Solar Panel

Evolution
of
Solar Panels
B Sunayana _ 1122303
Mtech _1st year(Power Systems)
 About 173000 Terawatts of solar energy strike on the earth
which is 10,000 more power used by the total population of the
earth.
History :
 Some people credit the invention of the solar cell to French scientist Edmond
Becquerel, who determined light could increase electricity generation when
two metal electrodes were placed into a conducting solution. This
breakthrough, defined as the “photovoltaic effect,” was influential in later PV
developments with the element selenium.
 In 1873, Willoughby Smith discovered that selenium had photoconductive
potential, leading to William Grylls Adams’ and Richard Evans Day’s 1876
discovery that selenium creates electricity when exposed to sunlight.
 A few years later in 1883, Charles Fritts actually produced the first solar cells
made from selenium wafers – the reason some historians credit Fritts with the
actual invention of solar cells.
 Some consider the true invention of solar panels to be tied to Daryl Chapin,
Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson’s creation of the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell
at Bell Labs in 1954.
 Many argue that this event marks the true invention of PV technology
because it was the first instance of a solar technology that could actually power
an electric device for several hours of a day.
Solar panels in outer space:

 Some of the earliest uses of solar In 1958, the Vanguard I satellite used a tiny
one-watt panel to power its radios.
 In 1964, NASA was responsible for launching the first Nimbus spacecraft, a
satellite able to run entirely on a 470 watt solar array.
 In 1966, NASA launched the world’s first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory,
powered by a one-kilowatt array.
How silicon cells become little semiconductors:
 By treating the polysilicon with boron and phosphorus, a positive and negative
charge is created.
 The cells are coated with an anti-reflective substance so they don’t simply
reflect sunlight back but capture it.
 The panel is placed into an aluminum frame and sealed beneath a sheet of
glass or plastic to create the much-anticipated solar panel.
Understanding Solar Panels
Types of Solar Panels:

• Monocrystalline solar panels
• Polycrystalline solar panels
• Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact cells (PERC) solar panels
• Thin-film solar panels
Monocrystalline Solar Panels
 Also known as the single crystal panels.
 Are cut to an octagonal shaped wafer because of which they get their unique
look and uniform colour.
Feature of Monocrystalline Solar Panels:

 Have higher conversion efficiency
 The monocrystalline panels display higher heat resistance which means they
produce electricity at high temperatures.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels:
 Composed of multiple silicon crystals.
 Sliced into thin wafers and assembled together to form a polycrystalline
solar panel.
Features of Polycrystalline Solar Panels

 Polycrystalline solar ragments that are melted and poured into square
modules
 Identified by the square shape of the cells and shining blue hue with straight
edges.
 More affordable as the manufacturing process is simpler and less silicon is
wasted during the whole process.
Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) Solar Panels
 It is done by adding a layer on the back of solar cells.
 Nowadays, PERC technology is typically combined with Monocrystalline cells to
produce high efficiency Mono-PERC
Features of Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) solar panels

 PERC solar panels are more efficient as they absorb more sunlight.
 There is an additional layer for further absorption of the sunlight.
Thin-film Solar Panels:
 Manufactured using photovoltaic substances which include Amorphous silicon
(a-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe).
Categories of polar panels:

• Cadmium telluride (CdTe) – CdTe solar panels have the lowest carbon footprint,
however, the toxicity of cadmium is an environmental concern as it is not easily
recycled
• Amorphous silicon (a-Si) – Amorphous silicon panels generally are shapeless in
nature and their silicon is unstructured on the molecular level.
• Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) – CIGS is manufactured using a thin layer
of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium on a glass or plastic sheet. This makes CIGS
most efficient among other thin-film panels due to its higher absorption abilities.
Features of Thin-film solar panels:

• Thin-film solar cells are comparatively lightweight
• Comparatively cheaper than the other panels.
• These types of panels are most suitable for large rooftop areas
Bifacial Solar Panel:
 Even at the bad weather these panels can work efficienly as the front side
of the panels are affected but the back side will work perfectly.
Flexible solar panels can settle on curved surfaces.
Portable solar generators allow you to bring renewable power plants with you
wherever you go,
Net metering lets you sell your excess energy back to your utility company when
you’re not using it.
How Have Solar Energy Costs Changed Over the Past Few Years?
 From 2015 to 2020,

the cost per watt of solar power plummeted from $2.24 to $1.25, nearly half the
cost. Just ten years ago, the price per watt was a staggering $5.79.
 Battery storage options for solar installations have substantially decreased in
price, with lithium batteries dropping from $384/kWh to $137/kWh on average in
the last five years.
 For perspective, the first solar cells developed in 1941 had below 1% efficiency,
 Todays Renogy offers solar panels that convert sunlight at a full 21% efficiency.
Improvements in Solar Panels :
 Polycrystalline panels were typically between 13-16% efficient at converting
the sun’s energy into usable power, whereas monocrystalline panels can exceed
20% efficiency.
 Most solar panels are rated for a 25-30 year lifecycle.
 In addition, newer solar panel models use lighter materials and simplified
wiring schematics.
 This makes it easier than ever for DIYers to install solar energy systems
independently without hiring expensive contractors.
Solar Cell Efficiency :
 A team at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently
highlighted a record solar cell efficiency of 39.5% under natural light
conditions.
 It particularly well suited for highly area-constrained applications, where a
small panel generates a lot of electricity.
 It is also applicable in low-radiation space applications,Here, the cell still
achieved a conversion efficiency of 34.2%.
 The study, published in 2022 in the journal Joule, demonstrated the
record-breaking efficiency with an inverted metamorphic multijunction
(IMM) architecture developed by NREL.
 The efficiency was achieved after scientists investigated quantum wall solar
cells and manipulated multiple 2D layers.
Solar panel at Nights:
 Radiated energy from the sun heats the planet’s crust substantially in the day.
 A team of photovoltaics engineers , demonstrated a new device capable of
converting this thermal energy into electricity called Thermo Radiative Diode.
 Operates with infrared energy in a similar way to night vision goggles.
Commercially Available Perovskite Solar Cells:
 Hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered a great

amount of attention due to their low price, thinner design, low-temperature
processing, and excellent light absorption properties.
 Recent roll-to-roll printed PSC has reached 12.2% efficiency, the highest
among printed PSCs.
 Notably, combined perovskite and Si-PV materials have shown a record
efficiency of up to 28% under laboratory conditions.
breakthrough integrative solar cells technologies
 Reverse solar panels, that can generate electricity at night by utilizing the heat
irradiated from the panels to the optically coupled deep space, which serves as a
heat sink.
 Solar distillation can harvest solar energy while utilizing the dissipated heat
from panels to purify water.
 Another transformative technology of the future could be solar paints, which
include solar paint hydrogen ,quantum dots and perovskite-based paints.
Floating solar farms (aka ‘floatovoltaics’)
 Silicon panels are becoming cheaper and more efficient day by day,if
photovoltaic panels are placed on reservoirs and other water bodies, they
offer even greater efficiency .
“ Floatovoltaics” are photovoltaic solar power systems created for floating
on reservoirs, dams, and other water bodies.
BIPV solar technology :
 Building-integrated photovoltaics, are blend into building architecture in

the form of roofs, canopies, curtain walls, facades, and skylight systems.
 Enable homeowners to save on building materials and electric power costs.
Solar skins :
 Solar thin-film skins maintain high efficiency due to their selective light
filtration advancements.
Customized to display business logos, business advertisements, a country’s

flag, and so on.
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Solar Panel

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Evolution

Solar panels in outer space:

Types of Solar Panels:

Feature of Monocrystalline Solar Panels:

Features of Polycrystalline Solar Panels

Features of Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) solar panels

Categories of polar panels:

Features of Thin-film solar panels:

 From 2015 to 2020,

 Hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered a great

 Building-integrated photovoltaics, are blend into building architecture in

Customized to display business logos, business advertisements, a country’s

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