Today, with the continuous development of new energy power generation, the application of solar cells is becoming more and more extensive, and it can be said that the future is bright. In addition to the traditional crystalline silicon used in the preparation of solar cells, thin-film solar panels are now in full swing, so what are the characteristics of thin-film solar cells? How is it different from photovoltaic panels?

1. Introduction of thin film solar cells

As the earth's infinite renewable non-polluting energy, the application of solar energy has attracted people's attention, and the development of solar cells that can convert solar energy into electric energy has been developed rapidly. At present, commercial crystalline silicon solar cells have the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency, but limited by material purity and preparation process, the cost is high, and it is difficult to improve the conversion efficiency or reduce the cost. Thin-film solar cells can realize photoelectric conversion with a thickness of only a few μm, which is an ideal material for reducing cost and improving photon recycling.

2. What is a thin film solar cell

Thin-film battery, as its name implies, is to prepare a layer of thin film into a solar cell. It uses very little silicon, which makes it easier to reduce costs. At the same time, it is not only a high-efficiency energy product, but also a new type of building material, which is easier to perfectly integrate with buildings. In the context of the continuous shortage of silicon raw materials in the international market, thin-film solar cells have become a new trend and new hot spot in the development of the international photovoltaic market. At present, there are three main types of thin-film cells that can be industrially produced on a large scale: silicon-based thin-film solar cells, copper-indium-gallium-selenide thin-film solar cells (CIGS), and cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells (CdTe). Among them, silicon-based thin-film batteries have developed rapidly with their unique advantages. In 2010, industry experts predicted that a-Si, CdTe, and CIGS cells would account for 52%, 37% and 11% of the thin-film photovoltaic market, respectively.

The power generation principle is similar to that of crystalline silicon. When sunlight shines on the battery, the battery absorbs light energy to generate photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Under the action of the built-in electric field of the battery, the photo-generated electrons and holes are separated, and the holes drift to P On the side, the electrons drift to the N side, forming a photoelectromotive force, and when the external circuit is turned on, a current is generated.

Third, the characteristics of thin film solar cells

1. There is no internal circuit short circuit problem (connection has been built in when the series battery is manufactured)

2. Less power loss under the same shading area (good power generation in low light conditions)

3. Better power temperature coefficient

4. Material supply is worry-free

5. Higher cumulative power generation

6. Only a small amount of silicon raw material is needed

7. The power lost under the same illumination is less than that of wafer solar cells

8. Thinner than wafer solar cells

9. Better optical transmission

10. Can be integrated with building materials

Fourth, the difference between thin film solar cells and photovoltaic panels

The most obvious difference between the two is thickness, which leads to the difference in solar energy capture efficiency between traditional solar panels and thin-film solar cells. The reason is that the materials are different, and thin-film solar cells use different compounds.

Traditional solar panels use crystalline silicon (C-Si), a technology that has been developed for many years and is relatively mature and reliable. It is worth noting that although C-Si has high energy conversion efficiency, the actual light absorption efficiency is poor, which means that the solar panel must be thick enough to improve the actual efficiency.

The difference is that thin-film technology can "mix and match" a variety of elements, which is about 350 times thinner than traditional solar panels, and solar cell panels can be prepared by coating or depositing on the surface of glass, metal, plastic and other materials. In this way, different types of materials can make full use of light energy and improve efficiency.