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Thin-Film Solar - Lightweight, Affordable & Flexible

The Caribbean is without a doubt one of the most beautiful areas in the world. It's crystal blue waters, white sandy beaches, exceptional resorts and paradise like sunrise and sunset vistas are incomparable However, the region is also prone to extreme high seasonal winds. When selecting renewable energy solutions that can withstand hurricane force winds, a great option is Thin Film Solar technology.
This emerging technology converts as much as 19% of the suns energy into electricity, and uses dramatically less material compared to traditional silicon photovoltaic cells.

Thin-Film Solar has improved it's conversion rate and should continue to emerge as a market leader. Recent surveys have shown the Thin-Film market could reach over $6 billion over the next 5-years. A dramtic reason why thin-film solar is positioned to become the mainstay of solar techonology is the means by which it is produced.  Thin-film solar cells  are made by depositing layers of semiconductors on aluminum foil in a process similar to printing a newspaper and is non-silicon based which allows production costs to be lower when compared to traditional silcon based PV systems.

One such popular  68 Watt Thin-Film Solar Module weighs  in at a mere 9 lbs, is 15” wide, 0.12 inches thick and 9' long. A popular method of installation of this solar module is integration or lamination directly to the roofing material. Resistant to high winds that are common in our region, this technology has been recently accepted by Miami-Dade County and is one of the only photovoltaic technologies on the market to carry this certification and also a 20+ year power output warranty.

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration curently utilizes thin-film solar technology to generate electrical power on the orbiting international space station.  Proven technology working in highly mission critical space applications and alos for average homeowners and commercial systems works here on the ground. The future is bright for the implementation of solar technolgies in the Caribbean. When you want to keep it light, flexible and affordable thin-film solar looks to be a great option.

About the Author

Kanchoo - International Green Building Consultant, Desinger and Builder has combined 24+ years of construction, lighting, electronics and engineering experience into concise sensible solutions for designing and building Energy Efficient Panelized "Green" Homes from the foundation to the roof. Each article features practical and affordable solutions to design and build "Zet Zero Energy Homes".

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