Cigs Thin Film Solar Panels

They are solid black without the normal silicon cell outlines you see on the face of a crystalline solar panel.

Cigs thin film solar panels.

It is manufactured by depositing a thin layer of copper indium gallium and selenium on glass or plastic backing along with electrodes on the front and back to collect current. A recently released white paper from major cigs players solar frontier hanergy solopower stion siva power and more pushes the message that the lesser known thin film solar technology still holds great potential. Usually thin film solar panels are lightweight and flexible making them easy to install. Thin film solar panels made with a copper indium gallium selenide substrate contain less toxic cadmium than cdte cells.

These panels are designed to convert sunlight into electric power by laying a thin layer of these four elements onto a plastic backing. Ascent solar develops and manufactures its cutting edge cigs copper indium gallium selenide photovoltaic technology on a flexible plastic substrate. Copper indium gallium selenide cigs. The innovative solar cell is based on the highest efficiency thin film technology available today and its flexible cell architecture makes it ideal for a wide variety of solutions ranging from commercial roofing solar panels to portable mobile devices.

The manufacturing of these solar panels began in germany during 2011 but they are now also made in the united states and china. A copper indium gallium selenide solar cell or cigs cell sometimes ci g s or cis cell is a thin film solar cell used to convert sunlight into electric power. Thin film solar panels are completely different from monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. Cigs does not use the previously named element of silicon.

With efficiencies exceeding 20 measured in the laboratory there may be a continuing place for high efficiency cigs panels in the general solar panel market. A thin film solar cell is a second generation solar cell that is made by depositing one or more thin layers or thin film tf of photovoltaic material on a substrate such as glass plastic or metal. Unlike most thin film solar technologies cigs solar panels offer a potentially competitive efficiency to traditional silicon panels. Cigs is a thin film technology but it is important that it is not confused with another thin film solar that is mostly silicon based.

Copper indium gallium deselenide and these are the 4 elements in certain mixing ratios that are the active substance in cigs. Miasolé is a producer of lightweight flexible and powerful solar cells and cell manufacturing equipment. Gse manufactures copper indium gallium diselenide cigs by using state of the art controlled co evaporation and the thinnest stainless steel substrate possible to create flexible and light weight thin film pv products for use in any application. Cigs panels have shown potential in laboratory testing for.

Cigs already featuring a solid 16 5 production module efficiency can be combined with other solar cells to enable efficiency.