Ubuchwepheshe be-Thin-film photovoltaic (PV) buvele njengegatsha elibalulekile lokukhiqizwa kwamandla elanga, bunikeza izinzuzo ezihlukile njengokuguquguquka, ukwakheka okulula, kanye nokusebenza kahle kwezindleko. Ukuvela kwalo kusukela ekuhlolweni kokuqala kuya ekwamukelweni kabanzi kukhombisa indlela yokusungula izinto ezintsha okuqhubekayo kanye nokuzivumelanisa nezimo ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nesidingo esikhulayo samandla avuselelekayo.
Imvelaphi ye-PV yefilimu encane isukela eminyakeni yawo-1970, iqhutshwa ukuphishekela ezinye izindlela esikhundleni samaseli elanga e-silicon acwebezelayo endabuko. Intuthuko yokuqala, okuhlanganisa neseli le-silicon lokuqala lefilimu encane elakhiwe yi-Xerox ngo-1972, yabeka isisekelo sekilasi elisha lobuchwepheshe belanga. Ngawo-1980, i-silicon engaguquki (a-Si) yaba ngokoqobo kwezentengiselwano, ngenxa yezindleko zayo zokukhiqiza eziphansi. Naphezu kokusebenza kahle okulinganiselwe, i-PV yefilimu encane yathola imakethe yayo yokuqala ngenxa yokungabizi kwayo kanye nekhono layo lokukhulisa.
Iminyaka yawo-1990 yaphawula inkathi ebalulekile yobuchwepheshe befilimu encane njengoba abacwaningi bethula izinto ezithuthukisiwe njenge-copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) kanye ne-cadmium telluride (CdTe). Lezi zinto ezintsha zakhulisa kakhulu ukusebenza kahle futhi zavula iminyango yezinhlelo zokusebenza ezintsha. I-CIGS yavelela ngamazinga ayo aphezulu okuguqulwa kanye nokuguquguquka, okwenza ifanele ukusetshenziswa okuhlukahlukene, kuyilapho i-CdTe yathola ukuvelela ngokusebenza kwayo kahle kwezindleko kanye nokusabalala kwayo, ikakhulukazi emapulazini amakhulu elanga. Lokhu kuthuthuka kwaqinisa i-PV yefilimu encane njengendlela yokuncintisana kunobuchwepheshe belanga obujwayelekile.
Ngawo-2000, i-PV yefilimu encane yangena esigabeni sokukhula okusheshayo. Amasu okukhiqiza athuthukisiwe kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwezinto zokwakha kwehlise izindleko, kwakhulisa isidingo somhlaba wonke. Abadlali abakhulu embonini bandise ukukhiqizwa, futhi i-PV yefilimu encane yathola ukuthandwa kumaphrojekthi amakhulu elanga. Ukuzivumelanisa nezimo kobuchwepheshe kwenza kwaba ukukhetha okuthandwayo kwezicelo ezahlukahlukene, kusukela ophahleni kuya emapulazini elanga.
Namuhla, i-PV yefilimu encane iyaqhubeka nokuchuma, iphawulwa ngezinto ezintsha ezahlukahlukene kanye nokusetshenziswa okukhethekile. I-silicon engafani isalokhu iyigugu ezimweni eziphansi kanye nezimakethe ze-niche, njenge-Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) kanye namadivayisi aphathekayo. Okwamanje, i-CIGS ihamba phambili ezinhlelweni zokusebenza kahle ezidinga ukuguquguquka, kanti i-CdTe ibusa ukufakwa okukhulu ngenxa yokungabizi kwayo. Lokhu kuthuthuka kubeke i-PV yefilimu encane njengomnikeli onamandla endaweni yamandla avuselelekayo.
Ikusasa le-PV yefilimu encane lincike ekufinyeleleni ukusebenza kahle okuphezulu, ukunciphisa izindleko zokukhiqiza, kanye nokuthuthukisa ukusimama kwemvelo. Ucwaningo oluqhubekayo luhlose ukuthuthukisa izinto ezifana ne-CIGS kanye ne-CdTe, kuyilapho intuthuko ezinqubweni zokukhiqiza ezinobungani nemvelo ihlose ukunciphisa umthelela wemvelo. Le mizamo ilungele ukuqinisa ukuncintisana kwe-PV yefilimu encane futhi yandise ukukhanga kwayo ezimakethe.
Izici eziyingqayizivele ze-Thin-film PV zivumele ukuhlanganiswa kwayo ezinhlotsheni ezahlukahlukene, kusukela ezinhlelweni zokuhlala kanye nophahla lwezimboni kuya kumaphrojekthi e-elekthronikhi aphathekayo kanye ne-agrivoltaic. Ukuguquguquka kwayo kuvumela ukufakwa okungenamthungo emiklamo yezakhiwo, kuhlanganisa ubuhle nokukhiqizwa kwamandla. Kwezolimo, i-thin-film PV isekela izinhlelo ezisetshenziswa kabili, inikeza amandla ngenkathi ithuthukisa izimo zemvelo.
Njengoba ushintsho lwamandla emhlabeni wonke lushesha, i-PV yefilimu encane ihlelelwe ukudlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu. Ukuvela kwayo kugcizelela ukuzibophezela ekusunguleni izinto ezintsha, ukunciphisa izindleko, kanye nokuphathwa kwemvelo. Ngokubhekana nezinselele nokwamukela amathuba, ubuchwepheshe be-PV yefilimu encane buzoqhubeka nokufaka isandla ekusaseni lamandla eliqhubekayo, buhambisana nemigomo yomhlaba wonke yokwamukelwa kwamandla avuselelekayo kanye nokungathathi hlangothi kwekhabhoni.
