How Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels are devices that directly or indirectly convert solar radiation energy into electric energy through the photoelectric effect or photochemical effect by absorbing sunlight. The main material of most solar panels is silicon. Solar panels are defined in Watts. Watt is the product of current (amperes) and voltage (volts). Different panels have different amounts of current and voltage, and understanding these units and numbers will help you understand solar systems.

Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Panels Are More Efficient

Because of the difference in material technology, the conversion rate of monocrystalline silicon is higher than that of polycrystalline silicon. Monocrystalline silicon is a single crystal of silicon, which has a basically complete lattice structure. Polysilicon is a form of elemental silicon. The purity of the silicon in monocrystalline silicon is higher than the purity of the two materials, so monocrystalline silicon solar panels are more efficient and, similarly, more expensive than polysilicon. The average conversion rate of monocrystalline silicon is 22%, while that of polycrystalline silicon is 18%. From the appearance, the eye side of the monocrystalline silicon cell appears dark blue close to black, while the polycrystalline silicon cell is blue. When choosing crystalline silicon panels, it is necessary to consider the battery conversion rate performance per unit area, price and even color appearance. In actual use, the low light and high-temperature performance of monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon panels have no obvious difference.

The Main Factors Affecting The Power Generation Efficiency Of Solar Panels

The first is the illumination Angle. As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the bulk solar panels have different power generation efficiency depending on the illumination Angle. The second is the illumination intensity. For example, the maximum output power of the solar panel under the illumination intensity of 1200 lux is about 101w, while the maximum output power under the illumination intensity of 200 lux is only about 17w, which is more than 5 times different. The greater the illumination intensity, the greater the working current of the solar panel. The third is shadow occlusion, RV top of some air conditioning outside the machine, satellite TV if there is a block on the solar panel, will certainly reduce its power generation efficiency, so in the installation must be avoided oh. In addition, some dust and debris on the solar panel will also affect its power generation efficiency.

Andy Cao

I’m Andy Cao, an energy engineer with over 16 years of hands-on experience in solar inverters, lithium battery energy storage, photovoltaic systems, and solar street lighting. I focus on real-world system performance and write to share practical, experience-based insights for professionals working in the solar energy industry.