Difference Between Polycrystalline And Multicrystalline Solar Panels

Polycrystalline panels sometimes referred to as multicrystalline panels are popular among homeowners looking to install solar panels on a budget.

Difference between polycrystalline and multicrystalline solar panels.

For the chinese tier 1 solar panel the cost difference between polycrystalline and monocrystalline panels is 1 2 cents per watt. Tindo solar panels using polycrystalline cells. 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. There were a number of reasons for this thinking.

However there are certain differences that relate to the types of technology used for the manufacturing of these panels. When solar pv first boomed in australia in 2009 2010 monocrystalline solar panels were thought to be superior to polycrystalline solar panels. Polycrystalline solar panels are also referred to as multi crystalline or many crystal silicon. In fact both polycrystalline and monocrystalline solar panels serve the purpose well by producing the required amount of electricity for your home.

The efficiency of polycrystalline solar panels is somewhat lower but the benefit for customers is that this option is more affordable. Polycrystalline panels have about 13 to 16 efficiency while monocrystalline panels have an efficiency rate of anywhere from 15 to 20. Manufacturers use silicon in making solar panels. Therefore the primary component of a solar cell is silicon.

This silicon is then cooled and finally sliced into square wafers creating the polycrystalline shape. Polycrystalline solar panels are also made from silicon. You would need a much larger array of polycrystalline panels to produce the same amount of energy than if you used monocrystalline which may not work for households with limited roof space. The key difference between monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels is that comparatively the monocrystalline solar panels are black in color and are more efficient and durable whereas polycrystalline solar panels are blue in color and are less efficient and less durable.

At the wholesale level poly and mono modules from this category examples being canadian solar longi trina or jinko are around 50 cents per watt. However instead of using a single crystal of silicon manufacturers melt many fragments of silicon together to form the wafers for the panel. 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.