The efficiency of commercially available PV panels averaged less than 10% in the mid-1980s, increased to around 15% by 2015, and is now approaching 25% for state-of-the art modules. Experimental PV cells and PV cells for niche markets, such as space satellites, have achieved. The conversion efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) cell, or solar cell, is the percentage of the solar energy shining on a PV device that is converted into usable electricity. Improving this conversion efficiency is a key goal of research and helps make PV technologies cost-competitive with. Solar-cell efficiency is the portion of energy in the form of sunlight that can be converted via photovoltaics into electricity by the solar cell. Due to the many advances in photovoltaic technology over the last decade, the average panel conversion efficiency has increased from 15% to over 24%. Solar panels degrade slowly, losing about 0. 5% output per year, and often last 25–30 years or more. That's the wattage; we have 100W, 200W, 300W solar panels, and so on.