Solar panels are mainly divided into the following types
(1) Polycrystalline silicon solar cells The production process of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is similar to that of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, but the photoelectric conversion efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is much lower, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency is about 12%.
. In terms of production cost, it is cheaper than monocrystalline silicon solar cells, the material is simple to manufacture, power consumption is saved, and the total production cost is lower, so it has been greatly developed. In addition, the service life of polycrystalline silicon Sichuan solar cells is also shorter than that of monocrystalline silicon solar cells. In terms of cost performance, monocrystalline silicon solar cells are slightly better.
(2) Amorphous silicon solar cells
The amorphous silicon Sichuan solar cell is a new type of thin-film solar cell that appeared in 1976. It is completely different from the production method of monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon solar cells. The process is greatly simplified, the consumption of silicon materials is very small, and the power consumption is lower. The main advantage is that it can generate electricity even in low light conditions. However, the main problem of amorphous silicon solar cells is that the photoelectric conversion efficiency is low, the international advanced level is about 10%, and it is not stable enough. With the extension of time, its conversion efficiency declines.
(3) Monocrystalline silicon solar cells
The photoelectric conversion efficiency of monocrystalline silicon solar cells is about 15%, and the highest is 24%, which is the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency of all types of solar cells, but the production cost is so high that it cannot be widely used. Since monocrystalline silicon is generally encapsulated by tempered glass and waterproof resin, it is strong and durable, with a service life of 15 years in general and a maximum of 25 years.
(4) Multi-compound solar cells
Multi-compound solar cells refer to solar cells that are not made of single-element semiconductor materials. There are many varieties of research in various countries, and most of them have not been industrialized. Semiconductor materials with multiple gradient energy band gaps (the energy level difference between the conduction band and the valence band) can expand the spectral range of solar energy absorption, thereby improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency. Based on it, a thin-film solar cell whose photoelectric conversion efficiency is significantly higher than that of a silicon thin-film solar cell can be designed.