Development history of materials in the photovoltaic

In the photovoltaic industry, material selection and development play a crucial role in the efficiency and cost of solar cells. The following is an overview of the use and development history of materials in the photovoltaic industry under different environments.

Monocrystalline silicon: Monocrystalline silicon is one of the earliest materials widely used in the photovoltaic industry. It has high purity and good electronic structure, so it has high conversion efficiency. However, the preparation process of single crystal silicon is complex and expensive, which limits its large-scale commercial application.

Polysilicon: Polysilicon is a lower cost alternative material. Due to the irregularity of its grain structure, its conversion efficiency is slightly lower than that of single crystal silicon. However, due to the relatively simple preparation process of polysilicon, its cost is lower and it is widely used in photovoltaic systems for mass production and commercial promotion.

Thin-film solar cells: With the need for further cost reduction and scalability, thin-film solar cells are beginning to gain attention. Thin film solar cells use a variety of different materials, such as copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), copper zinc tin sulfur (CZTS), and carbamate (perovskite). These materials offer lower manufacturing costs and greater flexibility, but currently face challenges in conversion efficiency and stability.

Emerging materials: In addition to traditional silicon-based materials and thin-film solar cell materials, there are also some emerging materials that are emerging in the photovoltaic industry. For example, organic solar cells use organic semiconductor materials and are low-cost, lightweight and flexible, but their conversion efficiency is relatively low. In addition, perovskite solar cells are a new solar cell technology that has attracted widespread attention in recent years, with the potential of high conversion efficiency and low manufacturing cost.

To sum up, under different circumstances, the materials used in the photovoltaic industry have experienced a transformation from traditional silicon-based materials to thin-film solar cell materials, and some emerging materials have also emerged. In the future, with the advancement of science and technology and the continuous evolution of needs, the development of photovoltaic materials will continue to pursue higher conversion efficiency, lower cost and better sustainability.

Xiamen Egret Solar New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.