Solar Technology Overview
Solar is the Latin word for sun - a powerful source of energy that can be used to heat, cool, and light our homes and businesses and provides electrical power for various devices. That's because more energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. A variety of technologies convert sunlight to usable energy for buildings. The most commonly used solar technologies for homes and businesses are solar water heating, passive solar design for space heating and cooling, and solar photovoltaics for electricity.
Photovoltaics (PVs) are arrays of cells containing a solar photovoltaic material that converts solar radiation into direct current electricity. Materials presently used for photovoltaics include monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, microcrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium selenide/sulfide. Due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacture of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has advanced dramatically in recent years.
The technologies represented by ITS Solar are designed around the two most advanced technologies of CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-DiSelenide) and a-Si (Amorphous Silicon). These technologies lend themselves well to the delicate balance of photovoltaic efficiency, flexibility, durability and a relatively low cost of manufacturing.
A solar panel has a varied output voltage due to many factors such as intensity of the sun (solar insulation), angle toward the sun and the material of the cell used to create the photovoltaic effect. Electrical apparatus and battery packs may be damaged by this large variation of voltage and therefore a charge controller is necessary to regulate the solar cell's output.
The iLand Green Technologies' ASPG (Autonomous Solar Power Generator) uses the a-Si technique and combines a stabilized charge controller and advanced LiFePO4 battery cells with the Flexcell PV panel. The battery pack houses direct connections for lights, cell phones, computers and an array of electrical accessories such as water pumps and purifiers, desalination systems, refrigeration devices, etc.
The Global Solar CIGS system has one of the highest output efficiencies of any flexible solar panel available. These panels may be ganged together to create higher voltages for specialized applications which require a more rapid charge rate. Global Solar cells are in use by Military clients worldwide as a renewable energy source for field operations. These panels range in construction style and output power for connection to a user supplied charge controller, battery pack and/or device to be powered. The new SUNLINQ&trade/ USB line of products provides direct charging connection to USB2.0 (FBCS) devices.
Download more information on the CIGS technology (pdf).
Download information on the a-Si and VHF vapour deposition technology.
