Tutorial Manthra

The two major types of solar Panels technology available in market are Monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. Both are made from silicon, which is very abundant in nature and very durable element. Many solar panel manufacturers produce both monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels.

Both monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels do the same function, capture energy from the sun and turn it into electricity but there are some key differences between them.

The main difference between the two technologies is the type of silicon solar cell they use: monocrystalline solar panels have solar cells made from a single crystal of silicon, while polycrystalline solar panels have solar cells made from many silicon fragments melted together.

Monocrystalline solar panels

Monocrystalline solar panels also called as single crystalline silicon are generally thought of as a premium solar product. The main advantages of monocrystalline panels are higher efficiencies (15-20%) and sleeker aesthetics.

“Mono” as you know means “single”, as the name indicates, and the monocrystalline solar panel cells are made of single pure silicon crystal and so the composition of these cells is purer and also it gives a uniform appearance across the PV Module.

To make solar cells for monocrystalline solar panels, silicon is formed into bars and cut into wafers. Because the cell is composed of a single crystal, the electrons that generate a flow of electricity have more room to move.

Monocrystalline panels are slightly more efficient than polycrystalline panels. They also perform better in high heat and lower light environments, which means they will produce closer to their rated output in less than ideal conditions.

The main disadvantage is that they cost is higher. Mono panels are a bit more expensive than poly panels of the same wattage.

Mono panels are cut from square silicon wafers and the corners are shaved off to make the distinct cell shape. As a result the wastage in the process of production of monocrystalline panels are more.

Also monocrystalline panels have a uniform black look because the cells are made from a single piece of silicon. Monocrystalline Solar panels are the most efficient solar panel available.

Advantages

• The efficiency of Monocrystalline Solar panels are 15-20%, while the latest monocrystalline solar panels achieves 25% efficiency in the labs and 21% is the verified efficiency.
• Monocrystalline panels requires the least amount of space and so takes up a small area on the roof top.
• The average life of Monocrystalline solar panels are about 25 years while other PV panels manufacturers claims 25 to 30 year life expectancy.
• Its performance is better than polycrystalline at same rating light conditions. In addition, monocrystalline solar panels produce up to four times the amount of Electrical energy as compared to thin film solar panels.
• Monocrystalline panels have a black coloured uniform look which looks good.

Disadvantages

• The main disadvantages of Monocrystalline solar panels is its cost. The initial cost of monocrystalline PV panels is too high compared to thin film solar PV modules or Polycrystalline Solar panels.
• As it is made of single silicon crystal, partially covered area of solar panel with snow, dirt or shade may break the entire circuit of PV.
• The process of making monocrystalline solar cells (called as Czochralski process) ends up as waste of pure silicon. To make silicon wafers and arrays in large cylindrical shape (a process, which used to make monocrystalline Silicon called), the four ends of the PV cells are cut out of the ingots, which result in large amount of pure Silicon waste.
• It tends to be more efficient when the temperature goes up i.e., it works better in warm weather and full sunshine, but it is not a considerable fact for most homeowners.

Polycrystalline solar panels

Polycrystalline solar panels (also called polysilicon or multi-crystalline silicon) generally have lower efficiencies than monocrystalline options, but their advantage is a lower price point. In addition, polycrystalline solar panels tend to have a blue hue instead of the black hue of monocrystalline panels.

Polycrystalline solar panels are also made from silicon. However, instead of using a single crystal of silicon, manufacturers melt many fragments of silicon together and poured into a square mould which is cooled and cut into perfectly squared wafers and arrays. 

So hardly any raw material is thrown out during manufacturing, so it needs less silicon as compared to monocrystalline solar panels and hence polycrystalline panels are less expensive.

The blended makeup of the cells gives poly panels their iconic blue colour. If you look at them up close, you’ll see the texture and colour is uneven due to the way the cells are made.

Because there are many crystals in each cell, there is less freedom for the electrons to move. As a result, polycrystalline solar panels have lower efficiency ratings than monocrystalline panels.

Poly solar panels are slightly less efficient than mono panels due to imperfections in the surface of the solar cells (approximately 13.5-17%). Of course, they’re cheaper to manufacture which means they cost less for the customer.

Advantages

• Polycrystalline solar panels have lower heat tolerance (which means their performance is lower in high temperature as compared to monocrystalline solar panels). Heat may disturb the solar panels and reduce their life.
• Less Expensive as the process to produce the polycrystalline silicon is less complicated and less wasteful method is used.
• It is commonly available and easy to use and replace.

Disadvantages

• The efficiency of polycrystalline solar panels is approximately 13.5-17%.It is slightly less efficient than monocrystalline solar panel.
  • The same surface of polycrystalline PV modules (in size) would produce less power as compare to monocrystalline solar panel (but this is not always the case).
• Because it don’t have a uniform appearance and have a random and odd blue color the look and feel of the panels is not always great.

Comparision

Efficiency

• monocrystalline Panels : High efficiency 17-20%
• polycrystalline Panels: Less efficiency 13-16 %

Design & Looks

• monocrystalline Panels : Made of single silicon cells – all cells are black in color-20%
• polycrystalline Panels: Made of multiple silicon cells – looks  bluish in color

Space

• monocrystalline Panels : Occupies less rooftop space
• polycrystalline Panels: Takes more space

Performance

• monocrystalline Panels : Performs better even in low light
• polycrystalline Panels: Low efficiency in cloudy weather

Price

• monocrystalline Panels : Expensive
• polycrystalline Panels: Relatively low price

Monocrystalline vs. polycrystalline solar panels: which is right for you?

Now that you have understood the different solar technology it is up to you to choose which solar technology you should use for your projects. It all depends on lots of factors such as your available budget, load requirements, the available space for mounting solar panels, environment and region for peak sunshine hours and types of batteries used as backup power etc.

Personal preferences:

If the color of your solar panels is important to you, remember that monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels tend to appear differently on your roof. The typical monocrystalline panel will tend to have a darker black color, while the typical polycrystalline panel will typically come in a bluer color. Also, if where your panels were manufactured is important to you, then ensure you know enough about the company that made your mono or poly solar panels.

Space constraints:

You should prefer higher-efficiency solar panels if your PV system size is limited by the amount of space available on your roof. Because of this, paying the extra cost for more efficient monocrystalline panels that can help you maximize your electricity production will make more sense in these scenarios. Alternatively, if you have a lot of roof space or are installing ground-mounted solar, then lower-efficiency polycrystalline can be a more economic option.

Which Panels Should I Choose For My Project?

To make a fair comparison between products, divide the panel cost by its rated wattage. The result tells you how much power you will generate per dollar you spend.

Once you evaluate pricing on a level playing field, then consider whether other factors (like cell technology or country of origin) play a factor in your decision.