You might have heard about the flexible solar panels or you might have seen these solar panels on social media or around you. These solar cells has became talk of town from last few months and a lot of people are talking about these panels. Some people are over exaggerating the capability of these solar panels and some of them are spreading misconceptions about these thin film or flexible solar panels.
Truth about thin film or flexible solar panels
With the passage of time the rumours about the capacity, efficiency and usage of thin film solar panels are becoming viral. Common person and individuals are not aware of facts. Many sellers are spreading misinformation about these thin film solar panels and they are influencing people to buy these panels. So, a common person is confused and he is forced to believe to that these panels are b advanced, powerful and efficient with respect to performance.
Now let’s talk about real and authentic facts and figures so that no one could influence your decisions and views. I will discuss some pros and cons of using thin-film solar panel that will help you in choosing the right one for you.
Pros
Let’s discuss the advantages of using thin film solar panels.
Cost Effective
These solar panels are very cheap and available at low cost as compared to crystalline solar panels. These panels can be very effective for the people who are running on low budget or simply they have very less electricity usage and they don’t want to expend a lot of their money on other expensive solar panels. If you have low budget and and you don’t want to invest on heavy duty solar panels you can use thin film solar panels.
Light Weight and Flexible
Thin film solar panels are known for their light weight and if we compare these panels with crystalline solar panels, thin-film solar panels has very less weight. Mostly people are choosing these panels because of their attractive design and weight. These panels are very flexible that you can even fold them and install them on any surface.
Low Light Performance and Easy Installation
Low light performance of these solar panels is very impressive as compared to tradition solar panels. Crystalline solar panels experience a significant drop of performance in low light while thin-film or flexible solar panels are good low light performers.
On the other hand, traditional solar panels needs to be installed using heavy metal structure and if we talk about bifacial solar panels they need to be installed 6 feet high from the ground to get maximum output. But, thin film solar panels are very easy to install regardless of the structure of surface which means you can easily install them without needing heavy metal structures.
Best for outdoor activities
Thin film solar panels are light weight and best for outdoor activities like picnic, hiking, long drive, boating, fishing etc. It can generate you enough electricity to charge your portable equipments such as mobile phone, power bank, laptop, camera batteries, LED light etc. Because of it’s flexible and light weight structure these panels are portable so you dont need to carry heavy solar panels to power your electrical devices.
Cons
As we have discussed the advantages of using thin panel solar panels now we will discuss some of it’s disadvantages.
Less Durable and degradation
These panels are not as durable and reliable as traditional one. I have came across many of my friends, relatives and people on social media who are complaining about durability of thin film solar panels My customers and friends who bought these solar panels are always seem uncomfortable while discussing the strength of thin film panels. Because of it’s sensitive design it doesn’t withstand harsh weather.
Degradation of performance over time is also an important factor to address. Thin film panels along with their low efficiency also reduce their performance over time hence it doesn’t have the life span that you can get while using crystalline solar panels.
Low Efficiency
Crystalline solar panels are well known for their efficiency and power generation. On the other hand, people are always complain about the low efficiency of thin-film solar panels. They don’t get the enough electricity to fulfil their energy requirements.
Overall comparison
Let’s show you side by side comparison of thin film and crystalline solar panels.
| Features | Traditional Solar panels | Thin-film panels |
| Efficiency Range | 14% – 22% | 5% – 18% |
| Best Efficiency Achieved | Up to 23.6% in lab settings | Up to 18.3% in lab settings |
| Average Efficiency (practical use) | 15% – 20% | 6% – 12% |
| Material | Silicon Wafers | Amorphous Silicon, Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) |
| Temperature Performance | Better performance in hot weather | Can perform well in low- light conditions |
| Cost per Watt | Generally higher upfront cost | Generally lower upfront cost |
| Space Requirements | Less space required for same energy output | More space required for same energy output |
Summary
We have compared the crystalline and thin film solar panel’s pros and cons. If you want high efficiency and good amount of electricity you should choose crystalline solar panels and if you have low budget or you want to carry a solar panel in your outdoor activities to light up your electrical equipments, you should choose thin-film solar panels.
Don’t choose thin film if you are looking to power your home or office because it would take more space and provides you low efficiency instead use traditional (Mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline or bifacial) solar panels. If you can find the difference between these solar panel types by clicking here
