Flexible Solar Panel - The Increasing Star of Solar Cell Technology3459540
The flexible solar panel is the rising star of solar cell technologies. Manufactured primarily based on thin film technologies and promising easy handling and installation this technology may have a bright future. These kinds of panels are extremely 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 one micrometer on thin sheets of stainless steel or other flexible substrate. The amorphous silicon is utilized to produce the solar cell and the thin stainless steel backing enables the panel to be both flexible and tough. This kind of manufacturing enables for greater feasible production rates when compared to other kinds of solar cell manufacturing.
The flexible solar panel manufacturing process is called roll-to-roll and has the potential to reduce the cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) of producing capacity when compared to regular rigid panels. The roll-to-roll manufacturing procedure while much more involved can be pictured like sheets of newspaper coming off of the printing press and becoming rolled up onto a spool. Then the desired size of panel can be rolled out and cut from the spool of solar cells.
1 of many benefits of a versatile solar panel is the variety of shapes and sizes that it can be produced in, permitting it to match almost anyplace. An additional benefit is light weight portability and simple to carry shapes. Since a versatile solar cell can be rolled up like a magazine or newspaper it presents a more handy shape for storage and transport.
Typical utilizes 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 while you are out hiking. These kinds of solar power cells come in a variety of sizes to suit various device requirements and portability requirements.
On a bigger scale a versatile solar panel is used in arrays to produce electricity for houses and commercial buildings exactly where their light weight creates much less tension on roofing systems. Becoming flexible they can easily be rolled out on curved roofs or walls for easy installation. This feature is especially nicely suited for temporary installations where easy setup and tear down is essential such as outside events.
A flexible solar panel is inherently less efficient than a regular rigid panel. As a result more square inches or square feet of versatile panel area is needed to produce the same amount of electricity as a rigid panel. This disadvantage is often offset by the need for lightweight and transportable panels in particular applications.
Developing a flexible solar panel has served to revolutionize the business. Manufactures are making complete use of thin film technologies to create solar cells both quickly and cost-effectively. If they are in a position to enhance the efficiencies of this kind of solar cell it will really turn out to be an all about competitor. Maintain an eye out for next stage of thin film technologies that will allow you to spray apply solar cell material to almost any surface.
