Polycrystalline silicon solar cells combine the high conversion efficiency and long life of monocrystalline silicon cells and amorphous silicon thin film cells, the material preparation process is relatively simplified and other advantages of a new generation of cells, its conversion efficiency is generally about 15%, slightly lower than monocrystalline silicon solar cells, no significant efficiency decline, and the possibility of cheap substrate material preparation, its cost is much lower than monocrystalline silicon cells, while the efficiency is higher than amorphous silicon thin film cells.
Polycrystalline silicon solar cell production process and monocrystalline silicon solar cells are similar, but the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is much lower, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of about 15%. In terms of production cost, it is cheaper than monocrystalline silicon solar cells, easy to manufacture materials, save electricity consumption, the total production cost is lower, so it has been developed in large numbers. In addition, the service life of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is shorter than that of monocrystalline silicon solar cells.
The production of polycrystalline silicon solar cells require the consumption of a large number of high-purity silicon materials, and the manufacture of these materials complex process, electricity consumption is very large, in the total cost of solar cell production has been more than one-half. In addition to the drawn monocrystalline silicon rods are cylindrical, sliced solar cells are also round, consisting of solar components plane utilization rate is low. Therefore, since the 80s, some countries in Europe and the United States invested in the development of polycrystalline silicon solar cells.
