TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The protective layer comprises an organic material and an inorganic material. The protective layer comprises of at least one material chosen from silica, alumina, aluminosilicate, diamond-like film, borosilicate, silicon nitride, aluminophosphosilicate, aluminophosphate, niobium oxide, niobium nitride, zirconium Oxide, zirconium Nitride, hafnium Oxide, hafnium nitride, zinc oxide, yttrium oxide, cerium oxide, scandium oxide, erbium oxide, tantalum oxide, tantalum nitride, vanadium oxide, indium oxide, aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, molybdenum nitride, gallium nitride, lanthanum oxide, zinc sulfide, tin oxide, strontium sulfide, calcium sulfide, lead sulfide, indium tin oxide, tungsten oxide, and calcium/titanium oxide. The protective layer comprises of a nanolaminate comprised of at least one material combination chosen from hafnium oxide/tantalum oxide, titanium oxide/tantalum oxide, titania/alumina, zinc sulfide/alumina, aluminum-tin oxide, and aluminum-titanium oxide. The protective layer comprises of a silica layer and an alumina layer. The protective layer comprises of a silico-acrylic composition. The protective layer comprises of a templated nanolaminate layer with nanoparticle beads. The solar cell includes a copper-indium-selenide based alloy. The solar cell includes an absorber layer having one or more inorganic materials chosen from titania, zinc oxide, copper oxide, zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide, vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide and other oxides, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide, cadmium sulfide, copper sulfide, cadmium telluride, cadmium-tellurium selenide, copper-indium selenide, cadmium oxide, copper iodide, and semiconductive material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The module comprises a composition containing ethylene tetrafluoroethylene or silica-nanoparticle-filled, acrylic hard coat, and another composition comprises thermoplastic polyurethane or thermosetting ethylene vinyl acetate. The bottom encapsulating layer of module comprises thermoplastic polyurethane or thermosetting ethylene vinyl acetate. The protective layer comprises ultraviolet curable hardcoat material, non-yellowing silicone-based hardcoat material, curable polyacrylate hardcoat containing silica particles, an acrylic composition containing at least one filler material, at least one multifunctional acrylic material, and at least one higher functional acrylic material. The filler material comprises acrylate functionalized silica. The filler material comprises colloidal silica and a silane chosen from 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 2- methacryloxyethyltrimethoxysilane, 2-acryloxyethyltrimethoxysilane, 3- methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltriethoxysilane, 2- methacryloxyethyltriethoxysilane, 2-acryloxyethyltriethoxysilane, 3- glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 2-glycidoxyethyltrimethoxysilane, 3- glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, and 2-glycidoxyethyltriethoxysilane. The multifunctional acrylic material is chosen from diacrylate such as 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate, poly(butanediol) diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, triisopropylene glycol diacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and bisphenol, dimethacrylate, triacrylate such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol monohydroxy triacrylate, and trimethylolpropane triethoxy triacrylate, tetraacrylate such as pentaerythritol tetraacrylate and di-trimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, and pentaacrylate such as dipentaerythritol, and (monohydroxy) pentaacrylate, preferably, triacrylate such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol monohydroxy triacrylate, and trimethylolpropane triethoxy triacrylate, tetraacrylate such as pentaerythritol tetraacrylate and di-trimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, and pentaacrylate such as dipentaerythritol and (monohydroxy) pentaacrylate. The module or device further comprises initiator, photoinitiator, anaerobic gelation inhibitor and diluent. The photoinitiator is chosen from 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-l-phenyl-propan-1-one, and 2,2- dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetyl-phenone. The anaerobic gelation inhibitor is chosen from 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy, A-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy, bis(4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy sebacate) diradical, 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl, 1,3,5-triphenylverdazyl, l-nitroso-2-naphthol, a nitrone, methylhydroquinone, galvinoxyl, 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy, N-t-butyl-(alpha)-phenyl nitrone, and 2,2-diphenyl-l-picryl-hydrazyl hydrate. The diluent is chosen from isopropanol, t-butanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol n-butyl ether, and their mixtures. 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 ionic liquid, ionic conductors, low molecular weight organic hole conductors, and cerium oxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Compounds: The absorber layer has one or more organic materials chosen from conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene) and their derivatives, poly(phenylene vinylene) and their derivatives such as poly(2-methoxy-5-2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-l,4-phenylene vinylene, poly(para-phenylene vinylene), poly(para-phenylene vinylene) copolymers, poly(thiophene) and their derivatives such as poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), poly(thienylenevinylene) and their derivatives, and poly(isothianaphthene) and their derivatives, organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines) and their derivatives, and 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 pthalocyanines, zinc pthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines and their respective derivatives, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-di(pent-3-yl)-anthra(2,l,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f)diisoquinoline-l,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-bis-(l-hexyl-hept-l-yl)-anthra(2,l,9-def:6,5,10-d'e'f)diisoquinoline-l,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene, pentacene derivatives and/or pentacene precursors, N-type ladder polymer, and poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder).