Thin-film solar cells can be manufactured using ceramic, graphite, metal foil and other low-cost materials as substrates. The thickness of the thin layer that can generate voltage is only a few µm and the current. the conversion efficiency can reach up to 13%. In addition to being flat, thin-film solar cells can also be made into non-planar structures due to their flexibility. They have a wide range of applications and can be combined with or as part of buildings. applications.
Who can tell me the difference between solar cells and thin film solar cells?
Thin film solar cells are also called amorphous silicon solar cells . use silicon materials and are amorphous. Silicon (a-Si) solar cells deposit a transparent conductive film (TCO) on a silicon substrate.glass, and then sequentially use plasma reaction to deposit three layers of p-type, i-type and n-type. of a-Si, then evaporate. Aluminum (Al) metal electrode. Light comes from the glass surface and battery current is drawn from the transparent conductive film and aluminum. Its structure can be expressed as glass/TCO/pin/Al. , and stainless steel sheets, plastics, etc. can also be used as substrates
What is the difference between crystalline silicon and thin film solar cells?
Solar cells now include crystalline silicon, thin film and CIGS and other technologies
Usually called solar cells, mainly refers to crystalline silicon cells. This technology uses crystalline silicon as the base material, cuts the silicon wafers into very thin slices, and then prints. electrodes to make photocellsoltaic. According to the composition of crystalline silicon, it can be divided into monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon. There are many manufacturers of this technology.
Thin film batteries are very different in terms of materials and processes. They are made by coating a substrate with glass and then using laser engraving to make cells. They can become amorphous silicon. . It transmits light, unlike crystalline silicon which is opaque. However, the energy production per unit area is lower than that of crystalline silicon. There are not many manufacturers of this technology in the world. Chinese company Hanergy is the largest, and First Solar in the United States is also a big company.
CIGS and miasole are another technology that can make one. flexible and bendable cellular sheet. The base material is a very thin steel plate, which can withstandat large curvatures. This is the biggest advantage of glass solar modules. It is also lightweight and easy to carry. This technology was invented by an American company and is now fully acquired by Hanergy. It can be said that this technology now belongs to Chinese companies.
Basically:
Crystalline silicon has high efficiency, high price, high pollution, low flexibility (cannot be bent), and is suitable for applications on small surfaces, such as spacecraft. energy supply. , Street lights are installed for domestic use, roofs, waterway indicators, etc., and are suitable for places with area restrictions.
The film has low efficiency, low price , low pollution and high flexibility. , and is suitable for use in large areas, such as Xinjiang and Tibet. The light source is sufficientand the vast area is not suitable for agriculture or living. Such a place is best for installing thin-film power plants. very flexible and can be flexibly bent at different angles, it is also suitable for curtain walls.The only disadvantage of using it is that the conversion efficiency is too low. However, with the advancement of technology, this bottleneck will no longer be a problem sooner or later. Thin film technology has improved and advanced, so it is favored by most. people.