What is CIGS

AxunTek's proprietary research as well as mass-production of CIGS thin film photovoltaic integrates the best recipe of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. Our products are characterized by excellent absorption rate, high stability, high efficiency, high yield, low production cost, and short energy payback time. CIGS photovoltaic is the brightest star in solar energy today, going head to head with silicon cells.

Advantages of CIGS

• Strong Light Absorption
  CIGS PV draws on the best characteristics of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. It absorbs light over the widest spectral range, not only within the visible light spectrum in the same manner as crystalline silicon and amorphous, but also absorb light in the infrared range, from 700-1,200 nm. This means that CIGS PV can capture light for a longer period of time during a given day, a crucial advantage for high latitudes and altitudes where sunlight may be limited, or for short winter days.
• Stable Energy Generation
  Crystalline silicon PV exhibits light diffusion and photo deterioration when exposed to the sun for long periods of time, thus causing their power generation capability to gradually decline. CIGS PV does not suffer from these phenomena. Thus, from the long-term perspective, CIGS PV offers more stable energy generation and requires less maintenance costs.
• High Transfer Efficiency, High Overall Electrical Output
  According to the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL), CIGS PV can currently attain up to a 19.9% efficiency rate. However, the highest rate recorded in the industry has been up to 16%, with an average rate of 12%. It is worth noting that when crystalline silicon (efficiency of 16%) and CIGS are tested together outdoors, the latter generates 1.2 times more energy than the former. Even though the current in use CIGS PV's efficiency be lower than that of silicon-based, CIGS PV absorbs more sunlight per day and so produces more energy in total.
• Low Production Costs
  The main cost of CIGS PV lies in its raw materials—copper, indium, gallium and selenium. However, it requires only ordinary soda glass as opposed to special ultra-white or thin-film conductive glass. While the aforementioned metals are precious metals, CIGS PV requires no more than a 3 um (1 um = 1/1000mm) coat, giving it a competitive per unit cost.
• Short Energy Payback Time
  Renewable energy offers many benefits. However, manufacturing the technology to produce such energy is itself resource-intensive. Thus, in assessing whether a particular type of renewable energy is genuinely sustainable, one needs to look at not only its efficiency but also how long it takes for the renewable energy produced to offset the resources needed to produce that facility. This is known as "EPBT"(energy payback time). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, assuming a 30-year lifespan for solar installments, the EPBT of crystalline silicon PV has been estimated to be about 2-4 years. By contrast, CIGS PV is estimated only 1-2 years. In other words, any of the PV systems abovementioned would have a roughly 26-29 year lifespan of truly pollution-free use. In a nutshell, CIGS comes out on top.

CIGS Product Applications

Just like silicon photovoltaic, CIGS photovoltaic can also be used for rooftop and power plant. However, CIGS photovoltaic could be transparent, and hence more aesthetically pleasing. Because of this, they can be used in a Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) capacity. Furthermore, CIGS can also be made into flexible solar panels, and even portable for personal use in the future, which will solve the problem of limited battery life that plagues current 3C (computers, communications, and consumer) devices. Other applications include LED streetlights, solar water heaters, glass-panel high rises, solar power plants, and power plantation in deserts.