Some solar sales people play up the supposed superiority of monocrystalline over polycrystalline solar panels. But is this justified for most homeowners going solar? Here’s Finn’s view on the issue.
— Transcript
I get approached all the time by confused homeowners who’ve been quoted solar and they’ve had the salesman enthusiastically sell them on the merits of their mono or poly panels. The funny thing is the salesman is always talking up the type of panel that they happen to be selling, while rubbishing the other.
It’s always amusing to hear from someone who has two quotes, one using mono panels and the other using poly; with both salespeople rubbishing the other’s type.
I’m here to keep it simple.
For two panels of similar wattage, the difference in performance between mono and poly is absolutely tiny, so don’t stress over it at all. All you need to do is pick a good brand and you’ll be set.
Now to make things a little more confusing, there’s recently a third type of panel technology hit the market. It’s known as cast mono, which is basically a hybrid between mono and poly technologies. But my advice here is the same. The differences in performance is almost nothing. So it doesn’t matter if you get mono, if you get poly, if you get cast poly/ cast mono, what’s important is that you buy a good brand that will last 25 plus years on your roof.
— Transcript ends
Which Are Good Solar Panel Brands?
Finn mentions what really counts is choosing solar panels manufactured by a good company. With so many brands available and a huge difference in pricing, which do you choose? To help you in a decision, SolarQuotes has a trusted solar brands chart you might find useful (that page also has a chart for solar inverters). These are brands SQ considers to be reputable and well-supported in Australia. You can also compare solar panels from these brands using SQ’s solar panel comparison chart.
More On Mono And Polycrystalline
If you’d like to learn more about the difference between monocrystalline and polycrystalline (aka multicrystalline) cells in terms of how they are made, you can read more about mono cells here and poly cells here. There’s also a bit more info on poly vs. mono here.
More On Cast Mono Panels
If Finn’s mention of cast mono solar panels has piqued your curiosity, Ronald took a closer look at the technology involved last year. You can learn more about cast mono panels here.
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Hi.
vis-a-vis the above; I recently had it explained to me by an earnest young thing that ‘amorphous’ panels were the way to go. He was certain that they performed VERY much better in cloudy/overcast circumstances. Also was sue the brandname was more or less irrelevant.
Anything known?
Amorphous silicon panels aren’t made anymore, as far as I am aware. Monosilicon and polysilicon proved to be more efficient and cost effective.
Hi! Any information regarding solar in South Africa?
regards.
Theo.
Nothing specifically on South Africa, I’m afraid. But I understand single phase current is the same as in Australia, so in general, what works here should work in SA.