Flexible Solar Panel - The Increasing Star of Solar Cell Technology9464103
The flexible solar panel is the increasing star of solar cell technology. Manufactured primarily based on thin film technologies and promising easy handling and installation this technology might have a vibrant 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 versatile 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 produce the solar cell and the thin stainless steel backing enables the panel to be each flexible and tough. This type of manufacturing enables for higher possible production rates when compared to other kinds of solar cell manufacturing.
The flexible solar panel manufacturing process is known as roll-to-roll and has the possible to reduce the price per kilowatt hour (kWh) of generating capacity when compared to regular rigid panels. The roll-to-roll manufacturing procedure while more involved can be pictured like sheets of newspaper coming off of the printing press and being 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 benefits of a versatile solar panel is the selection of shapes and sizes that it can be produced in, allowing it to fit nearly anywhere. Another benefit is light weight portability and simple to carry shapes. Since a flexible 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 types of solar energy cells come in a selection of sizes to suit different device specifications and portability needs.
On a larger scale a versatile solar panel is utilized in arrays to generate electricity for houses and industrial buildings where their light weight creates much less stress on roofing systems. Becoming versatile they can easily be rolled out on curved roofs or walls for simple installation. This function is especially well suited for temporary installations where simple setup and tear down is important such as outside events.
A versatile solar panel is inherently less efficient than a regular rigid panel. As a result much more square inches or square feet of flexible panel region is required to generate the exact same amount of electricity as a rigid panel. This disadvantage is frequently offset by the need for lightweight and transportable panels in specific applications.
Creating a flexible solar panel has served to revolutionize the industry. Manufactures are making full use of thin film technology to create solar cells each quickly and price-successfully. If they are in a position to enhance the efficiencies of this type of solar cell it will really turn out to be an all around competitor. Maintain an eye out for next stage of thin film technology that will permit you to spray apply solar cell material to nearly any surface.
