Subscribe Feed (RSS)The popularity attending the launch of flexible solar panels into the market a few years ago turns out to have been entirely merited if market research data is anything to go by. There is actual evidence to suggest that manufacturers
Instead of being founded on the crystalline silicon cells that make the conventional modules so hard and rigid in form and applications, these are manufactured from amorphous silicon cells. Silicon that is amorphous means the panels are not only much thinner and flexible but also far less bulkier and inconvenient.
The promise of amorphous silicon in enabling the creation of decidedly superior models of solar panels was discovered many decades ago. Due to some material limitations that are inherent in the nature and structure of the element, it was not possible to develop applications of any note for years. This was finally overcome and the modules available for immediate shipping pack the same level of usability as traditional designs.
At the heart of the challenge that scientists and inventors had to confront was the issue of efficiency in electricity generation of these cells. For a module to be considered as a competent application, it needs to convert between 15-20% of the sun’s insolation energy to usable solar power. Even the most exacting of manufacturing precision left amorphous cells stuck at efficiency levels of 10% and lower. This state of affairs could not stay for long. By 2011, the levels had risen up to 17% and there is every indication that this will soon be surpassed.
The main attraction that has fueled the popularity of these modules is of course their portability. They have for long been used to power handheld devices such as pocket calculators and cellular phones. Today it is possible to walk into a store and get flexible solar panels with just as high levels of efficiency that traditional modules offer.
Another advantage that flexible solar panels over their more traditional crystalline cousins is that they have a lower reflective index. The more reflective the surface of a panel is, the more ineffective it is for absorbing solar energy falling on it. This also means the panels will perform for a longer period of time.
While flexible solar panels are powerful enough to power conventional home devices, demand has largely been driven by speciality applications. People camping in out of the way places are especially gratified at the affordability and versatility of these modules. Scientists and researchers who have to work in places far removed from conventional mains supply are also gratified by the options the modules afford them.
For many years, homeowners had to make do with whatever options were afforded by traditional module designs. The brittle and bulky nature of these panels mean that the options were not that wide for inventive consumers. This limitation has finally been bridged by the availability of easy to install flexible solar panels.
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Tags: Home Solar Power
