A lot hinges on the type of solar panels you choose to install. High-quality panels from a reputable manufacturer can last decades and save you a great deal on electricity costs over the years. On the other hand, panels from manufacturers who prioritize initial cost over long-term performance can leave you with an underperforming system that won&#;t stand up to the test of time. Learning how to choose the best solar panels is an important step in creating a long-lasting, money-saving solar system. First, you&#;ll need to narrow down your aesthetic, budgetary, and energy production goals. Then, you can filter through all the options and end up with the perfect solar panels.
Link to OUSHANG SOLAR
We want to help you make the choice that&#;s right for you and your goals. That&#;s why we&#;ve assembled a list of six things you should consider when selecting your solar panels.
How to Choose the Best Solar Panels - Top 6 Considerations
1. Comparing Solar Panel Types - Monocrystalline vs Polycrystalline
There are two main types of solar panels: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Which one you choose will impact the overall look of your system, its cost, how much electricity it will produce, and how much space your system will cover.
Monocrystalline panels have an overall darker tint to the cells and are typically the more efficient option. Panels with a higher efficiency mean you can produce more electricity with fewer panels, so your overall system takes up less space. However, for all their advantages, monocrystalline panels are often the more expensive option.
Polycrystalline panels have a bluer tint and are typically less efficient than monocrystalline, meaning you&#;d need a few more panels to generate the same amount of electricity. However, they do often come at a lower price, and despite the additional panels you&#;ll need, will likely be the cheaper option. For a more in depth breakdown of cost, check out our complete guide about how much solar panels cost.
2. Panel Color: The Back Sheet and Frame
Another way you can control the look and price of your solar system is through the selection of backsheet and frame color.
Each panel is composed of several silicon cells that are placed on a back sheet. This back sheet shows through the gaps between the cells and creates a grid-type design. Some manufacturers offer solar panels with black back sheets instead of the typical white.
Black back sheets create a more uniform-looking panel that blends into darker roofs. However, black holds heat, so black back sheets may get hotter than traditional panels, which could slightly reduce the panels&#; efficiency.
There are also two options when it comes to the color of the metal frame around the borders of the panels: black and silver. Black frame panels can be more aesthetically appealing but will cost more. Aside from that, both black- and silver-frame panels should perform identically.
3. Determining the Right Solar Panel Size for Your Home or Business
Solar panels come in two different sizes: 60-cell and 72-cell. The size refers to the number of cells (the small, crystalline silicon wafer) on the solar panel. On average, 72-cell panels are about a foot longer than 60-cell panels.
Their larger size makes 72-cell panels better suited for large, wide-open spaces like commercial roofs and ground-mount systems. 60-cell panels are typically better suited to fit in tighter spaces, like on the dormer of a home&#;s roof. However, this isn&#;t a hard and fast rule and will vary from location to location.
Overall, 72-cell panels tend to be more economical, as they generate more electricity per panel than an otherwise identical 60-cell panel.
4. Panel Production: Output Rating and Efficiency
Both the panel&#;s output rating and efficiency will impact how much power it can produce.
The output rating is the three-digit number in the solar panel&#;s name. It represents how many watts of electricity the panel will generate under ideal conditions.
Most panels have a wattage between 250 watts to 400 watts, with a few panels exceeding the 400-watt mark. A higher wattage means more electricity generated per panel, but it will likely mean a higher price tag. Though you&#;ll need fewer panels to reach your generation goals, it likely won&#;t offset the price increase.
However, wattage isn&#;t the only thing to look for. You should also consider the panel&#;s efficiency, which is the percentage of electricity it produces from the energy it receives from the sun.
The more efficient a solar panel is, the more kilowatt-hours of electricity it will produce per watt of power capacity. This is especially important if you&#;re concerned about the amount of space your solar system takes up.
For example, let&#;s compare two 300-watt solar panels: one that&#;s 21% efficient and another that&#;s 17% efficient. Both will produce 300 watts of power under ideal conditions. However, the one that has a higher efficiency will be physically smaller and take up less space than the one that is less efficient. So if you have high electric bills and a small amount of space to install your solar system, you&#;ll want to look for efficient panels.
5. What Kind of Solar Panel Warranty Will You Be Getting?
An important indication of overall panel quality is a robust warranty from the manufacturer. Many high-quality solar panels are guaranteed for 25 to 30 years and can continue working even after their warranty expires.
Purchasing solar panels that will last is essential to the long-term success of your system. The longer your solar panels generate electricity, the more money you save. Purchasing panels backed by a comprehensive warranty will help guarantee their success.
Most manufacturers offer two kinds of warranties: performance and product warranties. The performance warranty assures that the panel will be capable of producing a specified percentage of power during the warranty period despite degradation. The production warranty protects your panels from material or workmanship issues.
6. Overall Quality and Brand Considerations - What Makes a Good Solar Panel?
You want the highest quality solar panels at the best price. However, there are a few important factors to consider when evaluating the quality of a specific solar panel.
To get a true measure of a solar panel&#;s quality, you&#;ll want to look at its guarantee, the manufacturer's reputation, customer reviews, and the panel&#;s technical specifications for efficiency, temperature coefficient, and power tolerance.
Another way to measure a solar panel brand, though imperfect, is by looking at what &#;tier&#; the solar panel manufacturer falls under. When researching different brands, you&#;ll likely come across lists that separate manufacturers into tier one, and even tier two and three, though there is no formal definition for tiers two and three.
Most assume tier-one solar panel manufacturers tend to be the stronger brands. However, this isn&#;t necessarily the case. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance Corporation (BNEF), the tier system for solar panel manufacturers refers to how bankable a solar company is. While it&#;s fair to reason that a bankable company must have quality products, there are plenty of companies out there that do not meet the tier-one specifications but offer great, high-quality panels.
Overall Quality
Quality is a comprehensive measure that encompasses several aspects of a solar panel, including:
- Efficiency: Higher efficiency panels convert more sunlight into electricity, which is especially important in limited space scenarios.
- Durability: Look for panels that can withstand environmental conditions like high winds, snow loads, and temperature fluctuations. Standards such as IEC can be indicators of durability.
- Performance in Different Climates: This section addresses how the performance of solar panels can vary in warm climates and the importance of temperature coefficients.
Brand Reputation
The manufacturer's reputation can be a strong indicator of panel quality. Consider the following:
- History and Experience: Brands with a long history in the industry and a track record of innovation and reliability are often preferable.
- Financial Stability: A financially stable company is more likely to honor warranties and be around to service any future claims.
- Customer Reviews and Industry Ratings: Feedback from real users and ratings from industry organizations can provide insight into the brand's reputation and customer satisfaction.
Another way to measure a solar panel brand, though imperfect, is by looking at what &#;tier&#; the solar panel manufacturer falls under. When researching different brands, you&#;ll likely come across lists that separate manufacturers into tier one, and even tier two and three, though there is no formal definition for tiers two and three.
Most assume tier-one solar panel manufacturers tend to be the stronger brands. However, this isn&#;t necessarily the case. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance Corporation (BNEF), the tier system for solar panel manufacturers refers to how bankable a solar company is. While it&#;s fair to reason that a bankable company must have quality products, there are plenty of companies out there that do not meet the tier-one specifications but offer great, high-quality panels.
Choosing the Best Solar Panel for Your Home or Business
While some manufacturers on our list are objectively the &#;best&#; in terms of efficiency, warranty, or price, the panels that are right for you will depend on your specific situation.
You should go with the panel that offers the best value, balancing price with performance and quality. It&#;s about getting a system you&#;re happy with that&#;s cost-effective and has the best ROI.
Here are a few factors to consider:
- Assessing Electricity Use: Guide readers on how to assess overall electricity use
- Assessing Roof Characteristics: Roof characteristics are used to choose the optimal solar panel setup.
- Cost vs. Efficiency: Discuss how to balance the cost of solar panels with their efficiency to get the best value for your investment.
What are the Best Solar Panels on the Market in ?
There are many solar panel brands, but only a handful have risen to the top for our team at Paradise Energy.
With 15 years of experience installing solar for thousands of customers, we've gained valuable insight and experience with many panel manufacturers. We use that insight to select the brands that we can confidentially offer our customers. Our top three brands are:
Each of these brands was carefully chosen based on specific performance metrics such as customer service, company standing, and product specifications, including performance, aesthetics, warranties, and pricing.
Axitec
QCells
SEG Solar
Performance Warranty
25 or 30-year linear (85 - 87.5%)
25-year linear (86%)
25 or 30-year (84.8%)
Product Warranty
15 or 30 years
12 - 25 years
15 years
Pricing
$$
$$$
$$
Module Efficiency (%)
19.78 - 21.51%
20.6 - 22.7%
21.48 - 22.53%
Headquarter Location
Germany
South Korea
United States
Manufacturing Location
Asia & Europe
Asia & United States
Asia & United States
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Polycrystalline Solar Panels Factory. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Manufacturing Tier
Tier 2
Tier 1
Tier 1
Wrapping Up: Choosing the Best Solar Panels in
There&#;s no one-size-fits-all answer to which solar panels are the best. That answer changes based on a variety of factors, like your budget, how much electricity you&#;d like to generate, the space you have to install the system, and what aesthetic concerns you have.
With the sheer amount of options available, this process can be overwhelming. Trying to determine the best combination of panel size, output rating, and efficiency is the most economical for your space, all while ensuring the panels are high quality and backed by extensive warranties takes experience. At Paradise Energy, we&#;ll maximize your budget and space with panels that suit your specific goals, whether that is budgetary, energy-related, aesthetically driven, or a combination of them all.
There are three main types of solar panels used in solar projects: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film.
Each kind of solar panel has different characteristics, thus making certain panels more suitable for different types of solar installations.
Luckily, we&#;ve created a complete guide to help you differentiate each type of panel, and help you decide which type is right for your home.
Find out how much you can save monthly by installing rooftop solar panels
Key takeaways
-
There are three different types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin film.
-
Monocrystalline solar panels are highly efficient and have a sleek design, but come at a higher price point than other solar panels.
-
Polycrystalline solar panels are cheaper than monocrystalline panels, however, they are less efficient and aren&#;t as aesthetically pleasing.
-
Thin film solar panels are the cheapest, but have the lowest efficiency rating and require a lot of space to meet your energy needs.
-
The brand of solar panels and the solar installer you choose is far more important than which type of solar panel you install.
Three types of solar panels
1. Monocrystalline
Monocrystalline solar panels are the most popular solar panels used in rooftop solar panel installations today.
Monocrystalline silicon solar cells are manufactured using something called the Czochralski method, in which a &#;seed&#; crystal of silicon is placed into a molten vat of pure silicon at a high temperature.
This process forms a single silicon crystal, called an ingot, that is sliced into thin silicon wafers which are then used in the solar modules.
2. Polycrystalline
Polycrystalline panels, sometimes referred to as &#;multicrystalline panels&#;, are popular among homeowners looking to install solar panels on a budget.
Similar to monocrystalline panels, polycrystalline panels are made of silicon solar cells. However, the cooling process is different, which causes multiple crystals to form, as opposed to one.
Polycrystalline panels used on residential homes usually contain 60 solar cells.
3. Thin-film
Thin film solar cells are mostly used in large-scale industrial and utility solar installations because of their lower efficiency ratings, but you can purchase portable thin-film solar panels from BougeRV.
Thin film solar panels are made by depositing a thin layer of a photovoltaic substance onto a solid surface, like glass. Some of these photovoltaic substances include Amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe). Each of these materials creates a different &#;type&#; of solar panel, however, they all fall under the thin film solar cell umbrella.
During the manufacturing process, the photovoltaic substance forms a thin lightweight sheet that is, in some cases, flexible.
Solar panel type by performance
Highest performance: Monocrystalline
Efficiency ratings of monocrystalline solar panels range from 17% to 22%, earning them the title of the most efficient solar panel type. The higher efficiency rating of monocrystalline panels makes them ideal for homes with limited roof space, as you&#;ll need fewer panels to generate the electricity you need.
Monocrystalline solar panels have their manufacturing process to thank for being so efficient. Because monocrystalline solar cells are made of a single crystal of silicon, electrons are able to easily flow throughout the cell, increasing overall efficiency.
Not only do monocrystalline panels have the highest efficiency ratings, they typically also have the highest power capacity ratings, as well. Most monocrystalline panels on the market today will have a power output rating of at least 320 watts, but can go up to around 375 watts or higher!
Mid-tier performance: Polycrystalline
Polycrystalline panel efficiency ratings will typically range from 15% to 17%. The lower efficiency ratings are due to how electrons move through the solar cell. Because polycrystalline cells contain multiple silicon cells, the electrons cannot move as easily and as a result, decrease the efficiency of the panel.
The lower efficiency of polycrystalline panels also means they tend to have a lower power output than monocrystalline panels, usually ranging between 240 watts and 300 watts. 300 watt solar panels aren't seen as often in residential applications, but some polycrystalline panels have power ratings above 300 watts.
However, new technologies and manufacturing processes have given the efficiency and power ratings of polycrystalline panels a slight boost over the years, slowly closing the performance gap between mono and polycrystalline panels.
Lowest performance: Thin-film
Thin-film solar panels have incredibly low efficiency ratings. As recently as a few years ago, thin-film efficiencies were in the single digits. Researchers have recently achieved 23.4% efficiency with thin film cell prototypes but thin-film panels that are commercially available generally have efficiency in the 10&#;13% range.
In order to meet your energy needs, you would need to install more thin-film panels over a large area to produce the same amount of electricity as crystalline silicon solar panels. This is why thin-film solar panels don&#;t really make sense for residential installations where space is limited.
Fun fact! Thin film panels have the best temperature coefficients!
Despite having lower performance specs in most other categories, thin film panels tend to have the best temperature coefficient, which means as the temperature of a solar panel increases, the panel produces less electricity. The temperature coefficient tells you how much the power output will decrease by for every 1°C over 25°C the panel gets.
The standard temperature coefficient for mono and polycrystalline panels typically falls somewhere between -0.3% and -0.5% per °C. Thin film panels, on the other hand, are around -0.2% per °C, meaning thin film panels are much better at handling the heat than other panel types.
Calculate your solar panel payback period
Solar panel type by cost
Highest cost: Monocrystalline panels
Monocrystalline panels are the most expensive of the three types of solar panels because of their manufacturing process and higher performance abilities.
However, as manufacturing processes and solar panel technology in general has improved, the price difference between monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels has shrunk considerably. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, monocrystalline solar panels now sell for just about $0.05 per watt higher than polycrystalline modules.
Mid-cost: Polycrystalline panels
Historically, polycrystalline panels have been the cheapest option for homeowners going solar, without majorly sacrificing panel performance. Low prices allowed polycrystalline panels to make up a significant market share in residential solar installations between and .
But as we said earlier, the price gap between monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels is narrowing. Now, more homeowners are willing to pay a slightly higher price to get significantly better efficiency and power ratings from monocrystalline panels.
Lowest cost: Thin-film panels
Thin film solar panels have the lowest cost of the solar panel types, largely because they are easier to install and require less equipment. However, they also have much lower performance abilities and require a substantial amount of space to generate enough electricity to power a home.
Plus, thin film panels degrade much faster than other panel types, meaning they need to be replaced more often, which leads to more long-term recurring costs.
Solar panel type by appearance
Most attractive: Thin film panels
Thin film panels have a clean, all-black look. Their thin design allows them to lie flat against roofs, so they are able to blend in more seamlessly. In fact, with some thin film panels, it&#;s hard to even see the individual cells within the panel. They also tend to have less wiring and busbars, meaning there&#;s less white space.
However, because they are so inefficient, you would need to cover your entire roof in thin film panels - which may or may not be your style.
Mid-tier appearance: Monocrystalline panels
Monocrystalline panels have a solid black appearance, making them pretty subtle on your roof. But, the way monocrystalline solar cells are shaped causes there to be quite a bit of white space on the panel. Some manufacturers have worked around this with black packing or shaping the cells differently, but these aesthetic changes can impact both the price and performance of the panels.
Overall, monocrystalline panels still look sleek, but they&#;re a bit more pronounced than thin film panels.
Worst appearance: Polycrystalline panels
Polycrystalline panels tend to stick out like a sore thumb. The process in which polycrystalline solar cells are manufactured causes the cells to have a blue, marbled look. This means each individual polycrystalline panel looks substantially different from the one next to it. Most homeowners aren&#;t too keen on the aesthetics of polycrystalline panels.
Fun fact! Crystalline panels are more durable than thin film
Thin film panels tend to have lower wind and hail ratings than mono and polycrystalline panels. So, while thin film panels might look nice at first, one bad storm could cause significant damage.
What is the best type of solar panel for your home?
Monocrystalline solar panels are the best solar panel type for residential solar installations.
Although you will be paying a slightly higher price, you&#;ll get a system with a subtle appearance without having to sacrifice performance or durability. Plus, the high efficiency and power output ratings you get with monocrystalline panels can provide you with better savings over the lifetime of your system.
If you&#;re on a tight budget, polycrystalline panels might make more sense for you. We do not recommend thin film solar panels for residential installations - their performance and durability don&#;t make the low cost worth it, and it&#;s unlikely you&#;ll have nearly enough space to install the number of thin film panels you would need to cover your household electricity usage.
Here&#;s a quick summary to help you choose the right one for your home!
Monocrystalline solar panels
Characterized by smooth, black appearance and high-quality silicon
Occupy less space and have a longer lifespan
Formed through energy-intensive production process which generates a lot of waste
Carry a higher price tag for installers and consumers
Polycrystalline solar panels
Characterized by visible crystals, more scattered look, and lower-quality silicon
Require slightly more space for producing the same amount of energy as black panels
Less complicated production process with minimal waste production
More affordable
Factors to consider besides solar panel type
There are two things we here at SolarReviews think are more important than solar PV cell type when choosing panels for your home: the brand of solar panels and finding the right solar installer.
Going with a high-quality solar panel manufacturer ensures that you&#;re installing a great product on your roof, regardless of the type of panel it is. Our official ranking of the best home solar panel brands of can help you find what solar panels will work best on your roof without sacrificing quality.
Regardless of which type of solar panel you choose, installing solar to power your home is a sustainable decision that has the following benefits:
Reduces harmful emissions
Get easy financing options for solar panel installation
Claim sales and property tax exemptions
Receive credits for surplus power production
And the most important of all, installing either type of panel will significantly lower your monthly energy bills.
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when going solar is the installer. A solar panel system will be on your roof for at least 25 years, so you need an installer you can trust for two-plus decades! We recommend local, reputable solar installers with high customer review scores, as they give the most personalized customer service on solar projects.
See what local solar installers are charging for solar panel installations
The company is the world’s best 72 Cells Solar Panels for Businesses supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.