Thin-film photovoltaic module panels

Thin-film solar panels use a 2 nd generation technology varying from the crystalline silicon (c-Si) modules, which is the most popular technology. Thin-film solar cells (TFSC) are manufactured using a single or multiple layers of PV elements over a surface comprised of a variety of glass, plastic, or metal.

Thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules are among the main alternatives to silicon modules in commercial solar energy systems. Thin-film technologies account for a small but growing share of the global solar market and are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23% from 2020-2025.

What differs Thin-Film solar cells from monocrystalline and polycrystalline is that Thin-Film can be made using different materials. There are 3 types of solar Thin-Film cells: This type of Thin-Film is made from amorphous silicon (a-Si), which is a non-crystalline silicon making them much easier to produce than mono or polycrystalline solar cells.

Let's take a closer look at the four most common types of thin-film solar cells: Amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar is the oldest film-thin technology, making it the most well-developed type of thin-film PV tech. This non-toxic panel uses a chemical vapor deposition to place a thin silicon layer onto the glass, plastic or metal base.

In 1980, researchers finally achieved a 10% efficiency, and by 1986 ARCO Solar released the G-4000, the first commercial thin-film solar panel. Thin-film solar panels require less semiconductor material in the manufacturing process than regular crystalline silicon modules, however, they operate fairly similar under the photovoltaic effect.

Thin-Film solar panels are less efficient and have lower power capacities than mono and polycrystalline solar cell types. The efficiency of the Thin-Film system varies depending on the type of PV material used in the cells but in general they tend to have efficiencies around 7% and up to 18%.