Which thin-film photovoltaic module manufacturer is better in Ukraine

Thin-film solar panels use a 2 nd generation technology varying from the crystalline silicon (c-Si) modules, which is the most popular technology. Thin-film solar cells (TFSC) are manufactured using a single or multiple layers of PV elements over a surface comprised of a variety of glass, plastic, or metal.

3. Analysis of the Top 10 Global Photovoltaic Module Manufacturers in 2025 Hanwha Q CELLS, the core energy enterprise of South Korea's Hanwha Group—one of the country's top ten conglomerates—has a well-established presence in module manufacturing, R&D, and global market operations.

In 1980, researchers finally achieved a 10% efficiency, and by 1986 ARCO Solar released the G-4000, the first commercial thin-film solar panel. Thin-film solar panels require less semiconductor material in the manufacturing process than regular crystalline silicon modules, however, they operate fairly similar under the photovoltaic effect.

The rated efficiency for GaAs thin-film solar cells is recorded at 29.1%. The cost for these III-V thin-film solar cells rounds going from $70/W to $170/W, but NREL states that the price can be reduced to $0.50/W in the future.

CdTe thin-film solar panels reached a 19% efficiency under Standard Testing Conditions (STC), but single solar cells have achieved efficiencies of 22.1%. This technology currently represents 5.1% of the market share worldwide, falling second only under crystalline silicon solar panels that hold 90.9% of the market.

There are two routes to manufacture amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar panels, by processing glass plates or flexible substrates. Efficiency for a-Si solar cells is currently set at 14.0%. Disregarding the route taken to manufacture amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar panels, the following steps are part of the process: