Mono vs Poly Solar Panels Explained 

A very good site for beginners solarlife.network/

This crystal clear info i want

Thanks! I appreciate it. And thanks for watching.

Thanks, I am getting better slowly but surely.

What are you talking about ? You are doing great ! Don`t see where you need any improvement ???

I need to find more time to make videos and get better at editing.

mono or poly comes in 2nd place after selecting the best vendor. I would use Poly from Trina Solar rather than Mono from some unknown brand

Just the technology in general. It isn't a big enough factor to persuade someone from buying mono unless you are getting many many panels and low light conditions will be common. Like if you have an off grid cabin in Alaska or something.

Sorry. I didn't think that was relevant.

mono is cut from cylindrical boules where some of the rounded edges that remain can be seen, multi is cut from rectangular cast blocks

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Poly panels are more often the bluish color and mono are more often black. But that is not always true. The best way to tell is that mono cells will be very uniform and even. Poly cells will be more irregular and have transitions and jagged looking features.

Jon Gretar Borgthorsson The factories are inside the sun so definitely not healthy being near. On earth it is much safer when they get delivered from the sun.

The processes are not all that different so I am sure they both have similar impacts on the environment. Most rare earth element production happens in China and they don't really have great pollution and environment controls so that is probably where you are hearing about pollution.

LDSreliance Yeah I was propably thinking of the silicon tetrachloride byproduct from when they process the silicon with hydrochloric acid. Some of the cheaper manufacturers just dump it.

Yeah that is not good!

I dont know about everyone else, but I always stick to american made things no matter what. Yes, it may be a few extra bucks, but id say being the cause of someone losing their job is worse than paying a dollar or so more. Does anyone else agree?

Mono is more efficient so it is cheaper per square foot. Per watt it is more expensive.

They are the same thing. 12V solar panels are in reality 18V panels.

Do you have yours permanently mounted to the RV?

No I have them portable and heavily staked into the ground and also weights over the frames. I get pins and needles tingles if it even gets near my RV. Many have a hard time w/ them on the roof. They find they don't feel well in the house.

Interesting. I haven't heard that before. So why do you have the heat issue then?

There are a few heatwave days in summer, where the sun actually comes out and then it can be way over 105 degrees and even with the clouds be over 90. Of course they are in the sun getting much hotter than these air temps. I have had so many days of over 90 and sopping humidity. I had a day a couple weeks ago that was full sun and about 80. I noticed it took a lot longer to charge, as the panels being in the sun were probably over 100 or more.

Yeah that is true. But think about how bad it would be if your panels were flush mounted with a roof or on top of your RV. Without air movement behind the panels, they would quickly climb to 150+ F and produce very little power. At least yours are probably closer to ambient temperature and still produce at least 50% of their rated power.

Why?

Good ideas. Unfortunately, that picture was borrowed from another source but I guess I could have overlayed some text.

Thin film? It is new and has potential but right now it has been less efficient than either mono or poly in the past. However, I have seen CdTe panels that are now 21% efficient, which is better than mono or poly so I think we are moving in the right direction. There are very few companies making them right now, though, so I have not gotten my hands on one. I may try to see if I can do a review this summer.

I just saw a documentary on solar that followed an Australian companies research. What they did was combined the traditional Silicon cells and the Gallium Arsenide cells in a unique double layering technique. What makes it work so well is that it filters out the most efficient type of light for the Silicon and the rest of the light is reflected to the Gallium Arsenide. The only draw back is that it must be liquid cooled to maintain efficiency. It is expensive to produce, but I believe that since it is 30% or more efficient that it would pay for itself. They had 1sq meter set up with mirrors reflecting the light directly into the panel and they recorded being able to produce 220kw. I would like to know your thoughts on all of this, whether it is BS, viable, unrealistic, etc.

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That is just the color that results from the crystallization process of the silicon. I'm pretty sure they can't change it... yet.

oh ok thx

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your welcome

I was waiting for someone to chime in and answer this. I have not built my own before. So I am sorry but I can't recommend any cell brands. Hopefully someone sees this eventually.

Look for Sunpower solar cells.

No polys are polys. thin film is more or less an ink that is printed on flex plastic. More or less. Polys snap and brake just like mono's.. you can't bend them like you can an thin film or amorphous panel. Hope that helps

yankey4 what about there quality and performance to collect solar etc.

From the few I have had over the years. The amorphous panel down right suck. They did not last more than 2 years and there out put even new was maybe at best 70% of what there ratings where. Thin film I have not had much time with. They are kind of new to me so I do not know or can speek for there quality and performance . Sorry for spelling 2 ivs in my arms and computer hard to hold laing down..

I do have polys now that are 12 years old made from Kyocera. There still putting out 95% or so of there power. My mono's are doing the same there 13 years old. So tho's I can speak for,, I know that is not what your looking for. I just have to say what I know..

Amorphous is what kind

Sorry to confuse you. Many of these differences are so small that you would not really notice them in the real world. Also these are generalities so there will be some few exceptions.

They can both be pretty cool, I guess. But most people prefer that black on black look which does not draw as much attention on your roof, which is also usually black or dark gray.

Since I live in phoenix I wonder if the efficiency loss for poly will outweigh the heat loss for mono.

Good question. The efficiency difference is so small (usually like 2-3%) and really only affects the size of the panel not the output. So a 100W poly vs a 100W mono will produce the exact same power. I would say that heat is your bigger enemy.

Poly if you have plenty of room and want to save a bit of money. Mono if space is limited or you are worried about high heat.

Why is that?

Yes we do!

LDSreliance lol! 😎