The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that what might finally make solar power go mainstream is new, more efficient sensitizers for solar panels. A sensitizer is a dye that makes a semiconductor—a part that carries a small amount of electricity—more sensitive to sunlight. The better the sensitizer, the more energy a panel can get from the same amount of light. Although scientists have worked with sensitizers for years, it’s the recent findings that are showing more promise. READ MORE