What are flexible solar panels?

Flexible solar panels are a specific type of thin-film solar panels made from silicon. Thin-film solar cells are the least expensive option compared to the two mentioned above. This type of solar panels is the easiest to produce. Aside from that, they require a smaller amount of materials for their production process, leading to cheaper prices.

How do flexible solar panels work?

Flexible solar panels work similarly to traditional rigid panels, more so than portable and thin-film panels. Like rigid panels, flexible solar encasements use either monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon cells to absorb the sun’s energy and generate electricity.

Are flexible solar panels cheaper?

Aside from these factors, flexible solar panels tend to be less expensive overall. However, when it comes to price per watt of energy production, rigid panels are by far the most cost-effective option costing nearly 50% less. Currently, there are two primary types of flexible solar panels available on the market.

Why are flexible solar panels so popular?

Flexible solar panels’ thin design doesn’t just give them their trademark flexibility – it also makes them one of the lightest solar panels on the market. This makes solar panels more versatile and suitable for a wider array of use cases and environments than traditional, heavier solar panels.

Are flexible solar panels better than thin-film solar panels?

These panels are less flexible than the thin-film alternative, but are cheaper and more energy efficient. You do not necessarily need an air gap – a gap between the panel and the surface they are laid on – for flexible solar panels, since they are designed to be laid flat against a surface and bend with it.

What is a semi-flexible solar panel?

A semi-flexible solar panel is somewhere between a flexible solar panel and the rigid, higher-efficiency solar panels you’re more likely to see on the roofs of UK homes.