22
2024
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04
How many types of solar panels are there and what kind of solar panel should be chosen
Author:
There are three types of solar panels commonly used today: single crystal solar panels, polycrystalline solar panels, and thin film solar panels. Solar panels are composed of dozens of photovoltaic cells (also known as solar cells) that absorb sunlight and convert energy into direct current (DC) electricity. Most solar systems include an inverter that converts direct current into alternating current, which can then power household appliances. In addition, backup batteries can store unused solar energy for use at night or during power outages.
Single crystal solar panels. Single crystal solar panels are the most popular and widely used solar panels today, especially in rooftop solar panel installations. They are composed of monocrystalline silicon. During production, the "seed" crystals of silicon are placed in a pure silicon melt at high temperatures, forming a single crystalline silicon crystal called a silicon ingot. It is cut into thin silicon wafers and then used to make solar panels. Nowadays, there are various single crystal solar panels available on the market, with passive emitters and back contact cells (commonly referred to as PERC solar panels) being the most popular single crystal silicon solar panels. Single crystal solar panels can only absorb sunlight to a certain extent, and some light will directly pass through them. The additional layer in the PERC panel allows these unabsorbed sunlight to be absorbed again from the back of the panel, making it more efficient. In fact, PERC solar panels are currently the most efficient solar panels in the world for conversion.
Polycrystalline solar panels. Similar to single crystal panels, polycrystalline panels are made of silicon, but the cooling process is different, which produces multiple crystals instead of one. Due to its manufacturing process, polycrystalline panels have a blue tone and some marble patterns on the appearance. Of course, there may be some differences in color and consistency between panels. Polycrystalline solar panels belong to the earlier developed solar panel technology, which is cheaper than single crystal solar panels. However, due to the older technology, polycrystalline panels are not as efficient as more modern solar panels. Polycrystalline solar panels cannot support well even at high temperatures, so it is not recommended to use them in hot climates throughout the year.
Thin film solar panels. Due to its lower efficiency, thin-film solar cells are more commonly used in large utility and industrial solar installations with unrestricted space. Thin film solar panels are made by depositing a thin layer of photovoltaic material on a solid surface (such as glass). These photovoltaic materials include amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe). Each of these materials produces a different type of solar panel, but they all belong to the category of thin-film solar cells. During the manufacturing process, photovoltaic materials form a thin and lightweight sheet, which in some cases is flexible. Thin film panels, due to their completely black, flat, flexible shape and size, do not require the use of support structures like single crystal and polycrystalline panels when installed on roofs. Due to the low efficiency of thin film panels, they often require larger areas to be laid, and over time, this may face higher overall costs and panel aging issues.
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