Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline and Amorphous Solar Panels

There are 3 main types of solar panels.  Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline and Amorphous.  Additionally, there are hybrids such as Sanyo HIT modules.

• Monocrystalline solar modules are the most expensive and there is a reason for this.  These modules are made from a single large silicon crystal. Typically, a monocrystalline module will begin producing electricity at about 5% of maximum sun energy while a polycrystalline module will start producing power at about 10% maximum sun energy.  This means that the monocrystalline module will produce energy for more hours per day and in lower light conditions.  Additionally, the monocrystalline module will perform better and produce more energy in hot conditions.
• Polycrystalline solar modules are made by taking raw silicon and forming it into an ingot.  This ingot is sliced into cells.  Polycrystalline cells typically are less efficient than monocrystalline as they require slightly more light to start up and they output less energy at higher temperatures.  Typical Polycrystalline modules are the Sharp 208, 216 and 224.
• Amorphous solar comes in a film that is deposited on a substrate.  This substrate can vary and include glass, plastic or metal.  This is often called thin film.  While polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules will have efficiencies of 13% to 15%, amorphous silicon is typically around 8%-9%.  Amorphous silicon is much less expensive.  However, the cost of installation is typically much greater due to the fact that it requires much more area, more material and more labor.
• Sanyo Hybrid modules incorporate the best of both worlds.  Sanyo modules have a monocrystalline core with amorphous silicon deposited on the top and bottom.  The Sanyo HIT modules will start up in very low light, thereby outperforming polycrystalline, will perform 10% better at high temperatures due to the very low temperature coefficients and have the highest efficiency (watts per square foot) available.

When comparing solar systems, many people use peak power, such as, “I would like you to quote a 7kW system”.  Peak power is a number that no system will ever hit unless it experiences a very cool day with direct sunlight and cloud edge effects which reflect and refract additional energy.  The true test of a solar array is how much energy it generates when it is hot or when there are clouds or when the sun is just coming over the horizon.  Peak power is a poor indicator of long term performance.  The best performers, such as Sanyo and Sunpower, do their best work under less than ideal conditions.

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