Cigs Solar Panels

Silicon like efficiencies at low thin film costs.

Cigs solar panels. Thin film solar panels made with a copper indium gallium selenide substrate contain less toxic cadmium than cdte cells. Eterbright utilizes cigs cu in ga se technology in its solar panels because of the numerous advantages of this innovative process. David pearce ceo of cigs manufacturer miasole says that his company can erect a factory that can put out 100 megawatts worth of solar panels a year for 25 million. The manufacturing of these solar panels began in germany during 2011 but they are now also made in the united states and china.

Cigs is a versatile material that can be fabricated by multiple processes and implemented in different form factors. Cigs based thin film solar modules represent a high efficiency alternative for large scale commercial solar modules. It is manufactured by depositing a thin layer of copper indium gallium and selenium on glass or plastic backing along with electrodes on the front and back to collect current. Copper indium gallium selenide cigs.

Unlike most thin film solar technologies cigs solar panels offer a potentially competitive efficiency to traditional silicon panels. The measurement means that. A copper indium gallium selenide solar cell or cigs cell sometimes ci g s or cis cell is a thin film solar cell used to convert sunlight into electric power. The differences between cigs and crystalline solar cells.

Cigs is the only technology that offers this promise. Just recently polycrystalline cigs achieved higher efficiencies than polycrystalline silicon with a world record of 20 8 compared to 20 4 for silicon. Because the material has a high absorption coefficient. One big difference is that the cigs is more light sensitive and therefore will a 100 watt peak cigs panel produce around 10 15 more power in a year than a 100 watt peak crystaline panel.

It opens up the possibility of the holy grail in solar. With efficiencies exceeding 20 measured in the laboratory there may be a continuing place for high efficiency cigs panels in the general solar panel market. Advantages and disadvantages of cigs solar panels.