DIY Solar Panels World

Flexible Solar Panels

Flexible solar panels are made by depositing thin-film amorphous silicon on polymer substrates. It has to be thin, lightweight and flexible enough to be rolled up for storage. During the manufacturing process, individual solar cells are connected together as the doped semiconductor units are laid on the substrate. In the final process, the sheet of flexible solar panel is sealed with a protective, transparent material tough enough to withstand abrasions.

There are many applications for flexible solar panels. Being portable, they’re often used as a charger for gadgets like PDAs, mobile phones, laptops and walkie-talkies. They can also be used to power camping equipment, field communication radios and GPS systems. Many flexible solar panels are even integrated into architectural fabric and metal roofing.

Price-wise, amorphous silicon thin film solar cells can be cheaper than conventional crystalline cells. This is because they require less semiconductor material. Each thin film cell is 1-micrometer thick, as compared to an average of 150 to 200 micrometers for crystalline cells. The downside to this material is its inefficiency. While crystalline photovoltaic cells boast a credible 20% efficiency, most thin films are confined to a single digit efficiency percentage. But research to improve the efficiency of thin film photovoltaic cell is underway. By using a combination of photovoltaic materials, there is a possibility that thin films can convert more of the solar spectrum into electricity, thereby matching the efficiency of its crystalline cell cousin.

Flexible solar panels are sold in different shapes and sizes. A brief search on the Internet reveals a wide range of products that these solar panels are currently utilized for. Manufacturers like Silicon Solar, Inc and PowerFilm develops and manufactures flexible solar panels for consumers and businesses alike. And as the popularity of solar panels increase in recent years, more start-ups are also jumping into the renewable energy bandwagon to serve a host of new converts recently found in the market. Xunlight from Toledo, Ohio, is an example of such new companies.

In recent years, engineers found a way to increase the lifespan and efficiency of solar cells. A layer of material is coated on the transparent, protective layer to convert ultraviolet radiation into longer-wavelength visible light. This reduces solar cells’ exposure to harmful radiation, prolonging their lifespan. Incidentally, this technique also helps convert more sunlight into electricity.

As technology improves, flexible solar panels can hopefully capture more of the solar spectrum to turn them into useful electrical energy. By then, this technology will gradually replace bulkier crystalline solar cells in many applications.

Continue Reading At:

1. Solar Shingles — What Are These? At one glance, solar shingles look exactly like common asphalt shingles, except for their deep-blue tinted surface. These cleverly designed solar panels can blend into the roof of any house. Therefore they can integrate into any architectural design easily. Solar panel shingles are made by...
2. Important Facts And Properties of A Solar (PV) Panel You Must Know About (Part 2 of 3) Continuing from Part 1 of this series, here are some more of those important terms that you have to know about solar panels:...
3. How to Build a Solar Powered RC Glider There are many solar powered gliders that can fly across oceans. This proves the viability of using solar energy for air travel. However till this day, photovoltaic technology is only efficient enough for gliders. Even for a small aircraft, lots of power is required to...
4. How To Make A Solar Powered RC Blimp Solar powered RC blimps are very easy to control and they can fly much further than the usual model blimps. In this article, we’ll show you how to make this toy....
5. Flexible Solar Panel Technology Transforms Ordinary Roof Shingles Into A Home Solar Power Generator It is now possible for flexible solar panels to be used on roof shingles without affecting performance. In recent years, scientists used a transparent thin film barrier commonly used to protect flat screen televisions from moisture for making flexible solar panels....
6. Important Facts You Must Know Before Installing Your Own Home Solar Panels This article highlights those important facts about solar panels you must know before buying them. If you are about to make an important decision to install solar panels at your home, be sure to read this....
7. How To Make Solar Backpacks To Charge Your Gadgets On The Go Solar backpacks are equipped with flexible thin-film solar panels that can charge your gadgets while you are on the go. Some solar powered backpacks also come with their own battery packs and a mini charge controller....