What Types of Solar Panels are there?
Once you have ascertained what size solar panel system you may need , the next step is to decide what kind of solar system will meet your household requirements . This should not all ways be based solely on budget , because solar panel efficiency , longevity,warranty , and space required are all important factors. Too often people base there purchasing decisions on price only and ask why no-one picks up the phone from the “fly by night company” you purchased your solar power system from when in 3 years your inverter dies or your output is halved or significantly reduced . But its also important to understand that there are different qualities of solar power brisbane systems on the market and you should compare “apples with apples”, “not apples with oranges”. So although there are 3 main types of solar panels ; Mono crystalline,Polycrystalline, and thin-film or Amorphous its important to recognize the advantages and disadvantages of both . If your main hurdle for purchasing panels is price, then I suggest you compare “like with like” so its silly to judge the price of Mono with the latest Amorphous panel and make your purchasing decision based from price alone.
One of the most important distinctions to make regarding solar power systems is the different Wattages available. Watts are related to the output of each panel, so a 200W solar panel would output 200 watts per hour. Expect to pay twice the price of a 100W solar panel .
Warranties
Solar PV panels come with a performance warranty that may last up to 25 years and a guarantee of five to ten years. As well, installers can provide a warranty on installation work , typically five years. So why not ask your solar power company who is providing the warranty–the importer or the manufacturer–and what happens if something breaks or malfunctions .
There are three main types of solar panel systems available, each with their own benefits.
Mono crystalline cells
Mono crystalline solar panels are proven and trustworthy technology, used over the past 50 years and is still common in every day solar power applications . They have the highest conversion efficiency, at 12-18% of all sunlight. Because these have the highest power to size ratio, they’re one of the best option if you’ve have limited roof space. They also degrade very slowly, generally losing 0.25 – 0.5% per year. Their lifespan can be 25 years, even up to 50 years if they panels are being taken care of and maintained and cleaned on a regular basis .
Disadvantages: Mono crystalline cells sometimes don’t perform as well as other solar panels in shady conditions and they are quite fragile. They are more expensive to manufacture due to their complexity.
Polycrystalline cells
Polycrystalline compares well in performance and longevity to mono crystalline, and provide efficiency of 12-13%. Well known brands include Sharp, Kyocera, SX & BP .
Both crystalline panels have great longevity (around 25 years). Both work optimally at 25oC and will lose some efficiency at higher temperatures (over 50oC) – common in our summer .
Amorphous Thin Film
Thin film panels mostly have a much lower efficiency at 6%, however,Cadmium Telluride Thin-Film panels (CdTe) have progressed to 11% efficiency. These are more suitable for inland Australia conditions where space is no problem and temperatures are hot . Amorphous panels will never lose energy in higher heats.
Disadvantages are: expected lifespan is less, there is a 3-6 month breaking in period, and they typically require 2-3 times the roof area for the same output of crystalline cells.
When choosing, remember to focus on the goal of recouping your initial costs through savings in electricity . The more efficient and higher Watt panels will do this faster . However, if you are looking at solar farms in the middle of Australia where temperatures routinely get above 40 degrees Celsius and there is a bit of cloud cover as these panels work much better in the shade also then these panels may be for you .
