Amazon.com Solar Panels: Mono vs Poly - Real World Test - Worth the $$? 

Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first): 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes: -Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp -Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 -AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out: shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p -Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 10% off code: diysolar -Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA: watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information: I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Just watched your video. I can't tell you enough how nice it is to watch someone explain what they're doing without adding about 70% non essential fluff. You got right to the point and edited everything perfectly. I won't watch anyone's video anymore if they start out jabbering about some long winded story on why they are doing the video then they want to show us video of the unpackaging and explain every mundane detail ad nauseam. You explained what we need to know very quickly and quite efficiently and that was a rare delight for me. Thank you for your expertise. I am considering solar possibilties and I will subscribe to you as one my few "go to" solar sources now. Big thumbs up!

Will.... We appreciate you more than you know. At 48 years old, engineering background, I have been researching solar system setups for quite some time now. Your videos and other information sources are without a doubt the most reliable and truly informational. Thank you for trustworthy advice and sharing of knowledge that helps to teach others

You should compare watt output per square inch since the panels are different sizes. Using your numbers from the first test, I get 70W/1046.75 sq in. = 0.0668 W/sqin for the poly and 57W/819 sqin. = 0.0696 for the mono. Dividing one by the other shows that mono is about 4% more efficient than the poly (0.0696/0.0668=1.041). In other words, on a square footage basis, you'll get about 4% more output from the mono vs. the poly.

Mono crystalin is good for the Philippines and polycrystalin is good for other countries.poly needed digress almost 23° and mono is 32° good for using the Philippines, and thank for sharing your ideas

I've always thought this was the case. My theory is: 1.The monocrystalline works better if sunny and pointed directly at the sun. 2. The polycrystalline works better when not pointed directly at the sun. I would love to see a comparison with the sun at different angles I.e. morning, mid morning, noon, mid afternoon and early evening. The test could easily be preformed by tilting the panels to simulate the different times of the day. This information would be applicable to people that use fixed solar panels on top of a conversion van, motorhome or camper/travel trailer.

I've learned more solar tutorials and reviews from your channel than any other channels combined! I am now a subscriber and I've just ordered your book! Keep up the good work. People are depending on your good info and lessons.

I am glad that I found you on RU-vid. I enjoy your videos and appreciate all of the information, which has all proved to be correct so far. Thank you for all that you do and share with all of us saving us failure and heartache. You have mentioned a few times that you get grief from the "old guys" that comment that you are young and this or that cant be right. I reference the video on VHB Tape you did, and by the way you are correct there too. I am an old guy and I dont feel that way about you. keep em coming.....

Love your videos. Just a maybe suggestion. Ever consider using a lumens meter to incorporate into your test. Like today was a little hazy. The lumen meter could’ve told you how bright out it was at what time and allowing you to get more accurate test results? I dont know. Maybe?

Your videos are always spot on! I discovered the ‘truth’ about polycrystalline panels about a year ago. Your videos are spot on and devoid of so much BS seen everywhere else. Bought your book and reference it all the time. It’s hard to believe but your writing is actually better than your videos. Your ‘shameless’ endorsement of your own book (I love it!) is not bragging if it’s the truth! (I left a review six months ago). Keep up the good work.

From what you described the Poly's cover a 28% larger surface area but only produce 23% more power. At least in this test. Comparing rated Power to rated Power Poly is better especially for the price. If you just want a more compact panel then Mono is better.

Because the polycrystaline panels are larger, they tend to run cooler somewhat and experience less of a performance drop in cloudy weather, actually. The monocrystaline panels are efficient for their size, but suffer greatly from clouding and overheating in summer. It's a bit contrary to the marketing, but the only thing I've noticed that mono panels are consistently better for is just the watts per square meter output.

Watching this video from NAIROBI-KENYA and I have learned a lot.

I didn't see anyone do the math. The mono in the first test was 57 Watts divided by 819 square inches yields 0.0696 watts per square inch. The Poly at 70 Watts and 1047 square inches is 0.0669 watts per square inch. Divide the difference between the two results into the Poly results and you get the mono is 4 percent more efficient per unit of area for these conditions. In the second test with apparently more haze, the mono is closer to 6% more efficient per unit of area.

I've been watching random RV solar videos for months, many with older guys who seemed knowledgeable. I see I wasted my time. I can't believe how clearly, concisely, and efficiently you offer the information. Everything I needed was on your channel. You look like a teenager but you definitely know what you are talking about. Oh and those eyes, those eyes! LOL

"7 or 8 years ago"?? When you were 12? :) You're an amazing talent. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and tests.

Just started learning about solar for a van build. Your videos are great. Conventional wisdom seems to indicate that mono is more efficient than poly. Although the total output seems higher with the poly in your video, I calculated the watts per square inch to see if it was because of the panel size. The output for the mono is 0.67 watts per sq in vs 0.62 for the poly. So if space is a concern, might be better with the mono. Am I thinking about this correctly? I'll check out your book. thanks.

I have watched your videos since you were living in a van. Thank you for continuing to produce informative and entertaining videos.

Probably your best video on Solar PV type and their production. Thanks a lot

I have been a solar panel user for over 25 years...What I have observed is what you have when the panels are new,but when they have aged,(i.e. 15 years),the MonoCrystaline panels are still producing better than 80% of their "new" values,(output ratings),while the PolyCrystaline have degraded below 80%,(approx 73% - 75% avg)...Which this does make sense since the Mono panels have a 20-25 year warranty,(in producing no less than 80%),while the Poly panels have a 20 year only rating...

The efficiency is based on square inches per rated output... so, at rated output, the smaller panels are higher efficiency. But in real world output, they are equal. If mounted on solar tracking arrays, the smaller area, but maximum output gets the mono panels a best deal for the area used.

Another great video Will!!! I love the side by side comparisons!! Keep em coming!!

I can here the crunches, your awesome with these video

That's a timely video for solar conversion. Thx for doing this wonderful job in educating people who are planning to move into van life

One factor to keep in mind when comparing these panels is the issue of shading when installed on a roof. The poly rich solar panel is about 26.5 inches wide while the mono HQST is about 19.5 inches wide. That approximate 7 inch difference in width may make a big difference in the amount of time the rich solar panel may spend in shade compared to the mono HQST in actual RV roof mounted conditions. Thinking of air conditioner housing, vent covers, etc. Just something to keep in mind when determining what panel is best for individual uses as shading can kill the wattage generated by a panel. Thanks Will.

I got your book, have not read it yet. Your videos on products have helped a lot before I start spending money. Thank you for your time. Keep it up.

I've been using solar panels for 40 years. Started with tiny Arco 1600-2000 2.3 amp panels 12v, they cost $350. They are all done. I just bought 3 new panels that look exactly like these showed here, called Newpower from Amazon, Made in Vietnam. 100 watt 5amp panels cost $85. They work as advertised. I have several different types of panels all together, mono, poly, Shell, Kyocera, Solec and others. Works good.

I imagine that polycrystalline development has enjoyed a lot more investment of time, money and talent than mono, simply due to its lower cost of production - and therefore purchase to the customer - and has leapfrogged past mono.

I like it when you text out the equations at the bottom. Sometimes it is hard for me to hear when you get rolling. I love the videos and there is a lot of play back happening, but i am lowering SO much thank you!

Your book deserves a thousand reviews for every thousand purchases! You have taught me more about solar then all other sources combined, and in less time, and far more usable content vs filler.

Also be aware that Polycrystalline will have a tendency to develop more Micro-Cracks, over time, vs. Monocrystalline. No way to tell how much of a problem this may be for a given Polycrystalline Panel as it ages. At the same time, the manufacturing process of Polycrystalline Panels (and Monocrystalline) continues to improve with each generation of the product. Just something to keep in mind.

Thank you! Learned so much from an Amazing young man. You should be very proud of all you've accomplished at such a young age. Best is yet to come! Enjoy!

While this obviously isn't a test in controlled conditions, it does provide very useful info about how shading a solar panel can affect power output. Also for people wanting to mount on smaller vans this is good information.

I'm like 12 or 13 years out of the game but back then the Poly was better overall as it captured more ranges of the solar spectrum, shaded or un-shaded it would do better. I ran a vacuum deposition machine for about one year on a project where we electrically deposited metals on to glass to create a super high efficiency panel. The whole thing got shut down but at the time it was way up there in the 20's.

Great video on comparison. But remember your tilt angle has to be spot on. To maximize wattage output.

I could watch any bullshit video William puts out but this one is one of the best I’ve seen and I’ve been watching POOKIE since he had like 12 subscribers very good video William!

OK, I just ordered your book. I've been watching you tirelessly for a few days and I think I'm catching on finally. You explain things in a way that is simple for us plebs to understand and digest, lol. Keep up the great work, sir!I

I have a very cracked solar panel from 5 years ago and it is still producing at least 80 percent of it wattage. So I see about 190 on the volt meter instead of 210. This is very good for a damage panel, because most people looking at it won't see the value, so they won't take it. But it is rated better than at least one panel that has been cracked. So that goes to show you that good performing panels that been cracked can sometimes perform better than undesirable panels that have not been cracked.

When you do another comparison, include windy nation from home depot

I bought Will's book. It's FULL of great info for beginners or really, anyone else. His Website is AWESOME as well. Thanks for all you do, Will ! You're truly appreciated!

One thing that I would like to see you testing, is how these modules perform in the summer heat, because as temperature in the cells increase voltage output drops Please?

Thank you Will. I have been learning a LOT from your videos. We are brand new to solar and your videos are truly educational and very informative.

Each has its own pro and con, you just have to choose which is the best suited to your condition and power requirement, just think about it and shop around before spending several thousand in your system.

Great work. My only thought is that if you are limited in space to place the panels, you would want to go with whatever filled your space with the highest amount of power. If the watts per sq in is so close to the same, then sizing that works best would make your choice.

great video from the best channel on utube. you hit this one out of the park. thank you and keep up the good work

I’m team mono based in the UK, the light levels are a different kettle of fish here, will report back in 6 months of Renogy Mono action! Keep up the good work!

Hi Will, I hope you’re enjoying life now. You are probably the most respected off grid guys out there, so thank you for your neutral, un biased reviews! The next question regarding those panels is age in regards to degradation of performance or efficiency. Do you think there’s a possibility that you could snag an older panel of both types and do a review? Thanks

Writing you this while watching your commercials. Anything I can do to help you man ,you have helped me more than you know.

I have your book. I'll leave a review for you. Also glad to know that my polys do so well!

I got this book off Amazon. It has become my Bible of Solar knowledge. I knew nothing about solar before I bought the book. Now I'm an Einstein of solar. Not really, but I love the book, it will answer all my questions as I ask them. I highly recommend it.

Hello Will. Im building a mobile tiny home. I will be buying the Jackery 1000w SG and panels soon. Have the Predator 2000 already (still boxed). My build is slow but well thought out. This has been my new mission for a year now. Ive learned so much from your videos. Thanks so much. RT Henson

In less than an hour I have learned enough to feel confident about putting together my own solar system! Thanks!

I bought the hqst panel on ebay because you recommend them but still not a bad panel but I know the poly is always better but I went with mono. I had 5.36 amps on a sunny day and I loaded it down with a 350 watt camping coffee pot and a 150w floor blower fan and it kept them going on my solar battery inverter but I learned real quick I needed to update my cables because my connections were getting hot because I had cheaped out in my setup because I had 20 watt solar for charging batteries.

Thank you so much for this video. I had no idea before there are technically different style of panels. Your video and also comments below leads me to more consideration a searching it monochristals could produce energy during the winter be installed inside the greenhouse that is covered by polycarbonate plastic. I am not sure if baterries will work in our garden cabin, where the temperature in winter is under below 0 Celsius. So I am considering the idea replace the solar set-up during winter into sinked green-house where is no freeze during the winter. Its very nice to see parking your car in some garden area. Its great to live in a safety inside the vehicle and more great to add into it freedom to go out and meet the sun, fresh air and sounds of the nature.

You set the standard for delivering information via RU-vid/Video. Awesome.

10:14 Gday Will, I have been struggling to learn about solar. I am very remote and completely off grid, I wish I had your book at the beginning of my solar learning. It is brilliant and a must have.

man I appreciate the work that went into this video. I like doing experiments just like how you conduct yours. Great video.

Your videos (and you book on Solar) .... so so helpful! Excellent😀 Glad you tested & shed some light on the difference between mono and poly output, cost, build and The brackets for mounting🌞

I am learning english with your video. Your pronounce is very good! :) and the content is good too

TYVM Will! Next, would you consider a test of amorphous blankets vs flexible fold up panels under very hot, sunny conditions?

thanks the great review . base on this result, I just place PO to Amazon , Rich Solar Poly x 4pcs 100w :-)

My question is how did you get so smart about all this solar stuff at 28 ? I am amazed! Going to buy your book . I am a total rookie at this and I need all the help I can get !

The polycrystaline ones have 36 cells vs the 33 for the monocrystaline. Also it looks like the individual polycrystaline cells might be a bit bigger. Hard to tell for sure from the video. Bottom line is, if they're cheaper, you can buy more of them wether they're just as good or not.

Your book is in my cart bud you have been a solar life changer I've been watching your videos all day lol

Your videos are very well done, thanks for helping me out. Clearly you are a bright and ambitious person.

Will, another superb video. I couldn't ever come close to producing such a high quality video. I live in Arizona where is gets wicked hot in the summer when we need solar the most. The reason I only buy Mono panels is because they are suppose to be more efficient than Poly when ambient temperatures exceed 97 F, which is all summer long here. It would be great to see you do the exact same test when ambient temperatures are above 100 degrees F. I am so glad you over came your health issues of long ago so all of us can learn and be entertained by your EXCELLENT and energetic videos.

Nice Job Will. Great side by side test. It's great to get the real world test and not the assumed results.

I am personally fond of CIGS, but those are so beyond my budget I only own a single 30 watt foldable jobbie. It tolerates shading and low light extremely well and fits perfectly in my hiking/camping kit. Anyway, good information. Thank you. Thumbs up & subbed..

I admire your scientific approach and methodology. I especially like how you retest - I used to teach statistics at the University of California. I can find no fault with your methodology. Surprising results - I would have thought that the monocrystalline panels would have been better.

Shopping for solar, your videos are EXCELLENT. Perfect info to help me decide. Thank you for all the help.

Good video, seems the performance is about the same. Wish you had tested in darker conditions, like late evening. Maybe the light cloud cover might not represent the advantage of Mono panels?

I bought your book and read it cover to cover to get a better understanding of a solar installation. Great book.

Thanks for dong this, i heard the same myths about monocrystalline panels so your info is really useful

Oh man, good stuff! I’d missed this when I sent you a similar video suggestion today. Still interested in how amorphous solar cells compare in varying light conditions and cover exactly like this.

I got 4 100w Renogy monos on my shed and they work pretty well. I paid way more though they were like $160 or so. Solar panels are very hard to find in Canada so that was the best I could do. Very similar (Coleman) 100w panels at Canadian tire were over $600! The one thing is the orientation does not matter as much as some say. Mine are facing West as it's really all I could do but they produce all day. Winter is the killer though, have to take snow off them every morning and most of the time I don't bother, so I just turn off the inverter. Even with snow on them I get a couple watts of power though, so it's enough to trickle charge the battery at least. Carrying a lead acid battery while on snow shoes is not my idea of fun so was glad to be able to keep it in the shed lol.

Really great video... I c u r planning 2 do the test again in the summer/full sun... If at all possible it would b great if u could rug up 4 of those meters (1 4 each panel) so u can compare without any lag & eliminate any variation in light conditions. Please could u also compare thin film (like u get on a calculator) Please could u also re-run this test (ie in sub-optimal light conditions) both pointing directly/off angle so we have a full range of results. It would b great 2 finally know what works best in what conditions as every1s conditions/needs r different. Cheers buddy & keep up the great work. Peace, love & respect from the UK.

MLsolar sells solar cells that they source from Shenzen by the seashore.

Thanks just getting a new extra solar for our Hymer while traveling Europe in our 1991 B694! Good valuable info! Thanks from 🇮🇹

Your videos and explaination is all i ever wanted from a teacher ...nothing complicated Thankyou .....i am.from mumbai india and use Waree panels

Looking at the comment people seems to have sort of religious beliefs about mono :). Is clear from this video that mono and poly have the same efficiency smaller area for mono but also proportionally lower output even if the rating is the same (someone is not honest with the ratings :) ). There is also the comment about longevity or output in low light and again there will be no difference. There used to be some difference 15 to 20 years ago but modern poly is basically as efficient as mono if you exclude very high end panels and even there is mostly negligible and you pay very significant premium.

I just bought 2 HQST 100w panels from Amazon for $79.00 each. Appear to be well made. Hope they perform well. Putting together a 200w system with a Rich solar mppt convertor for $300.00

Thanks for the video! Very useful. The only thing I would change is to measure all the panels at the same time. This way is much accurate in a hazy day.

The one subject not mentioned is life expectancy of the different panels. That is relative to the cost of each panel. How quickly does efficiency decrease over time? I personally will pay a bit extra for longevity, verses having to go through the labor of replacement. Other then that nice video. I am not critisizing, just pointing out another factor to consider when making a purchase. I appreciate the time and effort you took for this experiment, once again good job!

Maybe it comes from the fact that more materials (variety) are used? Thus over time the poly panels break down, while mono panels maintain their power output.

okay, bought your book, a great reference tool on hand, just deciding which components to go with, thanks.

I bought 8 hqst panels. They all had hqst stickers in them but some if them had renogy stamps on the hardware. And that hqst poly panel frequently goes on sale for $70 direct from hqst's webpage. Worth the money.

Hey brother hope you are well, we are a company that does solar and I use 400wp mono pv panels and we have a 30 kw on a client and I'm happy to say that mono by Seraphim is a very good pv panel we have installed 100ds of min pv panels

I love watching your video’s especially regarding solar power and safety... you are the most intelligent and informative individual I know and your knowledge is so respected... I will add solar to my motor home one day and your videos will go along ways to helping my hairdryer to work lol thank you sweetness keep up the wonderful sharing of information... you’re the best!!

Will Thanks for all the work you do on this subject. I live aboard my boat and I’m heading out cruising soon. This info on your channel and in your book has been incredibly helpful to me! Thanks!

Thanks for another great video. What would the results be if you did the same test on a sunny day?

What you really sort of alluded to but didn't mention specifically is that on roofs where space is really limited...like an RV...you should use Poly where you have the space and then Mono where you only have small spaces 'left over' that couldn't be filled with a Poly panel. The idea is that you can possibly get more solar panels on a roof by using a combination of both types of panels with careful placement.

Well nice job..my anticipation was something different. I was going to purchase a noncrystalline panel.. thank you so much for your informative video.

Thanks for all of you hard work and information young man. Just what I need to get started in solar.

Geez there is so much information it is awash in my head just now. Thanks for the video, I may look up your book before making any purchases!.

Hope you don’t mind I share this video link on a Facebook page that I am a member. “Fabulous RVing Women” your explanation on solar in your videos are clear, concise and very informative. Had to let my RVing friends know about your passion...

Thanks man...i am down in Zimbabwe and going off grid..myou have helped make wise informed choices..

I've been planning a van build and after reading and watching probably way too much and deciding on what I wanted I found out it didn't matter. Poly, mono, half cut, frames, brands, whatever. None of it really matters in the end 'cause what I need is something that fits well in the space I have. So dimensions are ruling my choice. I'm glad to see this is a good choice and I probably didn't need to worry too much about efficiency/density anyway.

I've allways been under the understanding that mono are more effective when light exposure is very low. Your test shows that for grid tied solar the difference in performance per M2 is very similar so more cost effective with poly. Off grid systems must focalise on worst exposure and not best. In the summer the controller is on float before lunch and in the winter it is far more difficult to fully charge batteries so the higher efficiency in bad conditions becomes very important. Testing the difference when they are both in good exposure is as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle. Mono are considered more beneficial the greater the distance you are from the equator and in conditions of bad light exposure. I would very much like you to do a test in these conditions because between what we are told and what the truth really is is very often two different stories. I would also like to sincerely thank you for the knowledge you are sharing. Keep up the good work.

I bought Renology 100 watt mono solar panels several years back when I got started with my solar hobby.. Now with your video, I know better.. to get that cheaper Rich Solar panel producing more watts... nice video comparison!

This is an absolutely fantastic video, such simple science showing very clear results, clearly demonstrating to everyone the detrimental effect of shading from trees, chimneys, vent pipes dorms roof windows etc, well done, great contribution to a better understanding of solar power delivery.