Most thin-film modules are slightly less efficient at converting sunlight into electricity than conventional panels, but they are much lighter, which makes them easier to mount in locations that may not support the weight of conventional panels.
Moreover, typical thin film PV modules are less sensitive to mismatch than crystalline silicon based ones.
Crystalline or thin film photovoltaic modules are composed from front and back glass or polymer layers and a solar cell layer embedded in a polymeric encapsulant.
Thin film solar modules are made by a huge number of companies today including: Abound Solar, Best Solar, First Solar, Konica, LG Electronics, MiaSolé, PrimeStar Solar, Nanosolar, Sharp and Uni-Solar.
According to Mr Bullard, thin-film solar-cell modules are rapidly falling in price, and can generate electricity more cheaply than solar-thermal power in some situations.
Photovoltaic thin-film solar cells or modules are usually made of an array of small cells which are interconnected in series and parallel to achieve the required voltage and current [1, 2].
Meanwhile, the comparatively crowded market for thin-film CIGS modules is packed with small start-ups like Nanosolar, Miasole, Heliovolt, DayStar Technologies and others who must differentiate themselves to compete for financing.
The amount of cadmium used in thin-film PV modules is relatively small (5-10 g/m²) and with proper emission control techniques in place the cadmium emissions from module production can be almost zero.
Future modules are planned for this experiment, which will add specific quantitative examination of the thin films observed here.
