Development status of plastic photovoltaic brackets

Are flexible photovoltaics (PVs) beyond Silicon possible?

Recent advancements for flexible photovoltaics (PVs) beyond silicon are discussed. Flexible PV technologies (materials to module fabrication) are reviewed. The study approaches the technology pathways to flexible PVs beyond Si. For the previous few decades, the photovoltaic (PV) market was dominated by silicon-based solar cells.

Where is the photovoltaic (PV) market developing?

Figure 7. The photovoltaic (PV) market development in China, Germany, Japan and the USA from 1990 to 2017 (Data source: IEA. PVPS. National Survey Report of PV Power Applications). By the end of 2009, the cumulative PV installed capacity in China was only 300 MW.

Can plastic substrates be used for flexible PV devices?

Among them, plastic (polymer) substrates have been widely used for conventional flexible PV devices. Plastic substrates have many advantages, such as good optical transmittance in the visible range, low cost, lightweight, and a simple design. Recently, many studies have focused on the use of plastic materials for flexible circuits [19, 20].

Which material is suitable for photovoltaic application?

Silicon is an electronic (semiconducting material) which is suitable for the photovoltaic application. Silicon has an energy gap of 1.1 eV . The crystalline silicon material is widely applied in the photovoltaic industry; manufacturers of wafer-based crystalline silicon PV solar cells and modules are leaders of today's market .

What are the main challenges in photovoltaic technology?

We discussed the main challenges in this field including technological limitations, multi-scenario applications, sustainable development, etc. Mature photovoltaic solutions provide the perovskite community with invaluable insights for overcoming the challenges of industrialization.

How did incentive policies affect solar PV development?

Platzer et al. (Platzer, 2016) pointed out that the introduced incentive policies were the key factors to affecting the PV deployment and that they helped to initiate the early niche markets in the United States. Since the 1990s, Japan and Germany have become the leading countries in solar PV development.