Dutch designers have come up with "nanocrystalline dye sensitized solar cells."

What's the big deal? Well, as their press release put it,

"The dye-sensitized solar cell replicates the most important principles of its prototype, photosynthesis. Due to its simple construction it offers the hope of a significant reduction in the cost of solar electricity. In fact, according to ECN-researcher Jan Kroon, 'you can practically make this solar cell in your kitchen with TiO2 (commonly used in toothpaste) and raspberry juice'."

Yes, homegrown, non-toxic, organic solar cells. Apparently they're still at least five years, and possibly a decade, from commercial release, and their efficiency-per-area is not great (in other words, you'd need bigger solar panels to get the same electrical current). On the other hand, they might be cheap and easy enough to build that they could have all sorts of applications which wouldn't make any economic sense at all with current technologies. And they can be made biodegradable and recyclable.

One to keep an eye on....

(thanks Dawn Danby!)