Flexible Solar Panel - The Increasing Star of Solar Cell Technology6118753
The versatile solar panel is the rising star of solar cell technology. Manufactured based on thin film technologies and promising easy handling and installation this technology may have a bright future. These types of panels are very light, can be rolled up for transport and lend themselves to installation on irregular surfaces such as automobiles.
A flexible solar panel is typically made with a roll-to-roll manufacturing procedure that deposits thin-film amorphous silicon at a thickness of 1 micrometer on thin sheets of stainless steel or other flexible substrate. The amorphous silicon is utilized to create the solar cell and the thin stainless steel backing enables the panel to be both versatile and tough. This type of manufacturing enables for greater feasible production prices when compared to other types of solar cell manufacturing.
The flexible solar panel manufacturing procedure is called roll-to-roll and has the potential to decrease the cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) of producing capacity when compared to regular rigid panels. The roll-to-roll manufacturing process while 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.
One of many advantages of a versatile solar panel is the selection of shapes and sizes that it can be produced in, permitting it to fit almost anyplace. An additional advantage is light weight portability and easy to carry shapes. Because a flexible solar cell can be rolled up like a magazine or newspaper it presents a more convenient shape for storage and transport.
Typical uses for a flexible solar panel are charging transportable 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 whilst you are out hiking. These types of solar energy cells come in a variety of sizes to suit different device specifications and portability needs.
On a bigger scale a flexible solar panel is utilized in arrays to generate electricity for houses and commercial buildings exactly where their light weight creates much less stress on roofing systems. Being flexible they can effortlessly be rolled out on curved roofs or walls for simple installation. This feature is especially well suited for short-term installations exactly where easy setup and tear down is essential such as outdoor events.
A flexible solar panel is inherently much less efficient than a standard rigid panel. As a outcome much more square inches or square feet of flexible panel area is required to generate the exact same amount of electrical energy as a rigid panel. This disadvantage is frequently offset by the need for lightweight and transportable panels in specific applications.
Developing a flexible solar panel has served to revolutionize the industry. Manufactures are creating full use of thin film technology to produce solar cells both rapidly and cost-successfully. If they are able to improve the efficiencies of this type of solar cell it will truly turn out to be an all around competitor. Keep an eye out for subsequent stage of thin film technologies that will permit you to spray apply solar cell material to almost any surface.
