solar

There are many ways of converting solar energy into other forms of energy: solar power is primarily harnessed through photovoltaic (PV), which converts sunlight directly into electricity or solar thermal technology, which converts solar energy into heat which can then be used to drive a steam turbine.

Initially developed for the cost-insensitive space industry, it found applications during the oil crisis of the 1970s, borrowing technology from the burgeoning semiconductor industry. Nowadays photovoltaic technology is being applied to utility scale solar power projects.

Photovoltaic modules are the most expensive component part of a solar PV system, typically accounting for 50-60% of the total investment. Other elements include inverters, combiner box, DC disconnects and cables.

The two main categories of cell technology are defined by the choice of the semiconductor: either crystalline silicon (multi- and mono-crystalline) in a wafer form or thin films of other materials (amorphous silicon, copper indium diselenide, CIGS, or cadmium telluride, CdTe).

Crystalline silicon modules have higher efficiency, need smaller areas and have higher costs. Thin film modules have lower efficiency, lower costs and need larger areas. Although thin-film technology will put pressure on the silicon-based solar producers, it will not entirely replace c-Si based PV cells and modules. Both thin film and crystalline silicon technologies may co-exist and serve two different markets. The thin film modules may be more suitable for cost sensitive large utility scale applications whereas the crystalline modules may be more suitable for area constrained residential applications.