Oregon State University has announced a major breakthrough in photovoltaic solar energy. Researchers in the university invented a technique of utilizing continuous flow microreactors to generate thin-film absorbers for use in solar units. This path-breaking technology has the potential of reducing the price of solar devices as well as material waste drastically.

Benefits of Thin Film Photovoltaic Solar Energy
Thin-film, perhaps, is the best photovoltaic solar energy alternative to silicon-based solar devices. It facilitates the reinstatement of plywood and gravel on rooftops with photovoltaic solar energy systems, thus significantly reducing the cost of home solar systems. This new technology has also proven to be safer, quicker and comparatively more economical. The solar powered products that are made using this technology are easy to manufacture and are more compact. Thus, they are more functional and suitable for daily use.

Some of the benefits include:

Easy installation: Installing solar panels that have been made using this technology comes with ‘peel and stick’ laminate and therefore are easy to install. The new PV cells do not require a huge steel structure to bear heavy solar panels and can be built into the building’s rooftop or walls.

Faster to mass produce: Unlike the ‘thick’ solar panels that are manufactured one by one through a labor intensive process, thin film solar panels are well suited for manufacture via automated processes.

Less expense involved: Compatibility with the automated process lowers the cost of production. Also, thin film panels require cheaper materials. This means more business houses in the solar panel market. More business means more competition, meaning more production. Increase in the availability of goods would mean a decrease in prices and soon solar energy for home use would be extremely affordable.

Used in a variety of applications: Since thin film solar photovoltaic energy products are small and lightweight, these are used for a variety of new applications. Some of the electronic devices that can be powered by photovoltaic solar energy include cells, MP3 players, laptops, televisions and even GPS devices.

Thanks to the development of this new technology, solar systems will not remain exclusive to radically environment-conscious people. In fact, many have already placed orders for thin film PV shingles.