Types of Commercial Solar Panels and their structures
Back-contact semi-flexible Solar panel
MATERIALS
Using special manufacturing techniques on a monThe back of the back-contact solar cell has two metal grids. One collects the current from the n-type contact and the other contact collects the current from the p-type contact. SunPower commercialized back-contact solar cell modules with an initial achievement of 22.5% of efficiency. Now SunPower has achieved an efficiency of up to 24.2% from a monocrystalline silicon IBC solar cell. By using lighter and thinner PET or PVDF plastic as the front layer in place of the heavier tempered glass cover, the solar panel can flexible enough to be slightly bent and is also more portable.
PROCESS
The fabrication of the back-contact laminated solar panel is similar to a standard laminated solar panel. The back-contact solar cells can be even placed closer together as there all the contacts are behind for easier connections. The thin PET / PVDF plastic sheet is laminated together with the other layers to form a very lightweight, high efficiency solar panel that is suitable for portable applications.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Very high efficiency
- Expensive
- Commercial grade
- Long life span and durability
- Attractive black appearance
APPLICATIONS:
The flexible back-contact solar panels are usually used on the curved surface on boats because they can be slightly bent without affecting its solar performance. They are also popular among campers, backpackers and hikers to power their equipment or recharge their mobile devices due to their lightweight and smaller size due to higher efficiency per cell area.
LIFESPAN: 6 year +
