TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Components: The transparent casing is made of glass, preferably aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, dichroic glass, germanium/semiconductor glass, glass ceramic, silicate/fused silica glass, soda lime glass, quartz glass, chalcogenide/sulfate glass, fluoride glass, flint glass, or cereated glass. The substrate comprises glass, metal (alloy), aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, dichroic glass, germanium/semiconductor glass, glass ceramic, silicate/fused silica glass, quartz glass, chalcogenide/sulfide glass, fluoride glass, glass-based phenolic, flint glass, or cereated glass.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: Water, air, nitrogen or helium is passed through the substance. The back electrode is made of aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, rhodium, niobium, chromium, tantalum, titanium, steel, nickel, platinum, silver, gold, and/or their alloys, or indium tin oxide, titanium nitride, tin oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, doped zinc oxide, aluminum-dope zinc oxide, gallium-doped zinc oxide, boron-doped zinc oxide, indium-zinc oxide, metal-carbon black-filled oxide, graphite-carbon black-filled oxide, carbon black-carbon black-filled oxide, superconductive carbon black-filled oxide, epoxy, conductive glass, or conductive plastic. The transparent conductive layer comprises carbon nanotubes, tin oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, indium-tin oxide, doped zinc oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, gallium-doped zinc oxide, boron-doped zinc oxide, and/or indium-zinc oxide. The semiconductor junction comprises an absorber layer of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide, and a junction partner layer of indium selenide, indium sulfide, zinc sulfide, zinc selenide, cadmium-indium sulfide, cadmium-zinc sulfide, zinc-indium selenide, zinc-magnesium oxide, cadmium selenide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, zirconia, or doped zinc oxide. The solar cell unit further has a water-resistant layer comprising clear silicone, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxide, or alumina, and an antireflective coating comprising magnesium fluoride, silicon nitrate, titanium nitrate, silicon monoxide, or silicon oxide nitrite.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The transparent casing is made of plastic chosen from urethane polymer, acrylic polymer, fluoropolymer, silicone, silicone gel, epoxy, polyamide, and polyolefin, preferably polymethylmethacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, ethylene vinylacetate, perfluoroalkoxy fluorocarbon, nylon, cross-linked polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate glycol, PTFE, polyvinyl chloride, or polyvinylidene fluoride. The solar cell unit further comprises a filler layer containing ethylene vinylacetate, silicone, silicone gel, epoxy, polydimethylsiloxane, room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber, polyvinyl butyral, thermoplastic polyurethane, polycarbonate, acrylic, fluoropolymer, or urethane. The filler layer is formed using silicone oil mixed with a dielectric gel. The silicone oil is polydimethylsiloxane polymer liquid of formula: (CH3)3SiO(SiO(CH3)2)nSi(CH3)3, where n is integer chosen such that polymer liquid has an average bulk viscosity of 50-100000 centistokes.