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Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Solar panels consist of solar cells and glass mostly. The production of solar panels if a very complicated process that requires a lot of qualified engineers to produce and some sophisticated methods.
There are 2 main types of panels, and they are all made the same way but with just some slight differences. We will now give you example of the difference between monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels.
Monocrystalline Solar Panels
Monocrystalline panels are sometimes referred as single crystalline cell panels, they are often easy to identify as the panel itself is black. Monocrystalline panels are made with only using the purest form of silicon ore, which makes mono panels the most efficient panels of converting sunlight into electricity. With these panels being the most efficient, you also get the added benefit that they are also very space efficient compared to their counterpart.
These panels are made from the purest silicon ores which is not only good for efficiency, however it also means they are the longest lasting panels you can currently purchase with expected life spans of around 30-50 years. The manufacturers of these panels will include a 25-year warranty with the panels stating that they will still be 85 - 92.5% energy efficient after 25 years.
While money solar panels are the best panels when it comes to efficiency, they are often more expensive the reason for this is that mono crystalline panels waste a lot of silicon to make them out of one solid piece of silicon.
The Advantages of Using Monocrystalline Panels:
They are the most efficient panels being able to convert between 16 - 22.5% of the sunlight hitting them.
Made from a single silicon crystal.
They are space saving due to their high efficiency.
They perform better in lower sunlight compared to other panels.
They are more aesthetically pleasing to have on your property.
They are the longest-lasting panels on the market.
Monocrystalline panels can handle higher temperatures while keeping their efficiency.
The disadvantages of using monocrystalline panels:
They are the most expensive of the two panels.
They produce more silicon waste during the manufacturing process.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Polycrystalline panels are easy to identify from the blue hue colour that they give off, polycrystalline panels are not as efficient as their mono counterpart, but they do have the added benefit of having a cheaper price tag. What makes them less efficient is that polycrystalline panels are not made from a single crystal of silicon they are made of different grades of silicon crystals melted together in oven. They will have like mosaic patter to them if you look closely which shows the different grades of materials. With there being different grades of materials, it causes less room for the electrons to move around within the panel.
The Advantages of Using Polycrystalline Panels:
Polycrystalline panels are cheaper to install.
Still have comparable lifespans to monocrystalline panels.
They produce less waste in the manufacturing process.
The disadvantages of using monocrystalline panels:
Panels require more space to reach the same type of production.
Less efficient they are often between 13% and 16%.
Less sustainable productions.
Polycrystalline are affected by heat more than their mono counterparts.
The aesthetics of the panels are not as appealing due to the blue colour.
Polycrystalline panels are less durable.
Which Type of Panels are Best in Certain Situations?
Deciding which panel is best for your situation is often a very easy decision but it does depend on certain factors.
Available Space - If you are looking at getting solar panels on your home then the best option would be monocrystalline as the price difference between the two will more than make up the difference as with limited space you need to utilise the efficiency of the best type of panels. If you are thinking of a commercial system or solar field, you will more than likely opt in to having polycrystalline panels as you have the space to not worry about efficiency and the price difference on the panels will be more noticeable when you are having more than 100 panels installed.
Aesthetics - Monocrystalline panels due to the black colour will makes a lot more sense on a domestic property as the panels will blend in better. If you are having 1000's of panels installed on a commercial property or in a field than the blue colour will not have as much effect on the aesthetics of the system.
Temperature - Monocrystalline panels can stay at higher efficiency in higher temperature so the panels are subject to higher than 25°C for most of the year this would be the best option for you. In the UK the heat efficiency of the panels does not really influence the systems as we don’t have too much time of the year in these types of temperatures.
Which Panel Would Your Prefer?
0%Mono Crystalline Panels
0%Poly Crystalline Panels
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