Solar Panel Cells – Why Solar Panel Cells Keep Getting Smaller
Like many things of an electronic nature, solar panel cells keep getting smaller, thinner and more compact. This is part of the natural cycle of improved manufacturing and better materials, but also it is due to the fact that a very large number of very smart scientists are dedicated to making solar energy more practical and portable. There is even an entire specialty dedicated to nano technology for solar cells. Although a primary goal has been to make solar more compact and efficient, there have been many other advances that have gone hand in hand with new technology.
Before we can look at what we can do with the new solar panel cells we should examine where we have come from. The first generation of solar cells were large area single junction construction. Generally covered in glass to prevent damage from the elements, these are the large panel arrays we have grown used to seeing on rooftops. Second generation technology offers cheaper manufacturing and faster production time through the use of amorphous silicon and other materials that are applied in a thin film on glass or ceramic. The natural extension of this is third generation technologies which take those thin films and make use of them without the glass or ceramic underpinnings.
The biggest reason solar panel cells are getting smaller is that second generation technology which proved that you did not need fully crystalline silicone to successfully build a solar cell. Amorphous silicon is easier to produce, and since it is ‘painted’ on in a film can be applied to a variety of surfaces. Because of this technology it is possible to carry a solar panel in your pocket. As the panels themselves get smaller, energy collection efficiency is rising. At one time 12% efficiency was considered normal – new technologies are targeting efficiencies of up to 60% and nano technology is showing the promise of 80%.
Solar panel cells are getting smaller and more efficient. In the future every window might serve as a solar collector. Your clothing might power your personal devices. Every house might be roofed with solar roofing tiles. Although the ideas for solar power have been with us for many decades, it is only with the concerted effort of the last couple of them that we have begun to push towards this remarkable future. The scope of possibility just gets wider as the solar cells get more compact.
By David H Burton