First Solar Panels

Reliable performance is based on First Solar’s proven CadTel technology. Series 6 modules undergo independent testing and certification to ensure reliable operation that exceeds IEC standards, even under the most extreme conditions. The improved design of the Series 6 Plus modules offers a construction that significantly reduces system balance, transportation, and operating costs.

PROFIT FROM FIRST SOLAR IS 19.93% HIGHER

First Solar modules generate more electricity from each kW of installed capacity than competing technologies.

In monetary terms, this means an income of $1,165,567 from 1 MW of installed capacity over 25 years of operation.

Comparison of thin-film solar panels with analogs

20% more energy over 25 years
2.2% more power per 1 sq.m
6% more energy in cloudy weather
2% more energy on hot days
24% more energy in shaded conditions

First Solar thin-film solar panels

Due to the significant decrease in cost and the rapid growth in popularity of private solar power plants, the range of solar panels on the Ukrainian market has become extremely diverse. In addition to Chinese and used European equipment, the innovative products of the American company First Solar — thin-film solar panels based on cadmium telluride — have been added.

Technological features of thin-film panels

The most common and well-known semiconductor that converts solar radiation into electricity today is silicon. Its popularity is due to the affordable price of batteries and their efficiency, which under ideal conditions reaches 20-22%. However, this material has limited prospects for the following reasons:

physical limitations on further efficiency improvement;
narrow absorption spectrum (only the ultraviolet part of the spectrum);
sharp drop in PV plant performance under weakened or scattered light;
a number of fundamentally insurmountable structural disadvantages.

Thin-film solar panels with admixtures of various rare earth metals are technologically more advanced, surpassing silicon modules in all parameters except efficiency under ideal lighting conditions. Purchasing such products means reducing the payback period by 6-12 months, expanding application possibilities, simplifying installation, and receiving a 25-year guarantee of high performance.

Varieties of thin-film solar modules

Currently, with the exception of a few exotic options, all thin-film elements use one of three inorganic semiconductor material combinations — amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and various selenides.

Amorphous thin-film solar panels are the cheapest, but they have low efficiency and lose noticeable generation effectiveness during the first few years.

Why are CdTe thin-film PV plants more promising?

Experts believe that once the issue of safe panel recycling is solved, the class of thin films based on cadmium telluride will become the most widespread.

This is due to the following reasons:

of all semiconductor modifications for PV plants, the CdTe combination has the band gap closest to the ideal for the p/n junction — 1.45 eV;
this material has one of the highest absorption coefficients, allowing it to maintain performance under low light conditions;
CdTe thin-film solar panels, whose price is only slightly higher than silicon-based counterparts, even with 17% efficiency, generate at least 1.350 MWh per year from each 1 kW of capacity at Ukraine’s latitude (the best silicon panels — 1.185 MWh);
the most important advantage of cadmium telluride is the possibility of combining its films with other materials, allowing panels to be manufactured with layers of various pre-set properties;
CdTe-based PV plants offer the widest range of manufacturing processes (electrolytic and chemical deposition, vacuum sputtering, etc.) — which means significant prospects for further efficiency improvements.

What are First Solar thin-film solar panels?

Founded in 2003, by 2010 First Solar ranked 6th, and by 2017 — 1st in the world among thin-film panel manufacturers, earning $2.4 billion in net profit. Today, its products are sold in 28 countries, and in Ukraine the company plans to capture 15-25% of the solar market.

By betting on the most promising radiation conversion technology — cadmium telluride — First Solar demonstrated the best growth rates in the efficiency of its panels: +3.5% in less than 3 years.

Moreover, after the 25-year warranty period, the company undertakes to recycle its products to avoid environmental harm.

In Ukraine, products of the American thin-film solar panel manufacturer can only be purchased from the official representative — Green Tech Trade. Our specialists will provide consultations, perform PV system calculations, professional installation, and commissioning work for plant startup.

In Ukraine, the first 1.8 MW power plant with First Solar modules was installed in the village of Mohutnie, Kirovohrad region. During operation, recorded performance and profitability parameters showed that every thin-film solar panel of the American solar industry leader demonstrated 20% better characteristics than any comparable silicon analog. The price in Ukraine for PV plant installation by Green Tech Trade is lower than all direct competitors, while the warranty obligations are higher.