Monocrystalline Vs Multicrystalline Solar Panels

Because there are many crystals in each cell there is less freedom for the electrons to move.

Monocrystalline vs multicrystalline solar panels.

Thin film technology costs less than mono or poly panels but is also less efficient. 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. For this reason if maximising electricity generation and reducing costs is a priority monocrystalline are likely to be slightly more effective. Polycrystalline solar panels are also referred to as multi crystalline or many crystal silicon.

More important than choice of technology are considerations related to manufacturer credibility and longevity. Polycrystalline panels sometimes referred to as multicrystalline panels are popular among homeowners looking to install solar panels on a budget. Polycrystalline solar cells are blended from multiple silicon sources and are slightly less efficient. In addition when you seek polycrystalline solar panels for sale the sellers may highlight the blue hue of these panels compared to the monocrystalline panels black hue.

Monocrystalline solar pv panels were once considered superior to their polycrystalline multicrystalline kin but this is changing as time goes on and technologies improve. Though monocrystalline panels are generally more expensive some households will find. Poly multi crystalline solar panels are slightly cheaper to manufacture than mono crystalline solar panels. The efficiency of polycrystalline solar panels is somewhat lower but the benefit for customers is that this option is more affordable.

As a result polycrystalline solar panels have lower efficiency ratings than monocrystalline panels. It is mainly used in large scale commercial applications. However this doesn t always mean that every monocrystalline solar panel will perform better than every polycrystalline panel. 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.

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. Monocrystalline solar cells are more efficient because they are cut from a single source of silicon. Monocrystalline panels are more efficient reaching efficiencies between 15 20 on average while polycrystalline panels are only 13 16 efficient. However there are certain differences that relate to the types of technology used for the manufacturing of these panels.