TYPES OF SOLAR PANELS

The solar panels can be divided into 4 major categories:

1. Monocrystalline Solar Panels

The monocrystalline solar panels are also known as the single crystal panels. They are made from pure silicon crystal which is sliced into several wafers forming cells. These wafers are cut to an octagonal shaped wafer because of which they get their unique look and uniform colour. They can be easily identified by their black or dark blue colour, as they are made from pure silicon

Feature of Monocrystalline Solar Panels

• Monocrystalline solar panels have higher conversion efficiency which means that they produce more kW/hour of electricity. It is because they are composed of a single silicon crystal which allows more space for the electrons to move.

• The monocrystalline panels display higher heat resistance as compared to other panels, which means that their electricity production capacity is less affected by heat and they produce electricity at a higher efficiency at high temperatures.

• The monocrystalline panels are more expensive as compared to other panels since the manufacturing process of single-crystal silicon cells is complex.

• Thin-film solar panels

2. Polycrystalline Solar Panels

The polycrystalline solar panels are composed of multiple silicon crystals. They are made from silicon fragments that are melted and poured into square molds. Once these crystals are cooled, they are sliced into thin wafers and assembled together to form a polycrystalline solar panel. They are also known as “multi-crystalline” panels.

Features of Polycrystalline Solar Panels

• Polycrystalline solar panels have lower efficiency than monocrystalline solar panels as they are composed of multiple silicon crystals due to which there is limited room available for the electrons to move.

• The polycrystalline panels can be identified by the square shape of the cells and shining blue hue with straight edges.

• These panels are more affordable than monocrystalline solar panels as the manufacturing process is simpler and less silicon is wasted during the whole process.

3. Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) Solar Panels

Also known as ‘rear cells’, PERC solar panels are manufactured using advanced technology. It is done by adding a layer on the back of solar cells. The traditional solar panels absorb sunlight only to some extent and some light passes straight through them. The additional layer in the PERC panels allows this unabsorbed sunlight to be absorbed again from the rear side of the panels, making it even more efficient.
Nowadays, PERC technology is typically combined with Monocrystalline cells to produce high efficiency Mono-PERC panels which have the highest power ratings among commercially available solar panels

Features of Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) solar panels

• PERC solar panels are more efficient as compared to traditional solar panels as they absorb more sunlight.

• There is an additional layer at the back of the panels which reflects the unabsorbed sunlight back to the solar cells for further absorption of the sunlight.

4. Thin-film Solar Panels

Unlike monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels, thin-film solar panels are manufactured using photovoltaic substances which include Amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe). These substances are deposited onto a solid surface such as glass, metal or plastic making it lighter and easy to install.

Features of Thin-film solar panels

• Thin-film solar cells are comparatively lightweight and more flexible than traditional silicon panels, thus making them easy to install.

• They are less efficient compared to silicon crystalline panels. However, they have a lesser carbon footprints and are comparatively cheaper than the other panels.

• These types of panels are most suitable for large rooftop areas or places having wide open space.