Thin film solar PV cell panels are now being marketed in Ireland by reputed renewable energy promoters. A recent innovation, thin film solar cells are technologically different in their production while being chemical different to the traditional Mono crystalline or Polycrystalline silicon PV panels.
What are thin film solar modules?
A thin film solar module is made up of thin film solar cells (TFSC).The cell itself may be made by depositing ( by a process known as chemical vapour deposition) one or more fine layers of Photo Voltaic material on a substratum using modern technology. The substratum may be glass, plastic or metal. The thickness may vary from a few nanometres to several micrometres.
They are categorized according to the PV material used in them. As opposed to the conventional PV cell material of crystalline silicon, thin film PV cells use amorphous silicon or other thin film silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide, all of which are causing a revolution in the solar power generation and sustainable building architecture.
The crystalline silicon conventional modules can reach efficiencies up to 20% in domestic applications.
The efficiency in current commercial thin film modules is less in comparison (TFSC i.e. the cell) having up to 20% while the production modules reaching only about 9 %). But in all likelihood soon TFSC modules might catch up with the established conventional panels in that aspect, due to the hectic R & D now on.
However one thing is certain. The world price of silicon material is increasing in leaps and bounds due to the heavy demand by mass producers of crystalline silicon PV modules. And if the industry and the consumer needs low prices they