Solar panels turn the sunlight into energy when the sun shines directly on them, but as soon as the sunlight decreases, so does efficiency. A new antireflective film coating could help panels collect sunshine at 96 per cent efficiency from nearly any angle. The newly-developed film consists of seven layers of nanoscopic silicon and titanium-oxide rods arranged in increasing densities, with the topmost nearly as porous as air. This funnel-like structure captures light from almost every direction and focuses it onto the photovoltaic panel while also inhibiting reflection. The film, which is about one hundredth as thick as a human hair, could easily be applied to any solar panel and would help collect 20 per cent more light while eliminating the need for the expensive hardware usually used to rotate solar panels as the sun moves. Before the new film can be marketed, the nanoscientists who developed the film must find a way to protect the outermost layers from wind and heat, a process that might take another year.