Type of solar Panel and features
Solar panels are those devices which are used to absorb the sun's rays and convert them into electricity or heat.
Solar panel is actually set of photovoltaic modules, mounted on a structure supporting it.
The Benefits of Solar Panels
- Solar panels make it possible to live off-grid.
- It is both a clean and a renewable source of energy.
- Low maintenance cost.
- Once a system has paid for its initial installation costs, the electricity it produces for the remainder of the system's lifespan, which could be as much as 15-20 years depending on the quality of the system, is absolutely free!
Types of Solar Panels
The solar panels can be divided into 4 types,- Monocrystalline solar panels
- Polycrystalline solar panels
- Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact cells (PERC) solar panels
- Thin-film solar panels
1- The monocrystalline solar panels
They are also known as the single crystal panels. They are made from pure silicon crystal which is sliced into several wafers forming cells. These wafers are cut to an octagonal shaped wafer because of which they get their unique look and uniform colour. They can be easily identified by their black or dark blue colour, as they are made from pure silicon.
• The monocrystalline panels display higher heat resistance as compared to other panels, which means that their electricity production capacity is less affected by heat and they produce electricity at a higher efficiency at high temperatures.
• The monocrystalline panels are more expensive as compared to other panels since the manufacturing process of single-crystal silicon cells is complex.
Feature of Monocrystalline Solar Panels
• Monocrystalline solar panels have higher conversion efficiency which means that they produce more kW/hour of electricity.• The monocrystalline panels display higher heat resistance as compared to other panels, which means that their electricity production capacity is less affected by heat and they produce electricity at a higher efficiency at high temperatures.
• The monocrystalline panels are more expensive as compared to other panels since the manufacturing process of single-crystal silicon cells is complex.
2- The polycrystalline solar panels
They are composed of multiple silicon crystals. They are made from silicon fragments that are melted and poured into square moulds. Once these crystals are cooled, they are sliced into thin wafers and assembled together to form a polycrystalline solar panel. They are also known as “multi-crystalline” panels.
• The polycrystalline panels can be identified by the square shape of the cells and shining blue hue with straight edges.
• These panels are more affordable than monocrystalline solar panels as the manufacturing process is simpler and less silicon is wasted during the whole process
Features of Polycrystalline Solar Panels
• Polycrystalline solar panels have lower efficiency than monocrystalline solar panels as they are composed of multiple silicon crystals due to which there is limited room available for the electrons to move.• The polycrystalline panels can be identified by the square shape of the cells and shining blue hue with straight edges.
• These panels are more affordable than monocrystalline solar panels as the manufacturing process is simpler and less silicon is wasted during the whole process
3-Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact cells (PERC) solar panels
They known as ‘rear cells’, PERC solar panels are manufactured using advanced technology. It is done by adding a layer on the back of solar cells. The traditional solar panels absorb sunlight only to some extent and some light passes straight through them. The additional layer in the PERC panels allows this unabsorbed sunlight to be absorbed again from the rear side of the panels, making it even more efficient.
Nowadays, PERC technology is typically combined with Monocrystalline cells to produce high efficiency Mono-PERC panels which have the highest power ratings among commercially available solar panels.
Nowadays, PERC technology is typically combined with Monocrystalline cells to produce high efficiency Mono-PERC panels which have the highest power ratings among commercially available solar panels.
Features of Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) solar panels
• PERC solar panels are more efficient as compared to traditional solar panels as they absorb more sunlight.• There is an additional layer at the back of the panels which reflects the unabsorbed sunlight back to the solar cells for further absorption of the sunlight.
4-Thin-film solar panels
They are manufactured using photovoltaic substances which include Amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe). These substances are deposited onto a solid surface such as glass, metal or plastic making it lighter and easy to install.
• Amorphous silicon (a-Si) – Amorphous silicon panels generally are shapeless in nature and their silicon is unstructured on the molecular level.
• Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) – CIGS is manufactured using a thin layer of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium on a glass or plastic sheet. This makes CIGS most efficient among other thin-film panels due to its higher absorption abilities.
• They are less efficient compared to silicon crystalline panels. However, they have a lesser carbon footprints and are comparatively cheaper than the other panels.
• These types of panels are most suitable for large rooftop areas or places having wide open space.
Types of Thin-film solar panels:
• Cadmium telluride (CdTe) – CdTe solar panels have the lowest carbon footprint, however, the toxicity of cadmium is an environmental concern as it is not easily recycled• Amorphous silicon (a-Si) – Amorphous silicon panels generally are shapeless in nature and their silicon is unstructured on the molecular level.
• Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) – CIGS is manufactured using a thin layer of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium on a glass or plastic sheet. This makes CIGS most efficient among other thin-film panels due to its higher absorption abilities.
Features of Thin-film solar panels
• Thin-film solar cells are comparatively lightweight and more flexible than traditional silicon panels, thus making them easy to install.• They are less efficient compared to silicon crystalline panels. However, they have a lesser carbon footprints and are comparatively cheaper than the other panels.
• These types of panels are most suitable for large rooftop areas or places having wide open space.
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Dipashri Patil
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