Record of the effectiveness of flexible solar elements

In order to sharply increase the scale of the use of solar energy, it is necessary to provide the consumer at the same time inexpensive, easy to manufacture and effective solar elements. Specialists from the EMPA - the Swiss Federal Laboratory of Materials and Technologies - developed thin -film sunny batteries based on a polymer flexible film with a record efficiency of converting sunlight into electricity - 20.4%. The development is based on semiconductor material consisting of copper, India, Gaul and Selena (Cigs), which provides such an effective function of cells. The Swiss managed to improve the properties of this layer grown at low temperatures. It is expected that the industrial use of this invention is not far off.
Record 20.4% for batteries on flexible polymer substrates - a serious step forward even compared to the previous record - 18.7% set by the same group of scientists in May 2011. In general, over the years of its existence, this laboratory increased the efficiency of light converting into electricity through CIGS from 12.8% in 1999 (the first world record of this group) to 14.1% in 2005 and 17.6% in 2010. The effectiveness of flexible solar panels has now even slightly exceeded the record for the solar elements of CIGS on glass substrates (20.3%) and was equal to the highest efficiency for solar batteries based on polycrystalline silicon plates.

Thin films allow you to create light and flexible high -performance solar modules for solar farms, roofs and facades of buildings, as well as cars and portable electronics, while in their production continuous roller technologies are carried out, implying a further reduction in expenses compared to standard silicon technology.

It is necessary, however, to note that the current record for the effectiveness of converting sunlight into electricity is far from absolute. Thus, the multi -layer solar panels of the American company Solar Junction are able to convert to 44% of the resulting solar energy. However, the process of manufacturing such batteries is quite complicated and roads, which, of course, stands on the path of their mass production.

M. B.