A solar panel is usually a rectangular sealed container that consists of photo-voltaic cells. It generates the direct current in the presence of sunlight that is used to drive electrical appliances or charge batteries. Here, we have listed all the common types of solar panel.
Common Types of Solar Panel
Monocrystalline Silicon (Mono-Si)
Polycrystalline Silicon (Poly-Si)
Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC)
Amorphous Silicon (A-Si)
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)
Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS)
Concentrated Photo-Voltaic (CPV)Other Types of Solar Panel
BiohybridMonocrystalline Silicon (Mono-Si)
The monocrystalline solar panel is usually made of pure silicon and consists of dark black color solar cells. It has an efficiency rate of ∼20%.
Polycrystalline Silicon (Poly-Si)
The polycrystalline solar panel is usually made by melting raw silicon and consists of blue color solar cells. It has an efficiency rate of 15% - 17%.
Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC)
The PERC solar panel is generally an improved version of the monocrystalline solar panel. Its solar cells consist of an extra passivation layer at their back which improves their efficiency. These cells produce 7% - 9% more energy than monocrystalline cells.
Amorphous Silicon (A-Si)
The amorphous silicon solar panel is usually made of cheap silicon. Its solar cells consist of a thin layer of silicon (appx. 1 micrometer). The silicon used in these solar panels is not structured at the molecular level that's why the efficiency rate is appx. 7%.
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)
The cadmium telluride solar panel is made of cadmium telluride that is cheap but toxic. Its efficiency rate is more than 10%.
Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS)
This type of solar panel is usually made of glass or plastic that is covered with a thin layer of copper, indium, gallium, and selenide. It has an efficiency rate of 13% - 15%.
Concentrated Photo-Voltaic (CPV)
It is a combination of a curved mirror, a secondary mirror (placed above the curved mirror), and a PV cell with a cooling system (usually placed in the middle of the curved mirror). It has an efficiency rate of more than 40%.
Biohybrid
A biohybrid solar cell is made by combining photosystem l (organic matter) and inorganic matter (usually silicon). Biohybrid cells produce biomass or chemical fuels while PV cells produce an electric current. The biomass is used in the biohybrid cells to generate the electric current that passes through the cells.