Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Panels (1 Viewer)

[Two on Tour]

@Gromett and anyone else have any more background knowledge or views on this solar panel technology. Are these panels the way forward or just another to fall by the wayside ?

 

[Freespirit1]

Umm - very interesting - thanks for posting - will look at it and keep an eye on it

More food for thought are the translucent and even transparent ones that are coming along for buildings!!

The day make come when transparent ones cover our Motorhome roofs and SIDES too!!

 

[Gromett]

Cadmium is hugely toxic, Silicon isn't.
Lifespan is unknown and degradation happens faster.
CdTe panels are built on a glass substrate which is possibly not ideal for motorhomes?
Currently they are not as efficient. They are close at the cell level but at the panel level they do fall short which means you would need a bigger panel.
They rely on an expensive element Telurium which means there is a base cost that the panels can fall under. Si panels use a really cheap and abundant element which can be easily recycled.

I honestly can't see the advantages of these except for a small weight benefit.

I will be sticking to Silicon for the near future.

To be honest, the only technology that looks promising in the long term is perovskite solar cells. They have the potential to be far cheaper than silicon and a far higher efficiency rating.
These degrade too quickly at the moment but there is lots of promising research on these. They do however contain lead which is toxic however I don't believe it is as toxic as cadmium.
However you don't want to send either of these types of cells to the land fill as the leachate is seriously nasty.

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[Urs4_2008]

Umm - very interesting - thanks for posting - will look at it and keep an eye on it

More food for thought are the translucent and even transparent ones that are coming along for buildings!!

The day make come when transparent ones cover our Motorhome roofs and SIDES too!!

Almost this one from dethleffs?

 

[Freespirit1]

I honestly can't see the advantages of these except for a small weight benefit.

I will be sticking to Silicon for the near future.

And I will be sticking to CIGS for the near future with a very big weight advantage over the frame type Silicon (actually about a third the weight of silicon)

 

[Freespirit1]

Almost this one from dethleffs?
View attachment 218826

Yes! - Wow - but it may well be a mock-up / photo montage I think? Must admit it is crossing my mind to try a couple of CIGS on mine in the right spot as an experiment when I get the time. Maybe one for you though Urs4??

Now transparent ones a different matter - much better proposition but think that’s a while off yet

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[autorouter]

Now transparent ones a different matter - much better proposition but think that’s a while off yet

A solar cell absorbs light and turns it into electrical energy. A transparent material lets light through without absorbing it. There's a fundamental contradiction here.

But whenever I say it's impossible, somebody invents it the next day. Maybe something like those very dark privacy windows will be possible.

 

[Freespirit1]

A solar cell absorbs light and turns it into electrical energy. A transparent material lets light through without absorbing it. There's a fundamental contradiction here.

But whenever I say it's impossible, somebody invents it the next day. Maybe something like those very dark privacy windows will be possible.

Well this is the next day for you!!

Transparent ones are already available if you google it and are used on buildings as windows - however the efficiencies are quite low I believe at about 5% - they are on their way!!

 

[andy63]

With a few recent posts on cigs cells i have done s little reading and as far as i can make out the cadmium telluride is just another form of what is called a thin film cell...
Again from reading only they are now capable of higher efficiency and matching or exceeding silicone... the draw back has been in finding production methods that make them economically viable... and its the cigs cells that appear to be winning that battle at the minute...

Think the transparency issue is been off set by adding a thin reflective layer which allows light which would pass through to be reflected back into the cell....
All interesting stuff..
Andy..

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[autorouter]

All part of the service. Just make a list.

Fusion generator, air condensation water supply, micro black hole for waste disposal, anti-gravity levellers, teleport stations in Ashford and Malaga, transparent aluminum...

 

[Urs4_2008]

Yes! - Wow - but it may well be a mock-up / photo montage I think? Must admit it is crossing my mind to try a couple of CIGS on mine in the right spot as an experiment when I get the time. Maybe one for you though Urs4??

Now transparent ones a different matter - much better proposition but think that’s a while off yet

I

Yes! - Wow - but it may well be a mock-up / photo montage I think? Must admit it is crossing my mind to try a couple of CIGS on mine in the right spot as an experiment when I get the time. Maybe one for you though Urs4??

Now transparent ones a different matter - much better proposition but think that’s a while off yet

It’s not a mock-up https://newatlas.com/dethleffs-electric-motorhome-concept/51096/

The panels must be recycled in a competent manner, from what I understand. I think the US company producing the panels also has a solution for this. Until a local supplier starts selling (and recycling) them here in Norway I think I’ll wait

 

[Gromett]

And I will be sticking to CIGS for the near future with a very big weight advantage over the frame type Silicon (actually about a third the weight of silicon)

cigs is dying. They just don't reach the efficiency of silicon. The record in the lab if I recall correctly was 20% and they stuck there.
Silicon in the lab using multi junction has exceed 40% but this hasn't been commercialised as a consumer product (yet). The common silicon cells on the market at the moment reach around 17-18% but the high efficiency ones are around 22%

To be honest, whilst I get excited about new tech I am not so excited by new tech that doesn't improve dramatically on the old tech that has consistent reliability and known lifespans.
Silicon cells have been around for decades and have been improving incrementally. None of the nice new tech such as the two mentioned here have given a better efficiency in the real world at the same or lower price. For motorhomes the two biggest restrictions are roofspace and weight. With roofspace dictating we need the highest efficiency we can afford without any increase in weight. So £ for £ silicon is still the most efficient we can buy for our vans at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

Even perovskite I am only mildly hopeful for.

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[andy63]

For motorhomes the two biggest restrictions are roofspace and weight.

And if they could produce any thin film cell to match the known and well proven technology of silicone they do appear to have some very usefull features which are well suited to the motorhome.... massive weight saving been one of the biggest... flexibility and the supposed better preformance when heated allowing fixing without brackets direct to the surface..
Thats what the blurb has to say anyway..
Andy..

 

[Gromett]

Just so you don't think I am talking crap. I just did a very very quick google search for some solar panels of the cigs and si type.

I didn't do any serious research on this so you can probably do better. I just looked for panels that came with dimensions and price. But even if you shopped around and reduced CIGS price by 50%......

Silicon
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222628526721
100 Watts £83.99 and measures 1210mm x 541mm

CIGS

100Watt £499 and measure 2013mm x 494mm

For the same money I could have 5+ silicon panels and I can fit almost 2 panels in the space of 1 CIGS.

 

[vwalan]

Just so you don't think I am talking crap. I just did a very very quick google search for some solar panels of the cigs and si type.

I didn't do any serious research on this so you can probably do better. I just looked for panels that came with dimensions and price. But even if you shopped around and reduced CIGS price by 50%......

Silicon
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222628526721
100 Watts £83.99 and measures 1210mm x 541mm

CIGS

100Watt £499 and measure 2013mm x 494mm

For the same money I could have 5+ silicon panels and I can fit almost 2 panels in the space of 1 CIGS.

i have had three panels on my trailers roof for 17 yrs now , they are polycrystal. i bought them seconhand in morocco . dont know the real age of them . but they are still working .
not quite as good as the ones i later fitted in 2010 but those were new .
silicon does seem to be a great product . in solar panels .
the prices today is amazingly cheap compared to years ago.
have room for 15 80wt panels on my roof but think it could be over kill. but would today cost the same as 3 panels years ago. amazing .

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[two]

I’d get excited if there was a thin film panel available that you could order off the roll and trim to requirements, laying it just like a carpet around all the paraphernalia on the roof. It should also be unaffected by the inevitable shading.

 

[Two on Tour]

I’d get excited if there was a thin film panel available that you could order off the roll and trim to requirements, laying it just like a carpet around all the paraphernalia on the roof. It should also be unaffected by the inevitable shading.

Have you had to many sherbets this lunchtime.

 

[Freespirit1]

Just so you don't think I am talking crap. I just did a very very quick google search for some solar panels of the cigs and si type.

I didn't do any serious research on this so you can probably do better. I just looked for panels that came with dimensions and price. But even if you shopped around and reduced CIGS price by 50%......

Silicon
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222628526721
100 Watts £83.99 and measures 1210mm x 541mm

CIGS

100Watt £499 and measure 2013mm x 494mm

For the same money I could have 5+ silicon panels and I can fit almost 2 panels in the space of 1 CIGS.

Have a look at these if it interests you enough:

https://mipvsolarpanels.co.uk/

I have them fitted - although they can’t be seen from below roof line as they are so flat to the roof!

I actually had a new pair of semi - flexible silicon (for sale on here) ready to put on my MH before I found and investigated these CIGS

Swansea University who developed them in conjunction with TaTa steel and associates have, I believe, been asked to compare the energy yield compared to best silicon.Mipv are claiming a 25% better energy yield on a daily basis. They are not cheap admittedly but their advantages for Motorhomes in my opinion justifies the extra cost

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[Freespirit1]

Have you had to many sherbets this lunchtime.

My CIGS panels came rolled up ( diameter 275mm ) it that’s any help to you? But fixed length

 

[Two on Tour]

I was thinking more about the cutting and trimming around the gubbins on the roof.