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.