Which Solar Panel Is Right For You?

When choosing solar panels, apart from finding the right professional to install them for you, it's crucial that you choose the appropriate panels based on your household needs. Here is a review of the basic types of solar panels to help you find the right one for your home.

Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) Panels

These solar panels are advancements of monocrystalline cells. They have a passivation layer on their cells. This layer improves efficiency. These panels allow you to collect more solar energy within a small space.

PERC panels are slightly more costly to produce than monocrystalline cells. They also have a lower cost per watt because of their efficiency. PERC panels come with an additional efficiency when compared to monocrystalline solar panels.

Monocrystalline Solar Panels

These types of solar panels are made from a single silicon crystal. They usually have black cells due to how light impacts the silicon crystal. However, their frames and back sheets are available in different colors ranging from black to silver.

Monocrystalline panels have a greater power capacity and higher wattage than polycrystalline modules. They also come with high efficiency of up to 20 percent. These panels generate more power compared to polycrystalline panels. 

Polycrystalline Solar Panels

Polycrystalline solar panels are more popular than monocrystalline panels, although they are less efficient. These panels have several silicon crystals in each cell. 

They also have a bluish color because light reflects off of them differently than it does with monocrystalline panels. The efficiency of these panels is between 15 to 17%. They are also cheaper than monocrystalline panels.

Thin-Film Solar Panels

These panels are available in black and blue hues. They are lightweight, portable, and flexible. Thin-film panels are less efficient than the other panels and require the largest surface area of the four common solar panels to produce optimal power. 

Thin-film solar panels are made of different materials. These include cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and amorphous silicon. Thin-film solar panels have an efficiency of up to 11%, making them the least efficient panels in the market.

In Conclusion

When choosing solar panels, you need to compare their efficiency. You also need to look at their power capacity, cost, and the amount of space they require. For example, you should opt for PERC panels for limited space, and for large spaces, you should choose polycrystalline panels. On the other hand, polycrystalline panels are more affordable than PERC panels. If you aren't confident about making these comparisons, talk to a solar company, such as Harmon Solar.

Share