Flexible Solar Panels - Advantages and Disadvantages





    With the rapid development of modern technology in using solar energy, flexible solar panels, which were once unimaginable, are now available to the public. They have brought great convenience in applications. This article is going to discuss about the advantages and disadvantages that the flexible solar panel has compared to the older generation of solar panels.

The older generations were rigid panels that were encased to support the solar cells. They are normally installed on the wall and the roof. That is to say, the space where they can be used is very limited. However, the flexible panel is made of chemical materials that are printed on almost any kind of surface such as plastics, glass and ceramics. They can also be made into a variety of shapes. They can then be put into calculators, watches or anything that need to be driven by electricity.

   Their production costs are dramatically reduced because they can be printed on like a paper. Therefore, their sales prices are much more affordable than their older counterparts. This is good news for the public because the eco-friendliness and the price are two very important factors that affect the service life and the popularity of a newborn thing among the public.

However, flexible solar panels have one disadvantage when compared to the rigid panels, i.e. the efficiency with which the solar energy is transferred into electricity. The transfer efficiency of the flexible type is less than 10%, while that of the rigid solar panels is around 20%. But in my opinion, this disadvantage can be more than made up by the numerous advantages. In addition, the efficiency can be gradually increased as the technology develops.

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