Colored Solar Cells: specialities and limitations

Colored Solar Cells are solar cells that feature different colors than the standard dark grey and bluish colors of typical solar cells.

Why are typical solar cells blue or dark colored?

Solar cells usually have a dark color as they are designed to reflect as few light as possible. This way the solar cell will produce maximum power output.

What are the typical colors for solar cells?

Monocrystalline solar cells are typically blue, black or grey, while polycrystalline solar cells are usually blue or dark blue. The color of thin-film amorphous silicon cells is always the same: it has a dark surface with grey, brown and black as common colors. CIS Cells and CDTe Cells are always dark brown or black. The color of the solar cells can be changed by varying the thickness of the anti-reflection coating. [caption id="attachment_1356" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Colored Solar Cells[/caption]   The colored cells give a special look to the solar installation, however by adjusting the thickness of the anti-reflection layer, the overall reflection will increase and the efficiency will decrease by 15-30% depending on the color. [caption id="attachment_1358" align="aligncenter" width="350"] PV panel with different colored cells[/caption]

Where to purchase colored solar cells?

These colored cells are currently manufactured in China and Taiwan, and due to the rarity of this product, it is not surprising that their price is higher than that of regular solar cells.