may be attained in the future.