Compare Solar Panels

    Compare Solar Panels is the most comprehensive and up-to-date solar panel comparison service on the internet. Compare the specifications of 10,000+ solar modules. Solar Cell Comparison Chart provides a quick overview over the different cell types, their benefits and how they compare against each other.

    Monocrystalline

    Advantages

    • Monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates since they are made out of the highest-grade silicon. The efficiency rates of monocrystalline solar panels are typically 15-20%.
      SunPower produces the highest efficiency solar panels on the U.K. market today. Their E20 series provide panel conversion efficiencies of up to 20.1%. Update (April, 2013): SunPower has now released the X-series at a record-breaking efficiency of 21.5%.
    • Monocrystalline silicon solar panels are space-efficient. Since these solar panels yield the highest power outputs, they also require the least amount of space compared to any other types.
    • Monocrystalline solar panels produce up to four times the amount of electricity as thin-film solar panels.
    • Monocrystalline solar panels live the longest. Most solar panel manufacturers put a 25-year warranty on their monocrystalline solar panels. Tend to perform better than similarly rated polycrystalline solar panels at low-light conditions.

     

    polycrystalline

    Advantages

    • The process used to make polycrystalline silicon is simpler and cost less. The amount of waste silicon is less compared to monocrystalline.
    • Polycrystalline solar panels tend to have slightly lower heat tolerance than monocrystalline solar panels. This technically means that they perform slightly worse than monocrystalline solarpanels in high temperatures. Heat can affect the performance of solar panels and shorten their lifespans. However, this effect is minor, and most homeowners do not need to take it into account.

     

    Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)

    Advantages

    • Mass-production is simple. This makes them and potentially cheaper to manufacture than crystalline- based solar cells.
    • Their homogenous appearance makes them look more appealing.
    • Can be made flexible, which opens up many new potential applications.
    • High temperatures and shading have less impact on solar panel performance.
    • In situations where space is not an issue, thin-film solar panels can make sense.
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