TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The solar cell is a non-silicon based solar cell. The solar cell is an amorphous solar cell. The solar cell includes a copper-indium-selenide based alloy. The solar cell includes absorber layer having one or more inorganic materials chosen from titania (TiO2), nanocrystalline TiO2, zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO or Cu2O or CuxOy), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide and other oxides, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide (CdS), copper sulfide (Cu2S), cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium-tellurium selenide (CdTeSe), copper-indium selenide (CuInSe2), cadmium oxide (CdOx), copper iodide (CuI), copper-sulfur cyanide (CuSCN) and/or semiconductive material. The solar cell includes absorber layer having one or more materials chosen from oligomeric material, micro-crystalline silicon, inorganic nanorods dispersed in organic matrix, inorganic tetrapods dispersed in organic matrix, quantum dot materials, ionic conducting polymer gels, sol-gel nanocomposites containing an ionic liquid, ionic conductors, low molecular weight organic hole conductors, and 60C and/or other small molecules.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Composition: The solar cell includes absorber layer having one or more organic materials chosen from conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene) and its derivatives, poly(phenylene vinylene) and its derivatives such as poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV), poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) and PPV copolymers, poly(thiophene) and its derivatives such as poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom, poly(thienylenevinylene) and its derivatives, and poly(isothianaphthene) and its derivatives, 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene, organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines) and its derivatives, discotic liquid crystals, organic pigments or dyes, ruthenium-based dye, liquid iodide/triiodide electrolyte, azo-dyes having azo chromofores (-N=N-) linking aromatic groups, phthalocyanines including metal-free phthalocyanine, perylenes, perylene derivatives, copper phthalocyanines (CuPc), zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc), naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines and their derivatives, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-di(pent-3-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f')diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, 2,9-bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f')diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene, pentacene derivatives and/or pentacene precursors, N-type ladder polymer, and/or poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL).