Thin-film solar panel installation tutorial pictures

How do thin-film solar panels function?

Thin-film solar panels function in the same photovoltaic manner as crystalline silicon modules, without the bulky wafers and glass panelling. Amorphous silicon is a material used in some thin-film flexible solar panels, which can be moulded to essentially any surface such as roofs or walls.

Are thin-film solar panels a good choice?

And although solar Thin-Film are approximately 350 times thinner than mono or polycrystalline panels, the complete thin-film panel can be as thick as silicon-based panels. Further, being thin isn’t their only unique feature. They are more flexible and lightweight than the other types making them perfect to be used in portable devices.

What is the difference between a solar inverter and a thin-film solar panel?

The major difference is you can install them on more surfaces, such as on caravans and boats. Also, because they’re so light, you don’t need the same structural support you would for a normal solar panel system. You can effectively roll thin-film solar panels out like a carpet, then the installer just needs to connect them to the inverter.

How to make a thin-film solar cell?

It doesn’t matter what type of thin-film solar cell you are making as they are all made the same way. All you need to do is to place the main PV material (a-Si, CdTe, or CGIS) between a sheet of conductive material and a layer of glass or plastic and Voila! You are ready to generate electricity.

What are thin-film solar panels made of?

Each thin-film solar panel is made of 3 main parts: Photovoltaic Material: This is the main semiconducting material and it’s the one responsible for converting sunlight into energy such as CdTe, a-Si, or CGIS. It doesn’t matter what type of thin-film solar cell you are making as they are all made the same way.

How wide can thin-film solar panels be?

Thin-film solar panels range from tens of micrometres, to mere nanometres. For context, you can fit 1,000 micrometres into a single millimetre, and 1,000 nanometres into a single micrometre. We’re almost in the second dimension here. And you can make thin-film solar panels as wide as you need.