Also known as Grätzel cells, dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs) are a type of low-cost solar cell that use photosensitised dye attached to the surface of a semiconductor to convert visible light into energy.The previous versions of DSCs were largely reliant on direct sunlight, but scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have found a way to make transparent photosensitisers - molecules that can be activated by light - that can “adsorb” light across the entire visible light spectrum.See-through solar tech with 30% efficiencyBut despite the fact that energy-generating windows have been on the market for a number of years, one recurring complaint was their limited capacity for generating electricity when compared to traditional solar cells.The new breakthrough from the team at EPFL could soon help overcome that barrier.Thanks to a new molecule design, they have increased the power conversion efficiency of DSCs - in other words, the share of the solar energy shining on them that is converted into usable electricity - reaching beyond 15 per cent in direct sunlight and up to 30 per cent in ambient light conditions."