Crystalline Solar Panel Efficiency

Sunpower is the world s largest producer of crystalline solar panels.

Crystalline solar panel efficiency.

This is the percentage of power that falls on each solar cell that is converted into useable solar power. Crystalline silicon cells are further categorized as either monocrystalline silicon cells that offer high efficiencies 13 19 but are more difficult to manufacture or polycrystalline also called multicrystalline silicon cells that have lower efficiencies 9 14 but are less expensive and easier to manufacture. Crystalline silicon pv cells have laboratory energy conversion efficiencies over 25 for single crystal cells and over 20 for multicrystalline cells. In 2017 the sunpower x22 360w premium plus solar panel entered the market and has the highest efficiency for commercially available worldwide.

The average efficiency of solar panels falls between the 17 to 19 percent efficiency range. For example a solar panel with 20 efficiency and an area of 1 m 2 will produce 200 kwh yr at standard test conditions but it can produce more when the sun is high in the sky and will produce less in cloudy conditions or when the sun is low in the sky. As a result monocrystalline panels are more efficient than their polycrystalline counterparts. Amorphous solar panels offer around a 7 efficiency rate while mono and poly crystalline panels have efficiency ratings of anywhere from 14 to 20.

If a solar panel has 20 percent efficiency that means it s capable of converting 20 percent of the sunshine hitting it into electricity. It s module efficiency is 15 1. Monocrystalline panel efficiencies can range from 17 to 22. Because monocrystalline solar cells are made out of a single crystal of silicon electrons are able to flow easier through the cell which makes the pv cell efficiency higher than other types of solar panels.

The highest efficiency solar panels on the market today can reach almost 23 percent efficiency. Monocrystalline solar panels usually have the highest efficiency and power capacity out of all types of solar panels. Attempts to raise the efficiency of amorphous panels by stacking several layers each in tune to different wavelengths of light has proven somewhat effective but the overall efficiency of these types of thin film panels is low compared to other options. Crystalline silicon pv cells are the most common solar cells used in commercially available solar panels representing more than 85 of world pv cell market sales in 2011.

12 x 360w panels at 21 2 efficiency 4 300 w. For example 12 x high efficiency 360w solar panels such as those from lg or sunpower with a 21 2 conversion efficiency will provide up to 1100w 1 1kw more total solar capacity than the same number and size 270w panels with a lower 16 5 efficiency. Mono crystalline and multi crystalline solar panels cell efficiencies notice on the picture above the rec multi crystalline 250w solar panel as used by gold coast solar power solutions.