Efficiency Results For Polycrystalline Solar Panels

Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how much sunlight that hits the surface area of a solar panel is converted into usable electricity.

Efficiency results for polycrystalline solar panels.

This crystal structure makes the efficiency rate of polycrystalline panels lower than monocrystalline panels. 12 x 270w panels at 16 5 efficiency 3 200 w 12 x 360w panels at 21 2 efficiency 4 300 w. Therefore electricity flow has minimal resistance in these cells. This is the reason it becomes dominant in the market.

Polycrystalline solar panels are also made from silicon. They are available in the market way before than monocrystalline and the efficiency values of these type are between 17 20. Polycrystalline panel efficiency ratings will typically range from 15 to 17. Photovoltaic modules are tested at a temperature of 25 degrees c stc about 77 degrees f and depending on their installed location heat can reduce output efficiency by 10 25.

However it is cheaper than the monocrystalline and by which they can be produced couple with lower efficiency. 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. It may seem counter intuitive but solar panel efficiency is affected negatively by temperature increases. Polycrystalline solar panels generally have lower efficiencies than monocrystalline options but their advantage is a lower price point.

Reflectance efficiency is determined by how much sunlight is reflected back instead of absorbed and put to use. The less reflection in solar cells the better. So if a solar panel has an efficiency rating of 15 that means 15 of the sunlight that hits the solar panels will be converted into electricity. Although polycrystalline solar panels are not better than monocrystalline efficiency.

However thanks to new technologies polycrystalline panels are now much closer in efficiency to monocrystalline solar panels than they have been in the past. On the other hand although one of the advantages of polycrystalline solar panels is their lower price but their efficiency is also lower between 14 and 16 percent due to their reduced silicon purity. As a result these panels tend to cost less than the more efficient monocrystalline panels. In addition polycrystalline solar panels tend to have a blue hue instead of the black hue of monocrystalline panels.

Polycrystalline panels are typically less efficient due to their more fragmented composition.