Solar panels of the highest quality - black, single crystal! Increasing the performance of solar panels Solar panels efficiency comparison

The most efficient solar panels for the home today are not something super-unusual and new, but simply a great alternative source of energy. But the more devices of this type appear on the market, the more often people ask themselves: which one should I choose? Which solar panel is the most efficient? But for everyone this concept sounds as if in different ways, since it is characterized by a number of individual needs, and we will talk about this further.

To begin with, the main question should not be “What are the most efficient solar panels?”, But “ Where is the best combination of price and quality?» Let's say you have a free space on the roof of your house or business, where you can put about a dozen solar panels, and you yourself are faced with a choice: buy devices with the first energy efficiency class, that is, "A", or give preference to cheaper, but less efficient class "B" panels? Perhaps the answer will surprise you, but the second option will be more appropriate in most cases. To put it simply, our main task now is to determine which of the solar energy sources is most beneficial to use in a given situation.

Models of the most energy efficient solar panels

• Sharp. The efficiency index for the models of this company is 44.4%. The manufacturer Sharp is considered the absolute world leader in the production of solar panels. These devices are quite complicated, the solar modules here are three-layer, manufacturers have spent several years developing the technology for their creation, during this period they have carried out a lot of research and testing of their own products. There are other, simplified models. The technology used to create some Sharp panels provides them with an efficiency of 37.9%, which is also quite a lot. The price of the devices is lower due to the fact that they do not use technical devices for concentrating sunlight on the module.
• Panels from the Spanish Research Institute (IES). The efficiency of their work is 32.6%. Such modern high efficiency solar panels are devices with two-layer modules, the cost of such an energy source is low compared to the previous manufacturer, but for ordinary residential buildings it is still too expensive and in some way pointless.

In fact, this list can be continued for a long time, taking into account more and more cheap models with decreasing efficiency. But everything remains standard: high efficiency - the appropriate price, low efficiency - is cheap. It happens that quite simple models are offered at a crazy price, you will notice this when choosing, but back to our topic.

Famous solar module manufacturers

There is an opinion that today less and less time is devoted to the study of the operation of solar panels, and the study of certain photocells, which are the main components of any alternative battery, has come to the fore. But this is the point, that no one will be interested in panels with weak solar modules, because most buyers pay attention to this in the first place. In the long-established market of these same modules, leaders have already been identified, it is worth mentioning them.

1. One of the first to recall devices with an efficiency of 36%, they are produced by the company Amonix, whose products are in almost every store with goods of this kind. For domestic purposes, such Amonix modules are usually not used, since they are produced using special concentrating devices.
2. It is impossible to pass by solar modules with an energy efficiency index of 21.5%, their manufacturer is a well-known American brand sun power that has been on the market for a long time. To some extent, this enterprise managed to set a kind of efficiency record. For example, the Sun Power SPR-327NE-WHT-D model was recognized as the best after field testing. Moreover, the next two positions in the ranking of the list of the best were also occupied by the products of this company.
3. Let's also think about thin-film modules with an efficiency of 17.4% - a product from Q-cells. At some point, the devices of this German company ceased to be popular and in demand, Q-Cells went bankrupt, but then it was bought out by the Korean company Hanwha, and today brand modules are gaining momentum in terms of sales again.
4. We move further, that is, to solar modules with less efficiency. 16.1% give us devices from First Solar, they are produced on the basis of a special cadmium-tellurium conversion. Devices of this type are not installed on residential buildings, but this in no way affects the company's turnover, and they are very wide. First Solar is more popular in the American market: the company itself comes from the USA. The modules of this brand are used in many industries, so the company has excellent turnover and has received universal recognition, because it creates a really reliable product.
5. As the last example here will be solar modules with an efficiency of 15.5% from a company called MiaSole. Devices of this brand are recognized as the best among flexible modules. Yes, nominal devices of this type are sometimes simply necessary for installation in various structures.

When you are looking for powerful solar panels for a home or a large production hall, be guided not only by the price / quality ratio, but also by the brand. Manufacturers who have proven themselves to be the best should be trusted in such serious matters. If you are not an expert in the assembly and installation of solar panels, then no matter how carefully you approach the choice, it is impossible to examine each model for strength, durability, economy and other parameters, so it is better to trust the name.

To date, many experiments have also been carried out, their results can definitely help you. When looking for solar panels, also focus on your own needs and solvency - there is no need to install a device on a residential building, the development of which was made for NASA.

The record holder in terms of efficiency among solar batteries, from among one way or another available on the market today, are developed by the Institute for Solar Energy Systems of the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, solar batteries based on multilayer photovoltaic cells. Since 2005, Soitec has been commercializing them.

The size of the solar cells themselves does not exceed 4 millimeters, and the focusing of sunlight on them is achieved through the use of auxiliary concentrating lenses, due to which saturated sunlight is converted into electricity with an efficiency of up to 47%.

The battery contains four p-n junctions so that the four different sections of the photocell can efficiently receive and convert radiation with a specific wavelength, from sunlight concentrated 297.3 times, in the wavelength range from infrared to ultraviolet.

Researchers led by Frank Dimiroth initially set themselves the task of growing a multilayer crystal, and the solution was found - they spliced ​​growth substrates, and the result was a crystal with various semiconductor layers, with four photovoltaic subcells.

Multilayer photovoltaic cells have long been used on spacecraft, but now solar stations based on them have already been launched in 18 countries. This becomes possible due to the improvement and reduction in the cost of technology. As a result, the number of countries supplied with new solar stations will increase, and there is a trend towards competition in the industrial solar market.

In second place are solar panels based on three-layer Sharp photocells, the efficiency of which reached 44.4%. Indium-gallium phosphide is the first layer of the solar cell, gallium arsenide is the second, and indium-gallium arsenide is the third layer. The three layers are separated by a dielectric which serves to achieve the tunnel effect.

The concentration of light on the photocell is achieved thanks to the Fresnel lens, like the German developers - the light of the sun is concentrated 302 times, and converted by a three-layer semiconductor photocell.

Since 2003, Sharp has continuously carried out scientific research on the development of this technology with the support of NEDO, a Japanese public administration organization that promotes research and development, as well as the dissemination of industrial, energy and environmental technologies. By 2013, Sharp had achieved a record of 44.4%.

Two years before Sharp, in 2011, the American company Solar Junction had already released similar batteries, but with an efficiency of 43.5%, the elements of which had a size of 5 by 5 mm, and focusing was also done by lenses, concentrating the light of the sun 400 times. The photovoltaic cells were three-junction based on germanium, and the group even planned to create five and six-junction photocells in order to better capture the spectrum. Research is being conducted by the company to this day.

Thus, solar panels made in combination with concentrators, which, as we see, are produced in Europe, Asia, and America, have the highest record efficiency. But these batteries are mainly made for the construction of large-scale ground-based solar power plants and for the efficient power supply of spacecraft.

Recently, a record has been set in the field of conventional consumer solar panels, which are available to most people who want to supply them, for example, the roof of a house.

In mid-autumn 2015, Elon Musk's company SolarCity introduced the most efficient consumer solar panels, the efficiency of which exceeds 22%.

This indicator was confirmed by measurements carried out by the laboratory of the Renewable Energy Test Center. The Buffalo plant is already setting a daily production target of 9,000 to 10,000 solar panels, the exact specifications of which have yet to be announced. The company already plans to supply at least 200,000 homes with its batteries annually.

The fact is that the optimized technological process allowed the enterprise to significantly reduce the cost of production, while increasing the efficiency by 2 times compared to widespread consumer silicon solar panels. Musk is confident that his solar panels will be the most popular with homeowners in the near future.

is not a new invention. For more than half a century, mankind has been using solar radiation to supply electricity to a variety of devices and devices. However, batteries of this type have not yet become widespread and have not forced other energy carriers out of the market. One of the reasons for this is not always sufficient efficiency of solar panels.

A solar panel or battery is a device capable of converting the energy contained in solar radiation into electricity.

depends on many factors:

• materials;
• weather;
• Battery Type.

Standard efficiency solar panels widely used for personal use , is considered to be approximately 20%. For some types of devices, this figure will be higher, for some it will be lower. But this is the average. This value shows what percentage of the light that hit the battery was converted into electricity.

Of course, this is a very approximate definition, but in general it is correct. Batteries with an efficiency of 50 and even 100% have already been created in laboratories. But for now, these are just prototypes.

silicon panels

The ideal efficiency of solar panels using pure silicon as a semiconductor is 34% of the total light received. It should be borne in mind that in low light conditions, with diffused light, the batteries will catch less light, and the quantitative indicator of these 34% will decrease.

• silicon panels perform well in bright light, but are ineffective in diffused light.
• Polycrystalline have lower efficiency, but perform well in low light conditions.
• (thin film) the panels are also quite effective in ambient light.

hybrid panels

The efficiency of silicon devices is relatively low, since they can only receive energy in the red part of the spectrum. The energy of the blue, the most energetically saturated photon, remains unused. Scientists around the world are actively working to solve this problem.

One of the proposed options is the use of the aromatic carbon pentacene and the chemical compound PbS. This combination allows you to receive more electrons and, as a result, generate more energy.

The most efficient solar panels are multi-layer cells, in which each layer performs its own task. The efficiency of these batteries can reach 87%. But in mass production, these technologies are not yet used. As the number of layers increases, so does the cost of the battery. To achieve 87% efficiency, you will have to make a very expensive solar battery.

Devices based on the mineral perovskite are very promising. Now they are less efficient than silicon, but this is more due to the novelty of the technology. Available test results suggest that in the future they are able to take first place in the alternative energy market.

The efficiency of solar panels directly depends on their location. They should be facing south with a working surface and inclined at an angle equal to the latitude of the point at which they are located. Panels should not be placed in such a way that a shadow from a neighboring building falls on them, for example.

A problem that can be encountered in winter is snow covering the work surface. There are, in general, few solutions here: either clean manually, or change the angle of inclination. A useful device that can increase the efficiency of batteries is a tracker that rotates the panel following the sun.

It is important to ensure that the system does not get too hot, as overheating weakens the photoelectric effect. This can be avoided by installing a ventilated battery. Dust on the work surface also reduces the amount of energy produced. The system should be cleaned at least every two years.

A lot of confusion today exists around the concept of the efficiency of a solar system, which is an important criterion for their cost. The concept of solar cell efficiency refers to the percentage of sunlight falling on the panel, converted into electricity, with further use. Different materials for solar panels create different efficiency, even the same manufacturing companies have different conversion efficiency. Increasing efficiency is the best way to reduce solar energy costs.

The efficiency of a solar battery depends on the purity of the plates that are used as raw materials in the manufacture. In addition, it is very important whether the panel is of a single-crystal or poly-crystal kind. Most large companies are focusing their efforts on improving efficiency, to reduce costs in the merciless use of solar energy.

Consider the overall efficiency range of solar cells, based on different types of cells and different technologies.

There are the following - polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon. Multi-solar panels have lower efficiency than monocrystalline batteries.

The efficiency of a solar cell can vary from 12% to 20% for conventional monocrystalline silicon. In commonly installed ones, the calculated efficiency is 15% and depends on the type of performance of the silicon itself. Some of the world's manufacturers are constantly improving efficiency in order to reduce their costs and stay ahead of rivals in this competitive industry. Others maximize the efficiency of crystalline solar cells by using large scale production.

Polycrystalline solar cells have a lower cost than single-crystal and efficiency in the range of 14-17%.

Thin-film technology, in contrast to carbon-silicon materials, has a number of advantages.

C-Si amorphous silicon technologies have the lowest average efficiency, but they are the cheapest.

Copper-indium-gallium-sulfide (CIGS) and cadmium-tellurium (Cd-Te) have the greatest potential in improving efficiency. Many manufacturers are pushing the development of this technology forward and presenting one of the highest efficiency rates of their models, increasing it by 19%. They achieved this value using several methods, including the use of reflective coatings that can capture more light from the corner.

If you justify the dependence not on the material, but on the overall dimensions, then the higher the efficiency, the smaller the required area of ​​​​the working surface of the batteries.

Although the average percentage may seem a little low, it is easy to change the equipment, precisely at installation, with enough power to cover energy needs.

Factors affecting the efficiency of solar arrays include:

Mounting surface orientation
The roof should ideally face south, but the quality of the design can often compensate for other directions.

Tilt angle
The height and slope of the surface can affect the number of hours of sunlight received on an average day during the year. Large commercial systems have solar tracking systems that automatically change the angle of the sun's beam during the day. Usually not used for residential installations.

Temperature
Most panels get hot during use. Therefore, they usually need to be installed slightly above roof level to ensure sufficient cooling air flow.

Shadow
In principle, shade is the enemy of solar energy. When choosing an unfortunate mounting design, even a small amount of shade on one panel can shut down energy production on all other elements. Before designing a system, a detailed analysis of the shading of the mounting surface is carried out to identify possible shapes shade and sunlight throughout the year. Then another detailed analysis is carried out, verifying the conclusions drawn.

Ordinary solar panels with high efficiency solar systems of industrial scale are installed on piles above the ground by 80 cm, located in the direction from east to west, along the movement of the sun, at an angle of 25 degrees.

In recent years, solar energy has been developing at such a rapid pace.

Recently, solar energy has been developing at such a rapid pace that in 10 years the share of solar electricity in the world's annual electricity generation has increased from 0.02% in 2006 to almost one percent in 2016.

Dam Solar Park is the largest SPP in the world. Power 850 megawatts.

The main material for solar power plants is silicon, whose reserves on Earth are practically inexhaustible. One problem - the efficiency of silicon solar cells leaves much to be desired. The most efficient solar panels have an efficiency not exceeding 23%. And the average efficiency rate ranges from 16% to 18%. Therefore, researchers around the world, engaged in the field of solar photovoltaics, are working to free solar photoconverters from the image of a supplier of expensive electricity.

A real struggle has unfolded for the creation of a solar supercell. The main criteria are high efficiency and low cost. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US even publishes a periodic bulletin that reflects the interim results of this fight. And each issue shows winners and losers, outsiders and upstarts who accidentally got involved in this race.

Leader: solar multilayer cell

These helium converters are like a sandwich of different materials, including perovskite, silicon and thin films. Each layer only absorbs light of a certain wavelength. As a result, these multilayer helium cells generate significantly more energy than others for an equal working surface area.

The record value of the efficiency of multilayer photoconverters was achieved at the end of 2014 by a joint German-French research team led by Dr. Frank Dimroth at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. An efficiency of 46% was achieved. This fantastic performance value has been confirmed by an independent study at NMIJ/AIST, the largest metrology center in Japan.

Multilayer solar cell. Efficiency - 46%

These cells are made up of four layers and a lens that concentrates sunlight on them. The disadvantages include the presence of germanium in the structure of the substrate, which somewhat increases the cost of the solar module. But all the shortcomings of multilayer cells are ultimately eliminated, and the researchers are confident that in the very near future their development will go out of the walls of laboratories into the big world.

Rookie of the Year - Perovskite

Quite unexpectedly, a newcomer, perovskite, intervened in the race of leaders. Perovskite is the general name for all materials that have a specific cubic crystal structure. Although perovskites have been known for a long time, research on solar cells made from these materials only began between 2006 and 2008. The initial results were disappointing: the efficiency of perovskite photoconverters did not exceed 2%. At the same time, calculations showed that this figure could be an order of magnitude higher. Indeed, after a series of successful experiments, Korean researchers in March 2016 received a confirmed efficiency of 22%, which in itself has already become a sensation.

Perovskite solar cell

The advantage of perovskite cells is that they are more convenient to work with and easier to manufacture than similar silicon cells. With mass production of perovskite photoconverters, the price of one watt of electricity could reach $0.10. But experts believe that until perovskite helium cells reach maximum efficiency and begin to be produced in industrial quantities, the cost of a "silicon" watt of electricity can be significantly reduced and reach the same level of $0.10.

Experimental: quantum dots and organic solar cells

This type of solar photoconverter is still at an early stage of development and cannot yet be considered as a serious competitor to existing helium cells. Nevertheless, the developer, the University of Toronto, claims that, according to theoretical calculations, the efficiency of solar cells based on nanoparticles - quantum dots - will be above 40%. The essence of the invention of Canadian scientists is that nanoparticles - quantum dots - can absorb light in different ranges of the spectrum. By changing the size of these quantum dots, it will be possible to choose the optimal range of operation of the photoconverter.

Solar cell based on quantum dots

And considering that this nanolayer can be applied by spraying onto any, including transparent, base, promising prospects are seen in the practical application of this discovery. And although today in laboratories, when working with quantum dots, an efficiency indicator of only 11.5% has been achieved, no one doubts the prospects of this direction. And the work continues.

Solar Window - new solar cells with 50% efficiency

Solar Window from Maryland (USA) has introduced a revolutionary technology of "solar glass", which fundamentally changes the traditional ideas about solar panels.

There have already been reports of transparent helium technologies, as well as that this company promises to increase the efficiency of solar modules by several times. And, as recent events have shown, these were not just promises, but 50% efficiency - no longer just theoretical delights of the company's researchers. While other manufacturers are just entering the market with more modest results, Solar Window has already presented its truly revolutionary high-tech developments in the field of helium photovoltaics.

These developments pave the way for the production of transparent solar cells with significantly higher efficiency compared to traditional ones. But this is not the only plus of the new solar modules from Maryland. New helium cells can be easily attached to any transparent surfaces (for example, to windows), and can work in the shade or under artificial lighting. Due to their low cost, investments in equipping a building with such modules can pay off within a year. For comparison, it should be noted that the payback period for traditional solar panels ranges from five to ten years, and this is a huge difference.

Solar cells from Solar Window

Solar Window announced some details of a new technology for producing solar panels with such high efficiency. Of course, the main know how remained outside the brackets. All helium cells are made mainly from organic material. Layers of elements consist of transparent conductors, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. According to the company, the production of these solar modules is so harmless that it has 12 times less environmental impact than the production of traditional helium modules. Within the next 28 months, the first transparent solar panels will be installed in some buildings, schools, offices, as well as in skyscrapers.

If we talk about the prospects for the development of helium photovoltaics, it is very likely that traditional silicon solar cells can become a thing of the past, giving way to highly efficient, lightweight, multifunctional cells that open up the widest horizons for helium energy. published