Solar Cells and Modules

Single crystal PV cells are manufactured using a single-crystal growth method and have commercial efficiencies between 15 % and 18 %.

Multicrystalline cells, usually manufactured from a melting and solidification process, are less expensive to produce but are marginally less efficient, with conversion efficiencies around 14 %.

PV cells made from ribbons demonstrate an average efficiency around 14 %.

Thin film cells, constructed by depositing extremely thin layers of photovoltaic semi-conductor materials onto a backing material such as glass, stainless steel or plastic, show stable efficiencies in the range of 7 % to 13 %. Thin film materials commercially used are amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), and copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS).

Commercially available thin film modules:

• Are potentially cheaper to manufacture than crystalline cells
• Have a wider customer appeal as design elements due to their homogeneous appearance
• Present disadvantages, such as low-conversion efficiencies and requiring larger areas of PV arrays and more material (cables, support structures) to produce the same amount of electricity

Source: IEA PVPS