Solar panels - the different types available

Solar panels - the different types available

This article is concerned with photovoltaic solar panels, which generate electricity, rather than the different types of thermal panels, which generate hot water.

Solar panels are becoming more and more popular as they are becoming more affordable, which is due to a different manufacturing process.

The original large scale manufactured photovoltaic panels are monocrystalline. These are still thought of as extremely good. In terms of efficiency relating to the amount of space they occupy, these are the best since they produce the most power per panel.

The next generation of solar energy systems came in the form of polycrystalline panels. These are less efficient compared to monocrystalline panels in terms of the amount of electricity that they can generate per unit of surface area. However, the advantage with these panels is that they are cheaper to manufacture. This means that they are actually more efficient in terms of cost. To produce one kilowatt with polycrystalline solar panels is actually cheaper than to produce one kilowatt of energy with monocrystalline panels.

Following the introduction of these two systems, several new types of solar panels have been introduced, although they are not yet in common use. The direction these new technologies have taken is towards cheaper manufacturing processes, involving silicon being sprayed onto the panels, rather than layers of it being used. This generally means that the newest types of panels are very inexpensive to make, but the problem is that they do not transfer solar energy as efficiently. Therefore, whilst it is constantly getting cheaper to produce a certain amount of power, the amount of roof space that solar panels require is actually increasing.

If you decide to install a solar power system on your roof, ask during the quote process what the technology used in the panels will be, and bear in mind the above - whilst some of the cheaper panels may seem like a good deal, they may be up to 30% larger in area than more expensive panels. Of course, to many this is no problem at all, although some people may not find the appearance of very large installations on their roof attractive, or practical!

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