The technology used in solar panels, known as photovoltaics, has come a long way in the last couple of decades. Solar panels are now a common sight on homes and businesses all over the world, but many people don’t realise there are several different types of photovoltaics. In this blog, we are looking at the differences between two of the main kinds of solar panels – polycrystalline and monocrystalline.

Polycrystalline versus monocrystalline solar panels 

Monocrystalline panels use relatively large crystals grown into cylindrical shapes, which are then thinly sliced to form individual photovoltaic cells. Polycrystalline panels are made by pouring molten silicon into moulds that match the desired shape of the finished cell.

Cost

Polycrystalline panels are cheaper due to the simpler manufacturing process and minimal wastage of silicon. Monocyrstalline panels require a more complicated procedure to make and have to be trimmed down to allow the cells to better fit together, resulting in a fair amount of wasted silicon.

When choosing your solar panels, one of the most important things to consider is the cost per watt that your installation can generate. So if, for example, your installation costs £1000 and could generate 1kW (1000 watts) then your cost per watt would be £1.  Because polycrystalline panels are cheaper, they often offer a much better cost per watt than monocrystalline panels.

Efficiency

Monocrystalline panels can sometimes be more efficient than polycrystalline panels because they have a purer structure. This means a higher percentage of the available light makes it through the crystals. However, the difference in efficiency between the two types of panels is much less than it once was due to advances in polycrystalline technology.

You also have to account for the fact that the rounded shape of the crystals used for monocrystalline panels means they do not fit together as well, leaving gaps between cells. Polycrystalline cells can be made to fit perfectly together, guaranteeing no wasted space on panels.

Metrotile’s photovoltaic

We use polycrystalline panels for all of our photovoltaic roof tiles and panels as we have found that these provide the best return on investment for our customers. Each of our panels contains fourteen cells and produces a peak output of 52 watts, meaning 20 panels can provide a kilowatt of electricity. To put that in context, average annual consumption per UK household for 2013 was 4,192 kilowatt hours which works out to (kWh) 11.5kWh per day.

One big advantage with our systems is that each cell is fully independent of the others. This means if one cell fails, the rest of the installation will keep working, unlike many other systems on the market.

To find out more about our photovoltaic systems, or any of our other products, call Metrotile today on 01249 658 514 or use our contact form for a swift response.