Thin film solar cells are favorable because of their minimum material usage and rising efficiencies. The three major thin film solar cell technologies include amorphous silicon (α-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe).
But again, with proper care and installation, these issues can be managed effectively. Certain thin film solar cells utilize Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) or Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS), both of which are toxic if improperly handled. The risk, however, is primarily at the manufacturing stage and isn’t of concern to the end-user.
Effectively, one of the primary thin film solar cells disadvantages is reduced efficiency. While your conventional silicon solar cells boast efficiencies around 15% to 20%, thin film solar cells, unfortunately, lag at roughly 11% to 12%.
Expanding on the previous point, the lower efficiency of thin film solar cells means they need more room to deliver the same amount of power as conventional cells. This may not be an issue for large-scale commercial applications, but in a cramped city apartment, like mine, it could pose a challenge.
Another way to minimize wastes generated during the fabrication of thin film solar cells and modules is reducing the amounts of toxic elements. For example, the possibility of reducing the quantity of toxic cadmium in the synthesis of CdS thin films, which plays the role of the buffer layer in CdTe and CIS solar cells has been investigated.
The reliability of thin film is questionable in comparison with the emergence and production of competitive and low-cost crystalline silicon solar panels.