Monocrystalline Vs Multicrystalline Solar Panels

Monocrystalline solar panels vs polycrystalline solar panels polycrystalline solar panels.

Monocrystalline vs multicrystalline solar panels.

The efficiency of polycrystalline solar panels is somewhat lower but the benefit for customers is that this option is more affordable. It is mainly used in large scale commercial applications. Generally a monocrystalline solar panel will convert about 20 or more of the sun s energy into electric power compared to around 15 for polycrystalline panels. Polycrystalline solar panels are also referred to as multi crystalline or many crystal silicon.

Monocrystalline solar pv panels were once considered superior to their polycrystalline multicrystalline kin but this is changing as time goes on and technologies improve. Monocrystalline solar cells are more efficient because they are cut from a single source of silicon. For this reason if maximising electricity generation and reducing costs is a priority monocrystalline are likely to be slightly more effective. Polycrystalline is also about 20 cheaper to produce and creates less waste silicon in the.

Due to tighter spacing of the cells on multi poly crystalline solar panels compared to mono crystalline solar panels the higher efficiency of mono crystalline solar panels is negligible. Polycrystalline panels sometimes referred to as multicrystalline panels are popular among homeowners looking to install solar panels on a budget. Though monocrystalline panels are generally more expensive some households will find. Polycrystalline solar cells are blended from multiple silicon sources and are slightly less efficient.

Because there are many crystals in each cell there is less freedom for the electrons to move. Usually polycrystalline silicon solar cells won t have the corners cut off of them so you won t see the large white spaces on the front of the panel that you see on monocrystalline panels. More important than choice of technology are considerations related to manufacturer credibility and longevity. Monocrystalline panels are more efficient reaching efficiencies between 15 20 on average while polycrystalline panels are only 13 16 efficient.

Thin film technology costs less than mono or poly panels but is also less efficient. However this doesn t always mean that every monocrystalline solar panel will perform better than every polycrystalline panel. Poly multi crystalline solar panels are slightly cheaper to manufacture than mono crystalline solar panels. As a result polycrystalline solar panels have lower efficiency ratings than monocrystalline panels.