5 technological advances in solar panels

2023-10-24 15:36:56

The desire to obtain clean energy at a reasonable price, or almost zero, is something that has always been pursued. Thanks to Progress of science and the appearance of new materials, or more economical manufacturing methods, among others, is achieving make energy cheaper. Thanks to this, advances are constantly being made in the world of photovoltaics. Of these, we present 5 technological advances in solar panels.

① Thin film photovoltaic modules

Thin film panels have been developed thanks to new, much thinner semiconductor materials. Thanks to this, a uniform solar panel is achieved, without the characteristic gaps. between cells of traditional modules. Furthermore, they are manufactured without a frame, since they are relatively flexible and do not need a rigid element to provide them with strength. Thus, They can be bent a little and adapt better to different types of roofs or surfaces.

Their flexibility and the possibility of having different translucent or semi-transparent models make them ideal for applications where aesthetics is an important aspect. This characteristic is achieved thanks to its manufacturing process, carried out by adding several very thin layers of a photovoltaic material deposited on a base substrate, also very thin. The number of layers added to the substrate varies depending on the material used; It may well be cadmium telluride, copper selenide, amorphous silicon, gallium, indium and even organic photovoltaic cells.

② Bifacial solar panels

Los bifacial solar panels They are designed and manufactured without the back aluminum sheet. Instead of her, a sheet of glass is added, which makes it possible for the photovoltaic cells to also receive sunlight from the back. Thanks to this, these solar modules are capable of capture albedo and reflected radiation.

The advantages that this type of solar panels offer us are several:

Higher performance: by having extra production thanks to its rear part. However, for the panels to capture a greater amount of sunlight, they must be installed high above the ground and the lighter the surface of the ground or roof, the more radiation it will reflect and be used by the bifacial modules.
Project optimization: in places with a high degree of albedo radiation (deserts with sand, white roofs, gravel…), these panels are ideal.
Aesthetic appearance: the gaps between cells are not covered by the aluminum sheet, but rather allow light to pass through as they only have a protective glass. For this reason, they are usually used in canopies or pergolas, barriers, awnings and similar places.

③ Organic solar collectors

Organic sensors use a semiconductor material as composition of carbon and plastic cells. This constitution significantly reduces costs compared to traditional silicon modules. Its manufacturing is carried out by printing of properly prepared carbon inks on a plastic base, making the whole very fine and totally flexible.

This type of solar panels offer us great advantages:

Reduced manufacturing cost: both the materials needed and the manufacturing process do not require large facilities or very advanced technology, so they are relatively cheap.
Totally flexible: Its plastic base and the capture layer formed by carbon cells make the set very flexible and adapts to any surface. : They can be manufactured in different shades, totally transparent or semi-transparent, in addition to adopting different colors. This makes them especially attractive for uses in agrivoltaics or for integration into buildings.
Common materials: For its manufacture, different types of plastics and materials with similar characteristics can be used and for the collector substrate, the base is carbon cells. In both cases, there is a great abundance of these materials, so they are not a limitation or a reason for high cost.

④ Transparent solar modules

They are modules that are practically transparent. The base for its manufacture is made with different materials, among which we find plastic, glass and silicone. The main characteristic is that They can generate electricity thanks to sunlight, without affecting its passage through the panel.

For its manufacture, thin film technology is used, which consists of going adding very thin films of semiconductor materialssuch as cadmium telluride, on a sheet of glass. When the conductive films have finished adhering, another layer of glass is added, creating a sandwich, with the conductive material in the middle. Depending on the transparency of the conductive material films, the panel will be more or less transparent. Although the layer of conductive materials will always be noticeable.

This type of sensors is very useful for use it on building facadeseither in the windows or as a curtain wall that covers the entire façade.

⑤ High concentration solar panels

This type of photovoltaic module was born from the need to reduce cost by using a smaller amount of semiconductor material, silicon. The manufacture of silicon requires very advanced technology, with which silicon wafers with very high purity are obtained. This means that few companies around the world can manufacture the traditional silicon cells.

Thus, concentrating solar panels They use much smaller silicon cells, just a few square centimeters. An optical glass is installed on them that concentrates the sun’s rays so that they affect the little one photovoltaic cell. In this way, much less silicon is needed and similar performances are achieved.

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