Monocrystalline panels are also characterized by their color which is black or a very deep blue.
Efficientcy solar panel types.
So if a solar panel has an efficiency rating of 15 that means 15 of the sunlight that hits the solar panels will be converted into electricity.
Thanks to their uniform crystal structure monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency among the types commercially available which is above 20.
These three types of panels don t share the same efficiency rates or physical characteristics but none of the three is a clear winner in every category.
Polycrystalline refers to the makeup of the solar cells in each type of panel.
Monocrystalline polycrystalline or thin film.
Monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels.
Monocrystalline solar panels can reach efficiencies higher than 20 percent while polycrystalline solar panels usually have efficiencies between 15 to 17 percent.
Of all panel types monocrystalline typically have the highest efficiencies and power capacity.
Iconic solar panel manufacturers of monocrystalline technologies are sunpower lg and jinkosolar.
Remarkable panel manufacturers of this technology are gcl trina solar and kyocera.
However most panels fall into one of three categories.
Monocrystalline refers to solar cells cut from a single source of silicon as opposed to polycrystalline solar cells which are made up of numerous silicon crystals melted together.
On the other hand polycrystalline solar panels have average efficiency values between 12 and 18 and a lifespan of 23 27 years.