What are thin film solar panels, and why is there excitement about them?
Thin film solar panels operate in the same manner that regular solar panels do, the only difference being that they are a lot thinner and require far less materials and energy for construction. This might not sound particularly spectacular, but in fact it is. It’s a major breakthrough in solar technology!
Why Thin Film Solar Panels Are So Important?
The reason thin film solar technology is considered to be such a major breakthrough is because, until now, the two barriers that have prevented solar energy and solar technology from becoming mainstream energy providers have been the 1. the cost to produce them, and 2. the problems in rapidly mass-producing them.
Both of these problems have been solved. This paves the way for rapid expansion of clean energy in the form of solar power.
What is Thin Film Solar Technology?
Thin film solar technology is a method of putting extremely thin films of photovoltaic material on to a thin layer of backing for support.This is made possible through new inventions, such as solar ink. A photovoltaic material is dissolved into a solution, that is then printable as ink. It is then printed out, similarly to how books are printed.
As a result of the invention of solar ink, it is now possible to print photovoltaic material onto thin layers of plastic, fabric, or metal. This printing process is extremely fast, and thus it allows you to mass-produce solar panels at a high speed and at only a fraction of the cost.
Whereas, in the past, solar panels were bulky and weighed a serious amount, thin film solar panels weigh almost nothing and take up almost no space. This means that solar panels can now be produced at only 5 percent of the cost, as compared to our old bulky solar panels.
The new possibility of literally printing solar panels onto materials such as fabric, plastic and metal, has opened up new doors in the application of solar power. If you are interested in possibly converting your home to solar power, call Preman Roofing at 619-458-3466 and ask about our Solar Tiles. They are light weight and are more inconspicuous on your roof top.
The above are just some of the ways that solar power can be and is being used, with the advent of thin film solar panels. Enjoy Solar Panels today with a call to Preman Roofing.
