You’ll likely work with a professional solar installer to select the best solar panels for your home, but it’s good to inform yourself about the different types of panels available. Our team has spent more than 300 hours researching the solar industry and compiled this guide to different types of solar panels. We’ll cover variations in design, materials, efficiency ratings, and more.
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Solar Panel Materials
Committing to going solar can be easy, but navigating the installation process may feel overwhelming. Doing some research can help you better understand solar technology and decide what system to install.
Solar panels are made up of dozens of photovoltaic cells (also called PV cells) that absorb the sun’s energy and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. Most home solar systems include an inverter, which changes the DC electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity—the kind needed to power your home. Solar batteries can store unused energy for use at night or during an outage.
Though there are many brands and styles of solar panels, there are only three main types: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. Moncrystalline and polycrystalline panels are used for residential installations, while thin-film panels are more common for small solar projects, such as powering an RV or shed.
Monocrystalline Solar Panels
Monocrystalline solar panels—or mono panels—are made from a single silicon crystal. These are the most common type of solar panels for residential systems because they’re more efficient and better suited for roofs with limited space.
There are two kinds of monocrystalline panels: passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) panels and bifacial panels. PERC panels have a conductive layer added to the backside of cells to increase energy absorptions, whereas bifacial panels can absorb light on both sides and at a higher rate than PERC panels. For this reason, PERC panels are most commonly used for rooftop installations while bifacial panels are typically reserved for ground-mounted systems that leave both sides of the panels exposed.
Bifacial panels are also used on awnings, canopies, and rack-mounted installations on white commercial roofs with high albedo, or the fraction of light that a surface reflects.
Monocrystalline Solar Panel Design
Monocrystalline panels are mostly solid black but have some white space throughout. The black design makes them less noticeable on a rooftop.
Monocrystalline Solar Panel Materials
Monocrystalline solar cells are manufactured using the Czochralski method, in which a seed crystal of silicon is placed into a molten vat of pure silicon at a high temperature. That creates a single silicon crystal, or ingot, that’s divided into thinner wafers. Those wafers make up the solar panels.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Polycrystalline panels are made using earlier solar technology, so they’re more affordable than the newer monocrystalline variety. However, because the technology is older, polycrystalline panels are not as efficient as their modern counterpart.
Polycrystalline Solar Panel Design
Polycrystalline panels have a blue hue that’s somewhat marbled in appearance, so there are some variations in color and consistency among panels. Homeowners who don’t want to distract from their curb appeal should opt for monocrystalline over polycrystalline panels.
Polycrystalline Solar Panel Materials
Polycrystalline panels are made of silicon solar cells, the same as monocrystalline panels. The difference is in the cooling process for polycrystalline panels, which creates multiple crystals rather than just one.
Thin-Film Solar Panels
Thin-film solar cells are less efficient than monocrystalline and polycrystalline varieties, so they’re more often used in large industrial solar installations in which space is not a constraint. Thin-film panels can also be a good option for small solar projects, such as powering a boat, and small commercial buildings, such as warehouses, with thin metal roofs.
Thin-Film Solar Panel Design
Thin-film panels have the sleekest appearance among the three panel types. They’re completely black, flat, and flexible in shape and size, so they blend easily on roofs. They also don’t require the scaffolding that monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels often do.
However, thin-film panels are not very efficient. You’d need many more—perhaps even enough to cover your entire rooftop—to generate enough power for a home. That means higher overall costs and increased instances of panel issues, failures, and degradation over time, which is why they’re not used for residential installations.
Thin-Film Solar Panel Materials
Thin-film panels are created by placing a thin layer of a photovoltaic substance, such as amorphous silicon or cadmium telluride, onto a solid surface, often glass. The photovoltaic substance used in the manufacturing process creates different thin-film panels, including some that are highly flexible.
