CIGS on Glass
DayStar has been an industry leader in the development of thin film copper-indium-gallium-di-selenide solar photovoltaics, commonly known as a CIGS solar cells, for the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity. Thin film photovoltaic CIGS have the greatest promise for reducing the cost of solar energy. Layers of the semiconductor are deposited along with other layers of material to form a cell that utilize the photovoltaic effect to enable the generation of solar electricity.
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DayStar's CIGS solar cells are deposited on low cost glass substrates to form solar photovoltaic modules using "monolithic integration", where individual cells are formed through a series of delineating process scribes. This method of interconnecting cells works best when the substrate is non-conducting such as on glass. Glass flat-plate modules are the preferred form-factor for most of today's market applications.
Copyright 2000 Laser Focus World, PennWell Corp., used with permission
Groups of modules are assembled together in a circuit, attached to an inverter which converts DC power to AC, and is then connected to the electrical utility grid.
The benefits of CIGS modules versus conventional silicon based solar panels are:
- CIGS cells require 1/50th to 1/100th of the total raw materials needed for a typical silicon solar cell.
- CIGS solar cells remove the obstacle the solar industry currently faces in the shortage of silicon for wafers.
- CIGS is superior to amorphous Silicon (a-Si) and Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) by achieving higher conversion efficiencies.
- CIGS modules have demonstrated reliable and stable field performance for nearly 20 years.
- CIGS can be manufactured on low cost glass substrates which enables access to the largest PV markets, enables use of existing mounting systems, and is compatible with existing photovoltaic system infrastructure.