TECHNOLOGY
Thin Film
In contrast to classical crystalline, silicon based solar cells with a thickness of 180 - 350 µm, thin film solar cells are only about 1/100th thick, e.g. 2 µm. As result, they have lower resources and manufacturing energy utilization.
Thin film solar modules are made by placing the thin layers of semiconductor material onto surfaces such as glass or polymer. The most widespread thin film modules are based on Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide and/or Sulfide (CIGS), Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Amorphous Silicon. But 'dye-sensitized solar cells' (DSC) thin films are also coming into the market.
CIS/CIGS Modules
Relative to some thin film solar cells, CIGS has larger absorbance range and higher sensitivity to light; as a result it can enable devices to output more power.
It has an outstanding behavior under diffuse and low-light environments; thus, allowing 360° efficiency yields in either north, south, east or west exposures. Commercial CIGS solutions today offer either rigid or flexible modules with very cost effectively.
CIGS Modules Utilization
CIGS utilization depends on the type of application desired, which can go beyond the traditional roof usage. E.g. they can apply easily to façades, making thereby building integration solutions more natural, or to electronic devices.
The easy manufacturing adaptation process of CIGS modules, has enabled some manufacturers like Global Solar , to introduce flexible modules for easy deployment.
DSC Photovoltaics
DSCs are a new class of hybrid organic & inorganic solar cells, where a film of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles gets coated with a monolayer of dye molecules sensitive to the visible light spectrum.
The dye, as the chlorophyll in plants, harvests light-energy and transfers it to the TiO2 as electricity. DSCs have so far provided the highest indoor performance of all PV technologies.
