Flexible Solar Panel - The Increasing Star of Solar Cell Technology8434138
The versatile solar panel is the increasing star of solar cell technologies. Manufactured based on thin film technologies and promising simple handling and installation this technology might have a vibrant future. These types of panels are very light, can be rolled up for transport and lend themselves to installation on irregular surfaces such as automobiles.
A flexible solar panel is typically produced with a roll-to-roll manufacturing procedure that deposits thin-film amorphous silicon at a thickness of 1 micrometer on thin sheets of stainless steel or other versatile substrate. The amorphous silicon is used to produce the solar cell and the thin stainless steel backing enables the panel to be each versatile and tough. This kind of manufacturing allows for higher feasible production rates when compared to other kinds of solar cell manufacturing.
The flexible solar panel manufacturing procedure is known as roll-to-roll and has the possible to reduce the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) of generating capacity when compared to standard rigid panels. The roll-to-roll manufacturing procedure whilst more involved can be pictured like sheets of newspaper coming off of the printing press and being rolled up onto a spool. Then the desired size of panel can be rolled out and cut from the spool of solar cells.
One of numerous advantages of a flexible solar panel is the variety of shapes and sizes that it can be produced in, permitting it to fit almost anyplace. Another benefit is light weight portability and simple to carry shapes. Because a versatile solar cell can be rolled up like a magazine or newspaper it presents a more convenient shape for storage and transport.
Typical uses for a flexible solar panel are charging portable device batteries like laptops, cell phones and mp3 players. You can even roll a panel out on a sunny rock and use it to recharge your gps batteries whilst you are out hiking. These kinds of solar energy cells come in a selection of sizes to suit various device specifications and portability requirements.
On a bigger scale a versatile solar panel is used in arrays to generate electricity for houses and industrial buildings where their light weight creates less tension on roofing systems. Being versatile they can easily be rolled out on curved roofs or walls for simple installation. This feature is particularly nicely suited for short-term installations where simple setup and tear down is essential such as outside events.
A versatile solar panel is inherently much less effective than a standard rigid panel. As a outcome more square inches or square feet of versatile panel region is needed to generate the exact same quantity of electricity as a rigid panel. This disadvantage is frequently offset by the need for lightweight and transportable panels in specific applications.
Developing a versatile solar panel has served to revolutionize the industry. Manufactures are making full use of thin film technologies to produce solar cells each quickly and price-effectively. If they are in a position to improve the efficiencies of this kind of solar cell it will really become an all around competitor. Keep an eye out for subsequent stage of thin film technologies that will allow you to spray apply solar cell material to nearly any surface.
