Solar panels are all the rage when it comes to alternate energy sources. But what are thin film solar panels and what could be so exciting about this new technology? They function in the same way that traditional panels do, but the difference is that the panels themselves are significantly thinner and require much less material to construct. This may not sound particularly impressive, but the fact is that it really is. The breakthroughs in the technology surrounding alternate energy are shaping the way we will power our homes in the future.
Thin film solar panels are so important because up until now, two particular barriers have thwarted solar energy production from becoming a mainstream source of power for the home. The first was obviously the cost and the second was the problems associated with mass-producing it. These problems are now being solved, paving the way for an explosion of clean energy sources on the market. The invention of thin film solar panels is our first indication of the problems being resolved.
So what exactly is thin film solar technology? It is a new way of layering incredibly thin photovoltaic material on a thin back support. This new advancement is made possible with the introduction of new inventions like solar ink. This aids in fast, efficient mass-production of the product, printing photovoltaic material onto thin metal or plastic in the same way books are printed today. The time and cost of producing thin film solar panels is then reduced to a fraction of the cost that original models were manufactured at. The exact figure is stunning-new panels are being produced at 5 percent of what the bulky old models were manufactured at! The combination of a lower production cost and a more compact design makes for great news for you as a consumer.
Because thin film solar panels are much lighter and smaller, they are incredibly versatile. Now, not only can they be used as traditional rooftop attachments to produce energy for the home, but they are becoming popular as a way to power laptops, charge cell phones and replace generators in RVs. They are used by the military and police for emergency services and in remote locations to power water pumping systems, weather stations and lighting signals. The current and future uses are much further reaching than this, as the technology is still relatively young. The future is bright if we make the switch to solar power today!