Installation of  Flexible solar panels on a roof surface

What is Flexible solar panels?

Flexible solar panels use the best technology of alternate energies these days due to it's ease to use and low cost also it provides alternative energy clean and silence for Indoor and outdoor purposes.

The vast majority of flexible solar panels depend on solar cell technology. The flexible solar panels are typically made with a roll-to-roll manufacturing approach that deposits thin-film amorphous silicon, which is placed over polymer substrates.

Why Flexible Solar Panels is your best choice?

Flexible Solar Panels installed on a car surface

unbreakable:

Unlike conventional crystalline silicon PV modules, which are based on bulky and bright glass, flexible solar PV modules are made of thin and flexible polymers, which are tough, durable and safe to use.

customized and integratable:

By using the roll-to-roll manufacturing method you will get several of lengths and widths in PV module's final production, thus make these PV panels integrated to be customized with many applications and purposes.

highly flexible:

The true mechanical of flexibility PV modules allow for the integration with elements of various shapes and sizes and the design of innovative solar products. thin and light weight: The lightness of flexible solar PV foil makes it suitable for applications where weight is important. Such very PV foil enables the aesthetic integration with various materials.

environmentally friendly:

In addition to these unique properties, flexible solar PV foil is environmentally friendly the electricity produces is clean and the manufacturing process is based abundant, recyclable materials. The energy payback of flexible products is 3-4 times faster than products based on conventional PV technologies.

How does thin film solar cell works?

A thin film solar cell or thin film photovoltaic cell "as shown in figure" made from photovoltaic material printed with fast newspaper printing technology on a roll of conductive plastic, Using this method, we can get high-quality material and good sensitivity to light, also can reduce the cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) compared with rigid panels, The roll-to-roll manufacturing process enables us to get several sizes from the roll by cutting them to specified width and length. Work is still continuing to improve the properties to the cells produced in this way to produce cells capable of absorbing light full term to improve the production of electricity and reduce costs.

Flexible Photovoltaic cells integrated with buildings

Flexible solar panels are integrated with new buildings

Flexible solar panels can be installed directly onto the roofs of buildings or combined with material covering, the advantage of down weight and weatherproof gives these panels the flexibility to apply in several ways. Some designers work on it to be apply to glass. Thin film technology is being developed for building integrated photovoltaic in the form of semi-transparent solar cells that can be applied as window panes. These cells function as windows tinting while it generates electricity.

Purchasing and prices:

Many sizes available in markets for Flexible solar panels

Flexible solar panels come in the form of peels like the old photographic films of course they have different sizes. Their sizes are numerous, for example:The 144 watt panel has the size of:

 213.1"length,14.69" width, 0.12" thickness (541.3x37.3x0.31) cm   (about 150$)

The 68 watt panel has the size of:

112.1” length, 15.5” width, 6” thickness       (284.7x39.4x1.5) cm 

The 124 watt panel has the size of:

216.4" length, 15.5" width, 0.2" depth (520x132x.02) cm

Furthermore, there are some mini sizes, which can be used to recharge a cell phone …… etc.

the 0.5 watt panel has the size of:

7" length, 1.6" width, 0.04" thickness (18x4x0.01) cm   (about 12.0$)

There are many companies that work within this field. Therefore, there are a lot of brands and so a lot of prices the difference between prices of different brands isn't that wide.

How solar panels work?

Solar panels convert sun's energy into electricity

We all know that solar panels are made of silicon but did you know that silicon is a semi conductor of electricity?! More else silicon is an insulator at some certain temperatures so the electric current can't pass through it so what is the trick!! To figure out this, we have to know about a natural phenomenon called the photoelectric phenomenon.

Photoelectric effect 

Albert Einstein ( 1879 –1955) 

This phenomenon wasn't explained except in the 20th century. It was explained by max plank and Albert Einstein, in brief light was not only a wave but light is from the electromagnetic series which consists of visible-light gamma rays x-rays and radio waves.
Each component of the electromagnetic series has affixed wavelength and a fixed frequency, thus a fixed energy when light falls on a surface it transmits the energy to the electrons. So an electron or more can escape the attraction of the nucleus, but this electron is not separated from the whole surface, but it is freed from the atom but still contained in the crystal so to sum up if the energy of the falling light is equal to the work function of the surface falling on it the electron is freed from the atom the above explanation was introduced by Einstein. So what is the relation between all these scientific facts and lightning our houses?!

A section in a solar panel cell

These are the principals on which any solar panel works no matter, what is its size or voltage or even its power? The silicon atom has 14 electrons 2,8,4 is the electronic configuration for the so the outer most shell is half-filled with electrons so the atom shares it with four neighboring atoms it seems like holding hands with each other so their outer most shell is totally filled. So electrons can't loose easily so another process called doping takes place where impurities are introduced between silicon atoms, this process could be achieved by introducing one impurities atom for one million silicon atom we always think of impurities as useless (harmful) things but not in here our cell won't without these impurities, the doping is done by two ways doping by elements of the 5th group and doping by elements of the 3rd group when we use a 5th group element as phosphorus it has five electrons in its outer most shell so it shares four electrons with the neighboring atoms, and the one is attracted to the proton in the nucleus so with the little amount of energy this electron is freed, and we have n-type crystal where n stands for negative as there are excess negative electrons in the crystal. And by using the 3rd group elements as aluminum or gallium it contains three electrons in the outer most shell so it shares them with the neighboring atoms, and a hole is found in the bond due to the absence of the fourth electron so these holes are considered positive, and so they are called p-type so when those two pieces are put together there is a great rush from the electrons in the n region to the p region so right at the junction, there is kind of barrier, which doesn't allow all the electrons to go to the p region from the movement of electrons an electric between the two regions an electric current is produced, and the regions gain different electrical poles so the voltage is generated so we have current and voltage, so we have power, which is their product, we need power to use it in operate different appliances. We have one problem is that silicon has a shiny surface so the photons would bounce off before doing their job so the silicon is coated with anti refractive substance, and a glass sheet is spread above it to protect its elements.