How Efficient is Your Solar Panel

Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 1:25 pm

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When looking for solar panels cheap, or actually cheap solar panels on the internet, you have probably at some point run into lots of talk about this one and that one, but not much as far as how expensive they are. The most common situation is that you have to call for a price. However, before you buy anything, make sure that you know what type of panels are the best ones for your situation. There are basically four types.

The first type and the most efficient is called the monocrystalline panel. This type is made by a single piece or crystal of silicon. They are the most expensive, and tend to do very well with lower light conditions.

The second type happens to be the easiest to find in the market place and is called the polycrystalline panel. They are less expensive to make, and are comparable to more expensive panel types. They are made from a single crystal of silicon.

Amorphous solar panels are the third type, and tend to be cheap to make, however they are not as efficient as their mono or polycrystalline brothers. Molten silicon is spread over big stainless steel plates in a process which is called “the thin film process”. Since this type of panel can recharge, even though some of its cells are in shadow, they are used quite often on boats.

There is a new option out on the market which has investors very happy with high reviews and lower production costs. They are called CIGS, and are made with a new thin-film technology. They are similar in technology to amorphous panels, however the efficiency is much better.

Just like on a new care the gas mileage is stated, solar panels also have a rating called an “efficiency rating”. Each type of panel has a different rating based on testing results. The ratings of the different panels are as follows:

Monocrystalline – 18% average
Polycrystalline – 15% average
Amorphous – 10% average
CIGS- (Copper, Indium, Gallium, and Selenium) – 19.9% average

Panel degradation is also a factor and each panel is a bit different. Based on testing, the amorphous panel degrades about one percent per year, with the monocrystalline panel degrading about half of that. This means that a monocrystalline panel will last between 25 and possibly 50 years.

When you buy solar panels, make sure that you take into account the efficiency and degradation ratings. Make sure that you have a warranty which can be as much as 25 years.

If you want to buy solar panels cheap, consider everything involved. One percentage point plays a significant amount when talking about efficiency over the life of the panel. Be careful when buying used panels as you will not have a good idea if it works well or not.