Abstract: An elongate solar cell, comprising a semiconductor body having two mutually opposed faces, at least one of the faces being an active face for receiving incident light, and two mutually opposed edges orthogonal to the faces, the edges comprising electrical contacts thereon for conducting electrical current generated by the solar cell from the light; wherein the electrical contact to at least one of the edges includes an electrically conductive material that contacts only a fractional portion of the at least one edge of the semiconductor body to improve the performance of the solar cell.