New Generation Of Best Solar Panels For Rooftops
Posted by admin on Oct 6, 2009
The Dow Chemical Company unveiled their new revolutionary photovoltaic solar panels yesterday (05 October 2009).
Dow’s PowerhouseTM product line provides solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. These new best solar panels for rooftops use low-cost thin-film CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium (Di-)Selenide) solar cells.
Thin-Film solar panels are certainly not the best solar panels in respect of efficiency. They reach an efficiency of 20% in the laboratory and 10% – 12% in photovoltaic modules. For comparison: The most efficient best solar panels, using GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) solar cells reach more than 40% efficiency. The second best solar panels in respect of efficiency use Monocrystalline Silicon solar cells (c-Si) and achieve circa 20%.
The Dow Chemical Company has not yet reported, what degree of efficiency their new solar shingels will obtain. But even with rather low conversion rates, Dow’s solar shingles are a very interesting alternative to rigid roof installed solar panels out of these 5 Reasons:
1. CIGS-Thin-Film solar panels are cheaper than silicon and GaAs solar panels. Yet today they are the best solar panels in respect of sales numbers worldwide.
2. Dow’s Powerhouse solar shingles do not need any mounting systems and thus reduce installation costs.
3. Conventional roofing shingles and electric solar panels shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors.
4. The solar shingles can be installed by DIY homeowners, since not specialized skills or knowledge of solar panels installations are required.
5. Single shingles may be replaced easily if damaged.
The best solar panels, which are not really “panels” anymore “are expected to be available in limited quantities by mid-2010 and projected to be more widely available in 2011″. For more information visit Dow Chemical’s website here: Dow PowerhouseTM solar shingles.
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Video: How Thin-Film Electric Solar Panels Are Made At Ascent Solar
Posted by admin on Sep 26, 2009
This video is about the production steps of Ascent Solar’s thin-film CIGS electric solar panels.
Joe McCabe, Ascent Solar’s vice president of business development, shows you, how Ascent Solar produces it’s thin-film electric solar panels. It all starts with a roll of flexible plastic that is being covered with several different layers during the production process.
Actually “electric solar panels” is not really the proper phrase for these flexible thin-film photovoltaic modules, since “panels” suggests rather rigid materials. However, this expression is commonly used even for these types of solar modules.
Mr. McCabe shows the process step-by-step, beginning with the bottom contact metal layer over the CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) deposition, the window layer, the top contact (transparent conductive oxide – TCO), scribing, printing and laminating to the final testing of the electric solar panels.
Thin-film electric solar panels are selling very well at the time. Photovoltaic experts expect them to become the globally best selling electric solar panels in the future. For more information click www.ascentsolar.com
