At heart, every solar panel works in the same way – by collecting the energy emitted from the sun to power homes, businesses, and items ranging from streetlights to the calculators we used in math class.
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Since the need for renewable energy is increasing every day, scientists, engineers, and manufacturers are constantly creating and testing new solar PV technologies to improve the tech and increase overall efficiency to support the adoption of solar panels. This means that homeowners are left with a long list of different types of solar modules to choose from.
While you’ll find other solar panel types on the market, most solar installation companies carry either some or all of these types of solar panels. Here’s everything you need to know about the 4 most common types of solar panels available today.
Poly solar panels are built with fragments of silicon crystals that are melted together to form a single solar cell and then outfitted into a solar panel. Visually, you can recognize polycrystalline solar panels from their speckled blue shade, and they also have very straight edges and hard corners.
Poly panels are one of the most common types of solar panels available right now since they’re one of the easiest to manufacture, leading to a lower cost overall. They are a good choice for most run-of-the-mill residential solar projects, with efficiency ratings that will ensure that a home is powered as long as the sun is shining.
However, the downside to using poly panels is that they don’t do as well in hotter temperatures, have lower efficiency than their monocrystalline counterparts overall, and are also usually a bit larger than the other types of solar panels you’ll learn about in this list.
Mono panels are built with a single silicon wafer rather than a bunch of shards melted together and combined. Because of this construction, monocrystalline panels are harder to make and come with a slightly higher price tag than their poly counterparts.
Mono panels are black and have rounded edges. They also use up less space than poly panels, making them a better choice for smaller roofs that need to use up every inch of their available solar panel installation space.
The tradeoff for the higher cost is that monocrystalline silicon panels are around 15% more efficient than poly panels. They will often last about five years longer, giving most buyers a better return on their investment than poly panels would net them while also using less space.
“PERC” stands for “Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell” or “Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact.”. PERC solar cells are different from standard solar cells in the extra layer found on the back that you won’t find on your traditional cell. This extra layer allows sunlight to be reflected into the cell, allowing for an additional opportunity to generate more power without needing more panels or space.
This extra sunlight reflection also prevents the heat generation and potentially high temperatures you’ll see with standard poly or mono cells to help maintain the panel’s temperature and increase efficiency.
While standard panels and PERC solar modules are different categories of solar panels, you can consider PERC panels as an upgrade to your traditional module rather than an entirely new type of equipment. PERC cells just have an additional layer that you won’t find on your average, run-of-the-mill solar cell but use the same materials and technology as other panels elsewhere in their build.
This also means that any facility that can manufacture mono or poly panels can quickly start manufacturing PERC varieties of their standard panels without much extra equipment or effort, making them a very accessible panel type to find.
The additional layer on a PERC cell increases the panel’s efficiency, resulting in a need for fewer panels than you would require if you were choosing a standard monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film variety. PERC panels are available in both mono, and poly versions, but monos are more common due to the high-efficiency rating this combo will provide.
Thin-film solar panels are probably the most visually attractive option of the 4 main types of solar panels listed here. Built with multiple thin layers of photovoltaic materials such as copper or silicon placed on a thin membrane, these types of panels are highly affordable since the manufacturing process is straightforward. Still, the tradeoff is that they lack efficiency.
Three of the biggest pros to buying and installing thin-film solar panels are that they are one of the cheapest panels available today since they are easy to manufacture and don’t require as many materials as mono, poly, or PERC cells. They are also flexible, making them an excellent panel choice for many different use cases, and they don’t lose much of their efficiency when faced with high temperatures.
On the other side of the coin, thin-film solar panels require a lot more space than mono or poly panels to generate enough power to be worthwhile, making them a less-than-ideal choice for most residential installs.
Thin-film panels are available with the following photovoltaic material constructions:
The least efficient option available, amorphous silicon panels aren’t really used for rooftop solar. Still, their cost-effectiveness makes them an excellent choice for items requiring very little power, such as pocket calculators. They are the thinnest panels available, with an average thickness of around 1 micrometer.
These panels have the highest efficiency rating of all the thin-film varieties – around 22% compared to crystalline silicon, making them a great, cost-effective option. Copper indium gallium selenide cells usually have a plastic or glass back. They are one of the most promising new types of panels, with new breakthroughs in efficiency consistently being made.
The last thin-film panel type is cadmium telluride, one of the most eco-friendly panel types currently available. These panels require much less water to construct than other PV varieties, making them a great option for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint. However, the downside to using them is that cadmium telluride itself is toxic, making it a less attractive option for many since it’s a tricky material to dispose of or recycle.
Bifacial solar panels can come in both mono and poly variations, with the most common type being monocrystalline. However, what makes them unique is that both sides of the solar cells are exposed, allowing them to generate power from both the front and back sides of the panel.
While it may seem counterintuitive to attempt to generate electricity from the panel’s backside, it actually works quite well. This configuration enables bifacial panels to catch all the sun’s rays that reflect off the surface they’re installed on. This power would otherwise have been lost if there weren’t any additional cells on the back to capture extra solar energy.
Bifacial and PERC panels are very similar since they both utilize an additional layer to generate more electrical power than mono facial panels, but the main difference between the two lies in the materials used. PERC cells use a white sheet, while bifacial panels have glass backings.
Biohybrid cells are still very much in the research and development phase but look very promising in terms of the future or solar technology. These cells use both organic and inorganic matter to essentially recreate the process of photosynthesis to generate solar energy with almost 100% efficiency.
While biohybrid solar cells aren’t considered photovoltaic cells by any means, they deserve a place on the list based on the fact that they use the sun to generate power rather than any other method such as hydro, wind, or gas, and they have the potential to exist in the same space/market as traditional solar PV.
Concentrated PV cells have the highest efficiency rating of any panel on the market today, at a whopping 40%. This is achieved with an optical device like a lens or mirror installed over the panel that acts almost like a magnifying glass to concentrate the solar energy hitting multi-junction solar cells.
Unfortunately, these cells require particular conditions to hit their optimal efficiency rating, so they aren’t as common as the other types of solar panels we’ve listed here. The sun needs to hit them at a precise angle to work correctly, making them only useful if installed on solar trackers, or in the Sun Belt region of the U.S., or the Golden Banana in Southern Europe.
Concentrated PV cells must be kept cool, so heat sinks such as fans or heat pipes must be installed to ensure that the system doesn’t overheat and lose efficiency or stop working altogether. They also won’t work correctly under diffused light, as you would get on a cloudy or overcast day, so these panels haven’t seen much use in the last few years, despite their high efficiency.
The best type of solar panel for the job can vary depending on your needs and what you’re looking to get out of your solar panel system. Here are a few different scenarios to help you decide which type of solar cell might be best for you.
People looking for a high-efficiency system understand that the upfront cost might be higher but is worth it for the return on investment, the space saved, and the increased longevity of their system.
Today, crystalline silicon solar panels are the best choice for residential and commercial solar applications. The highest efficiency system will use monocrystalline solar cells to get the job done. Not only do they have a fantastic efficiency rating, but they are also smaller than their polycrystalline counterparts enabling the buyer to be able to potentially install more panels in less space.
Someone looking for all the bells and whistles should also consider mono PERC cells since they will further improve the efficiency rating for the available space without being much more expensive than standard mono panels. This combination will cost most of all the panel options available today, but the return on investment is also the highest as well.
A homeowner interested in solar for the environmental benefits while also looking to save a little cash should consider a polycrystalline or thin-film panel solution. Polycrystalline panels are very much your “standard” solar panel and will definitely get the job done. They are also some of the most durable panels available today.
That said, poly panels are larger in size and less efficient than mono panels, which could cost the homeowner more in installation costs. At the same time, the low efficiency means that the return on investment will also be lower. Someone with less space should also avoid this panel type since this will further contribute to the low-efficiency problem created.
On the other hand, thin-film panels are also affordable, but they shouldn’t be used for most small residential applications. Instead, consider this panel type for commercial use where you have a large area with good sun exposure, since they aren’t very efficient, or have an application that requires something more flexible than your average hard-backed PV module.
When it comes to choosing the best type of solar panel for the job, it’s important to be aware of every kind available on the market and which might work best for each specific use case. While you can’t go wrong with a standard mono or poly panel, there are other options that might work better, get you more bang for your buck, and look cleaner up on the roof than others.
Solar installers should be staying on top of current panel options and trends to help their clients make the best choice for their home or property, and homeowners should keep an eye out for emerging technology that might perform best under the specific qualities of their roof and location.
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When you go solar, your system will almost certainly use monocrystalline solar panels.
This panel is the best and most popular type available to homes, having entirely replaced polycrystalline models, according to the International Energy Agency – which is why you can see black solar panels going up on rooftops all over the UK.
In this guide, we’ll explain what monocrystalline solar panels are, how they’re made, the different varieties, and the attributes that put them streets ahead of any other type of panel.
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Monocrystalline solar panels are made with wafers cut from a single silicon crystal ingot, which allows the electric current to flow more smoothly, with less resistance.
This ultimately means they have the highest efficiency ratings, longest lifespans, and best power ratings on the market, ahead of all other types of solar panels.
Over the past few years, this has led to monocrystalline panels replacing polycrystalline models as the most popular option for manufacturers and households around the world.
As a result, all the most powerful solar panels are now made with monocrystalline.
These solar panels are made with extremely pure polysilicon, which is created by melting nuggets of quartzite at around 1,700°C, then refining it by using the Siemens process.
Workers heat the resulting ingots at 1,425°C while rotating them, during which time a seed crystal of silicon is gradually pulled through the molten polysilicon, producing a single silicon crystal ingot.
This process, called the Czochralski method, is what makes monocrystalline solar panels darker and more efficient then their polycrystalline counterparts.
A single ingot is more able to absorb light, which gives them their black appearance – plus chemical etching and anti-reflective coating removes any grey undertones.
The silicon crystal ingot is then cut into super-thin wafers and printed with metal contacts, which are conductive, grid-like lines that carry the electric current.
Workers will then attach these wafers to glass or plastic, protect them with a backsheet, and surround them with a frame.
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Monocrystalline solar panels perform strongly on all key fronts, which is why they’re currently the most popular type of panel.
If you go for monocrystalline panels, you’ll be choosing from a collection of the most efficient, powerful, and long-lasting modules on the domestic market.
With their sleek, black appearance, many would also say they’re the most aesthetically pleasing solar panels around, though this is more of a subjective call.
Solar panel efficiency describes the percentage of daylight that a panel can convert into electricity for your household and the grid.
The higher this percentage is, the more electricity you can generate with the same amount of roof space, and the more you can save on your energy bills.
It’s basically a measure of your panel’s power rating divided by its size – or watts per m², as it’s usually known.
Monocrystalline solar panels are usually 20-25% efficient, whereas polycrystalline panels’ efficiency ratings tend to fall between 18% and 21%, and solar tiles are around 10-20% efficient.
A solar panel’s power rating refers to how much electricity it can generate in standard test conditions (STC).
This involves the manufacturer keeping the panel’s temperature at 25°C, placing it under a light source that shines at 1,000 watts (W) per m², and creating an air mass of 1.5 – all to simulate sunlight.
If a solar panel produces 400W under these conditions, that’s its power rating. Since all panels are tested under STC, this panel should produce exactly 25% more electricity than a 300W model.
The best monocrystalline solar panels have power ratings upwards of 500W, with some exceeding 600W and even 700W.
In contrast, you’ll struggle to find a polycrystalline panel with a power rating above 400W, and they’ve long fallen around 20% below monocrystalline models, according to data analysts Wood Mackenzie.
However, it’s more important to consider a panel’s watts per m², as this will determine how many of these powerful panels you can fit on your roof – and therefore how much electricity you can generate with them.
It’s often more profitable to build a system from smaller, more efficient panels than a few behemoths that take up more space than they should.
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Monocrystalline solar panels generally last between 30 and 40 years.
This means they have a significantly longer lifespan than all other types of panels.
Polycrystalline models and solar tiles usually last 25-30 years, while thin-film solar panels tend to cap out at 10-20 years.
However, it’s possible the industry as a whole is underestimating the longevity of solar panels.
Germany’s Oldenburg University installed a 3.46 kilowatt-peak (kWp) polycrystalline system onsite in , and an Oldenburg representative told us that the panels “are indeed still working; they feed more than 3,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity into the grid per year.”
This far outstrips all modern estimations for how long a system of this kind should last.
The sleek, black appearance of monocrystalline solar panels makes them look modern and stylish, with the added bonus that they often blend into the background.
There are a few different styles of monocrystalline panels, as some manufacturers have increasingly tried to make their frames, backsheets, and grid lines stand out less.
So while most monocrystalline models are various shades of black with silver criss-crossing their surface, you can also find all-black panels that look indistinguishable from a flat-screen TV.
This design has proved extremely popular, especially compared to other types of solar panels that don’t have the same attractive qualities as monocrystalline panels.
To learn more, check out our guide to why black solar panels are better than blue.
Monocrystalline solar panels have completely replaced polycrystalline panels as the most popular solar panel in the world.
Monocrystalline solar cells now account for 98% of solar cell production, according to a report from the International Energy Agency.
This compares starkly with , when just 35% of solar panel shipments were monocrystalline, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Even as recently as , monocrystalline panels made up a minority of global shipments.
Practically all new solar installations now use monocrystalline panels, and almost certainly will for the foreseeable future.
All the solar panel types in this chart are different variants of monocrystalline panels, bar CdTe, which means 98% of solar panels shipped in were monocrystalline.
The only other solar panel technology to be shipped at a notable level was CdTe (cadmium telluride), or thin-film solar panels. This type has never surpassed 19.9% efficiency, and most of its models fall well short of this mark.
Amidst this stunning display of monocrystalline dominance, manufacturers paired these panels with five different technologies: TOPCon, PERC p-type and n-type, HJT, and back contact (more detail on these in the next section).
When manufacturers make PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact) solar panels, they replace the standard aluminium back surface with individual contacts and a couple of layers that improve the panel’s efficiency rating.
The first of these is a reflective back layer, so any light that doesn’t get absorbed at first is reflected back through the panel to the cells on top, to give them a second chance to use it.
Manufacturers also add a passivation layer, made of oxidised material. This acts as insulation, protecting the panel against overheating – which also raises a panel’s efficiency.
The technology was invented by Professor Martin Green of the University of New South Wales in . It was the direct predecessor of TOPCon, which builds directly on the PERC technique.
This is why solar panels made with these two techniques look practically identical, and why manufacturers have barely had to adjust their processes to move from PERC to TOPCon.
Despite it now being the inferior method, PERC has persisted, and still makes up 41% of all solar panel production.
In the chart above, you’ll see there are both n-type and p-type PERC panels. These terms, which stand for ‘negative type’ and ‘positive type’, identify whether the electric current is caused by the movement of particles with a negative charge (electrons) or particles with a positive charge (protons).
N-type panels are doped with phosphorus, while p-type panels are doped with boron. The battle is currently being won by n-type varieties, which have higher efficiency ratings and lower degradation rates – though they are more expensive to produce.
There isn’t much to separate the best monocrystalline solar panels – they all operate at similar levels when it comes to power, efficiency, appearance, and durability.
If you get a top-tier model, you can expect to receive a mostly black panel with a power rating above 400W and an efficiency that’s higher than 21%. It should also perform at a high level for 30-40 years, though product warranties vary.
LONGi, JinkoSolar, AIKO, Canadian Solar, JA Solar, Trina, and Yingli all feature on both our lists of the most powerful solar panels and the most efficient solar panels.
These rankings are mostly made up of TOPCon and back contact panels, with a few instances of HJT models as well.
Some of the best panels include LONGi’s Hi-MO X10 Scientist – which is on both lists – and AIKO’s Neostar 1U+78 Dual-Glass, but as we said before, you don’t need the best panel; you need a top-tier model that makes financial sense for your household.
Monocrystalline solar panels are definitely worth it.
They’re practically the only panel available for rooftop installations, and they’re certainly the only one you should be getting nowadays, assuming you want a system that gives you the highest possible savings and longest lifespan.
All the best technological and chemical advancements have been made in monocrystalline panels, and it’s likely to stay that way for a while.
The only technology that could feasibly overtake it is the perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel being developed by UK manufacturer Oxford PV, among others – but that likely won’t be on the market for years, and it’ll probably take a while to become affordable for most households.
Sunsave only uses monocrystalline solar panels, and many of our customers are already achieving excellent savings with them. You can see their verdicts on our reviews page.
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