What is a thin-film solar PV system?

This is the dominant technology currently used in most solar PV systems. Most thin-film solar cells are classified as second generation, made using thin layers of well-studied materials like amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), or gallium arsenide (GaAs).

What are the new thin-film PV technologies?

With intense R&D efforts in materials science, several new thin-film PV technologies have emerged that have high potential, including perovksite solar cells, Copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu 2 ZnSnS 4, CZTS) solar cells, and quantum dot (QD) solar cells. 6.1. Perovskite materials

How efficient are thin-film solar cells?

Despite initial challenges with efficient light conversion, especially among third-generation PV materials, as of 2023 some thin-film solar cells have reached efficiencies of up to 29.1% for single-junction thin-film GaAs cells, exceeding the maximum of 26.1% efficiency for standard single-junction first-generation solar cells.

When did thin-film solar cells come out?

Thin-film solar efficiencies rose to 10% for Cu 2 S/CdS in 1980, and in 1986 ARCO Solar launched the first commercially-available thin-film solar cell, the G-4000, made from amorphous silicon.

Are thin-film solar cells better than mono crystalline solar cells?

One of the significant drawbacks of thin-film solar cells as compared to mono crystalline modules is their shorter lifetime, though the extent to which this is an issue varies by material with the more established thin-film materials generally having longer lifetimes.

How much does a thin-film PV system cost?

In 1998, scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) predicted that production of thin-film PV systems at a cost of $50 per m 2 could someday be possible, which would make them extremely economically viable. At this price, thin-film PV systems would yield return on investment of 30% or greater.