Yash
Installing Solar panels is a great way to power your home.
Polycrystalline or Monocrystalline both absorb the sunlight and produce electricity.
Which in turn runs our electrical appliances.
Also, both types are made from silicon cells.
Silicon is a semiconductor material that is found abundantly in the earth’s crust.
It has an atomic number of 14.
Despite basic similarities in Mono and Polycrystalline solar panels.
There are certain key differences between these two that will help you in choosing the right type for your home. Let us understand these differences.
The manufacturing process of Mono and Poly-crystalline solar panels
Mono and Poly have different manufacturing processes.
In monocrystalline cells, the silicon wafers are solidified.
And this is a complex process that requires high-technology machinery.
In polycrystalline cells, the silicon fragments are melted together and poured into the molds.
Upon solidification, it is cut into equal size cells.
Efficiency
The mono-crystalline solar panels are more efficient than polycrystalline ones.
Efficiency is the ability of a solar panel to convert sunlight into electricity.
Read: The most efficient solar panels in the world
The concept of efficiency in solar panels still confuses many.
Let us clear it up with an example:
I have 2 solar panels one is 200 watts monocrystalline solar panel with 20% efficiency and another is 200 watts polycrystalline solar panel with 15% efficiency.
Both have the same power rating of 200 watts.
Both will produce the same power under STC.
Then how do the efficiency values of 15% and 20% make a difference?
Here the efficiency is discussed in terms of the surface area of a solar panel. The solar panel which has more efficiency occupies less space (less surface area) than the one which is less efficient.
In simple words,
- Less Efficiency: More surface area
- More Efficiency: Less surface area
Aesthetics
Polycrystalline solar panels are made from fragments of silicon.
They appear blue and have non-uniform color distribution.
Whereas, monocrystalline solar panels have shades of black and are uniform in color.
Read: Why my solar panels appear blue in colour?
The monocrystalline solar panels look more aesthetic and sleeker in design than the polycrystalline solar panels.
Response to high-temperature
Any solar panel starts losing its power as its cell temperature increases beyond 25ᴼC.
The amount of power lost with every degree rise in the temperature is defined by the temperature coefficient of power.
It is measured in %/ᴼC and its value is negative.
For example, a solar panel a 200 watts solar panel has a temperature coefficient of power value of -0.40%/ᴼC.
This means a 1-degree rise in its cell temperature above 25 ᴼC.
It will lose 0.4% of its P(max).
Which are -0.8 watts (0.4% of 200 watts).
(The negative sign indicates the power loss).
The monocrystalline solar panels have a lower-temperature power coefficient than the polycrystalline ones.
Which means that they are more immune to temperature-related losses.
Cost
As discussed above the manufacturing process of polycrystalline solar panels is comparatively less complex than that of monocrystalline ones.
Therefore, polycrystalline solar panels are cheaper than monocrystalline solar panels.
Which solar panel is better (Mono- Or Poly-) for my home?
The suitability of any solar panel depends on the conditions and the requirements of the user.
If ample shade-free space is available to the user.
In that case, poly-crystalline solar panels are preferred.
A large number of polycrystalline solar panels make the overall solar power system more economical.
But in the limited space, highly efficient monocrystalline solar panels are preferred over polycrystalline ones.
They produce more power even in a limited space.
For aesthetics-conscious people, monocrystalline solar panels look more visually appealing and sleeker than polycrystalline solar panels.
For people living in cooler regions, polycrystalline solar panels work fine.
But for people living in hot type of climates, monocrystalline solar panels are preferred as they perform better in high temperatures than polycrystalline solar panels.
For budget-conscious people, polycrystalline solar panels are the right choice as they are cheaper than monocrystalline solar panels of similar capacities.
The profitability of any solar power system depends on many factors which can be easily determined by Solar Feasibility Spreadsheet.
Image Source: Canva
