Types of solar panel systems you can choose from
There are several solar panels available for home installation you can choose from. Following are the types of solar system panels that can be used for powering up several home appliances.
Monocrystalline
The type that started it all, monocrystalline panels, originated in the 1950s. The cells are cut from silicon in a cylindrical fashion, each cell resembles the shape of wafer. A group of tens of wafers make up a monocrystalline panel.
Warranties often last for 25 years, as these panels perform better in low-light conditions than their polycrystalline counterparts. Since they are of a superior quality, these panels are also costly. The manufacturing process produces significant waste.
Polycrystalline
Unlike cutting silicon in the form of wafer shapes, manufacturers pour silicon into a mold to form polycrystalline panels. Polycrystalline types of panels are a good option for many residential solar panel systems. The manufacturing process produces little waste, and the technology allows for a cost-effective panel. Efficiency is lower, than its other counterparts. The panels require more space when installed to produce the same electrical output as a panel constructed from monocrystalline.
Thin film
Thin-film solar panels are manufactured by putting down multiple layers of a photo-voltaic element, such as amorphous silicon or organic photo-voltaic cells. Thin film solar panels are lightweight, and are not affected by factors like shading or obstructions. These panels are easy to mass manufacture, hence they are an affordable option. Most thin-film panels offer very low performance, swinging between 7 and 13 percent, they have an average operating efficiency of about 9 percent. These panels generally require a lot of space. As a result, they are not fit for commercial applications. For most residential installations, with strict space constraints, thin film solar panel systems don’t work well.
In most cases, thin-film panels don’t last long and quickly succumb to the effects of weather conditions. Hence typically a manufacturer may not offer a long warranty to go along with a thin-film panel.
There are a number of websites on the Internet that you can use to compare and buy a particular type of panel. Some of the popular websites include wholesalesolar.com, gogreensolar.com, etimates.solar etc.