Photovoltaic and photovoltaic Glass

Photovoltaic, also known as solar photovoltaic power generation system, is a new type of power generation system that uses the photovoltaic effect of solar cell semiconductor materials to directly convert sunlight radiant energy into electrical energy. The development of the photovoltaic industry is stemming from the growing demand for energy. The traditional fossil energy is faced with the problems of resource depletion and environmental pollution, prompting people to seek renewable and environmentally friendly alternative energy. Since the discovery of the photovoltaic effect of liquids by French scientist E.Becquerel in 1839, the development of solar energy in the world has a long history of more than 160 years. The United States is one of the earliest countries in the world to develop the photovoltaic industry, and the silicon photovoltaic cells invented by scientists in the 20th Gibel Laboratory laid the foundation for the development of the photovoltaic industry.

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The principle of photovoltaic power generation

Solar power generation is based on the photovoltaic (photovoltaic) effect, which is the phenomenon that light causes a potential difference between an uneven semiconductor or different parts of the semiconductor bound to the metal. This process, first of all, is the conversion of photons (light waves) into electrons, light energy into electrical energy process; The second is the process of forming voltage, with voltage, like building a high dam, if the two are connected, it will form a circuit of current.

In practical work, solar cells are the basic devices that play the photovoltaic effect. When sunlight strikes the semiconductor material of the solar cell, the photons are absorbed and excited electrons in the semiconductor material. These excited electrons are subjected to an electric field, which forms an electric current.

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Photovoltaic modules with ultra-white glass

Solar cells are the basic components of photovoltaic modules, common photovoltaic modules according to solar cell materials to classify, mainly divided into crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules and thin film photovoltaic modules. Crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules are mainly monocrystalline silicon and polysilicon two categories, thin film photovoltaic modules include cadmium telluride, perovskite, copper indium gallium selenium and other types.

Solar cells are widely used in various scenarios, such as solar smart Windows, solar pavilions, photovoltaic glass building ceilings and photovoltaic glass curtain walls.

Photovoltaic module construction

In photovoltaic modules, glass substrates play an important role in providing support, protecting internal components, and maintaining transparency.

The common photovoltaic glass substrate mainly uses ultra-white glass, including ultra-white float glass and ultra-white rolled glass. Compared with ordinary glass, ultra-white glass has a very low iron content, whiter color, lower self-detonation rate, and higher hardness, so it meets the requirements of photovoltaic glass with higher light transmittance, flatness, chemical stability, thermal stability, etc., and has the following characteristics:

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High strength: photovoltaic glass after special treatment, has high mechanical strength and impact resistance, can withstand wind pressure, snow, hail, throwing stones and other external and thermal stress impact, not easy to crack and crack.

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High transmittance: High transmittance allows more sunlight to pass through the glass to the solar panel, thereby improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency. The iron content of ultra-white emboweled glass is < 0.015%, the visible light transmittance is > 91.5% (3mm standard thickness), the iron content of ultra-white float glass is < 0.015%, the visible light transmittance is > 91% (5mm standard thickness).

In addition, "fog" is also a key performance indicator, indicating the ratio of scattered light caused by internal or surface tiny particles, bubbles, magazines, etc., to the total light passing through. In general, for the ultra-white rolled glass used for photovoltaics, the fog should be controlled below 1% to ensure good transparency and visual effects.

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Other: photovoltaic glass also has anti-ultraviolet, strong weather resistance and other properties, while protecting the solar panel to ensure its own stable operation.

The current situation and development of photovoltaic in China

China has a history of more than 60 years since the first silicon single crystal, and the installed capacity of renewable energy power generation in 2023 has exceeded 1.4 billion kilowatts, accounting for more than 50% of the total installed capacity of power generation in the country and nearly 40% of the total installed capacity of renewable energy power generation in the world. At present, China's photovoltaic market has formed a complete upper, middle and downstream industrial chain, the upstream is mainly the production of polysilicon materials, the midstream includes the manufacturing of solar cells and the packaging of photovoltaic modules, and the downstream is the integration and installation of photovoltaic application systems, including the construction and operation of photovoltaic power stations.

In the future, while the industrial chain is further improved, China's photovoltaic will also develop in the direction of technological innovation. With the change of technology, the conversion efficiency of solar cells has been continuously improved, and the conversion efficiency of general commercial solar cells is about 10% to 24%. At present, the highest record of solar cell conversion efficiency in China is created by the silicon heterojunction cell independently developed by Longi Green Energy, up to 26.81%.