In contrast, the manufacture of thin-film solar panels involves coating a base material (known as a substrate) with a thin layer of photovoltaic material, such as amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). The substrate is usually made from glass, metal or plastic.
Therefore, it's important to consider the potential return on investment when deciding whether or not to install thin-film solar panels. The price of thin-film solar panels is typically lower than that of monocrystalline solar panels.
Not all solar panels are created equal. In fact, there are actually three main types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. Each one can be used in different scenarios. Thin-film solar panels are made of very thin layers of photovoltaic materials, making them extremely lightweight and sometimes even flexible.
Thin-film solar panels cost an average of $0.50 to $1 per watt for the materials. For example, an average thin-film system would consist of ten panels. The total cost of these panels including materials and installation averages between $2,000 and $8,800, depending on the thin-film technology you use and how many you install.
Thin-film solar panels work by capturing sunlight and converting it into electricity, just like any other PV panel. The key difference lies in their thickness - thin-film solar panels are typically around 2-3 millimetres thick, whereas a traditional crystalline silicon solar panel is about 30-50 millimetres thick.
While thin-film solar panels are cheaper than monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon panels, they are much less efficient and have lower power capacity. Efficiency has been these panels’ biggest challenge and varies between the types of thin-film photovoltaic panels, but it has improved over time.