The response of the Chinese company Trina spokesperson is quite off the mark. First Solar expects to ship around 3GW of modules in 2016 so that is not exactly lab scale ;) FSLR expects to improve their shipped modules efficiency by more than 10% over last year. 15.4 to 17.

FSLR also will also introduce their new larger modules that are easier to install. Reducing the cost of building a power plant.

I really regret not investing in FSLR stock when I could have :(

Off course when looking at energy supplies the physical efficiency is not important, one must look at the economic efficiency. Numbers that are hard to find :(