Amorphous Solar Panels
Amorphous Solar Panels are one of the 3 most common Solar Panels manufactured today. Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline are the other top two. (To find out more about them, Click On their Links at the bottom of this page.)Amorphous or "thin film" is cheaper to produce and it is less effective. The thin layer process is applied in such a way that flexible panels can be made. Since less silicon is needed to make the panels, it significantly reduces manufacturing costs. It is cheaper to produce per watt which means less cost to the consumers. However it is less efficient because they are so thin. You need more of the panel for the same power (watt).
Thin film solar cells are called..
....second generation solar cells because they are a substantial improvement over the first generation (Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline which use thick wafers of crystalline silicon).
There are several different ways to make Amorphous cells. The most common being a chemical vapor deposition process where gases react inside of chamber to form a condensate that settle evenly onto a plate made from various materials (normally stainless steel plates).Some thin films are made by conventional printers or by using a light-absorbing dye.Since they are made with flexibility, it offers more uses. For example, in sails and even clothing! They have a higher power-to-weight ratio, making them a better choice for solar vehicles that need to remain lightweight.
In Summary ...
Amorphous Solar Panels are less efficient than the "Crystallines" (polycrystalline and monocrystalline panels). To compete with them, more surface area is required of the thin film which incurs more installation hardware and increased installation costs is required. The great advantages of the thin filmed solar panels over the conventional silicon solar panels is they are cheaper to make because they require less energy, labor and raw materials to produce. It is well suited to be produced in mass production. Even some can be made using conventional printers ... and the lighter weight 'can' make it easier to work with. But we should all keep our eye on technology, which is constantly changing..who knows what the future can bring?
Monocrystalline Solar Panel - Click HERE
Polycrystalline Solar Panels -Click HERE
Go Back to "Facts about Solar" from "Amorphous Solar Panels" Click HERE
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