Which kind of   of Solar Panels are there? 

Once you have ascertained what size solar panel system  you want , the next step is to decide  what kind of solar panels will meet your household requirements  . This should not all ways be  based solely on price , because solar panel efficiency  , longevity, company warranties  , and space needed are all important factors. Too often customers base there buying  decisions on price only and ask why no-one picks up the phone from the “fly by night company” you purchased  your solar panels from when in  3 years your inverter dies or your output is cut in half . But its also important to recognise that there are different qualities of panels 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 unreasonable  to  judge the price of Mono with the latest  thin film  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 panel would output 200 watts per hour. Expect to pay  twice  the price of a 100W panel .

Warranties

 Solar power panels come with a performance warranty that may last up to 25 years and have a guarantee  of five to ten years. As well, installers can provide a warranty on installation work  , typically five years. So ask your solar retailer who is providing the warranty–the importer or the manufacturer–and what happens if something breaks . 

There are three main types of  solar panel systems  available, each have  their own benefits.

Mono crystalline cells 

Mono crystalline panels are proven and  trustworthy  technology, used over the past 50 years and still popular today . They have the  highest  conversion efficiency, at 12-18% of all sunlight. Because these have the highest power to size ratio, they’re the best  options  if you’ve got 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 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%.  some well known brands include BP SX, Sharp and Kyocera .
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 do not lose  efficiency in higher heats.
Disadvantages are:  total  lifespan is less, there is a 3-6 month  running in or warming up  period, and they  generally  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 .