TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The luminescence downshifting material comprises samarium ion(Sm3+), chromium ion (Cr3+), zinc selenide, europium ion (Eu2+), terbium ion (Tb3+), a semiconducting quantum dot material, and silver nanoparticles. The host material comprises organically modified silica (ORMOSIL), crystalline potassium magnesium fluoride, aluminum oxide, zinc selenide, calcium fluoride, or glass. The photovoltaic cell comprises cadmium sulfide, cadmium telluride, p-doped or crystalline or amorphous or multicrystalline or polycrystalline silicon, indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, copper sulfide, or copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The luminescence downshifting material comprises rhodamine, coumarin, rubrene, a laser dye, aluminum tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline), N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis-(3-methylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4-4'-diamine, bis-(8-hydroxyquinoline)-chlorogallium, a perylene dye e.g. a perylene carbonic acid, and a naphthalene carbonic acid, a violanthrone or an iso-violanthrone. The perylene dye comprises N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N,N'-Bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N,N'-Bis(7-tridecyl)perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,6,7,12-tetra(4-tert.-octylphenoxy)perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,6,7,12-tetraphenoxyperylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,6- and -1,7-bis(4-tert.-octylphenoxy)perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,6- and -1,7-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenoxy)-perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarbonic acid diimide, N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)perylene-3,4-dicarbonic acid imide, N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-9-phenoxyperylene-3,4-dicarbon acid imide, N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-9-(2,6-diisopropylphenoxy)perylene-3,4-dicarbonic acid imide, N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-9-cyanoperylene-3,4-dicarbonic acid imide, N-(7-tridecyl)-9-phen-oxyperylene-3,4-dicarbonic acid imide, perylene-3,9- and -3,10-dicarbonic acid diisobutyl-ester, 4,10-dicyanoperylene-3,9- and 4,9-dicyanoperylene-3,10-dicarbonic acid diisobutyl-ester, perylene-3,9- and/or-3,10-dicarbonic acid di(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)amide, 6,15-didodecyloxyisoviolanthronedion-(9,18), N-(2-ethylhexyl)-4,5-dimethoxynaphthalene-1,8-dicarbonic acid imide, N-(2,6-diisopropyl-phenyl)-4,5-dimethoxynaphthalene-1,8-dicarbonic acid imide, N-(7-tridecyl)-4,5-dimethoxynaphthalene-1,8-dicarbonic acid imide, N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-diphenoxynaphthalene-1,8-dicarbonic acid imide, or N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,8:4,5-naphthalene tetracarbonic acid diimide. The encapsulation element comprises ethylene vinyl acetate. The transparent cover sheet comprises polymethylmethacrylate and/or ethylene tetrafluoroethylene.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The host material comprises polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylbutyral, polylaurylmethacrylate, polyethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyisobutylmethacrylate, polyvinyltoluene, or polystyrene. The rear layer comprises polyvinyl fluoride.