We don’t know about you, but we’re always looking for the most bang for our buck in the products we buy.
Solar panel efficiency is the most helpful metric for comparing how much power panels produce compared to other products. This is because solar panels are excellent clean energy investments, and high-efficiency solar panels Newcastle of the best quality can power an entire residence independently.
Read on to find out more about the most efficient solar panels.
What Increases Solar Panel Efficiency?
Simply speaking, a solar panel’s energy efficiency measures how well it converts sunlight (irradiation) to electricity once the sunlight falls on the panel.
In most cases, the best solar panels use monocrystalline solar cells. For example, if you read https://blueravensolar.com/blog/what-is-the-best-solar-panel-for-residential-solar/, the best panels all use these cells.
What are they, and how do they work?
Simply put, they use a single crystal of silicon rather than several fragments of the element melted together. Several fragments together would be considered a polycrystalline cell.
These look sleeker because of their smooth black surface, but they also come at a higher price tag.
Scientists are constantly working to make solar panels more efficient.
A new material, perovskite, is a low-cost material that can capture tons of visible light. Combined with silicon, which is excellent at capturing infrared light, you can effectively increase the amount of power you produce.
These types of cells produce more energy while getting the same amount of sunlight.
The most efficient solar panels do not use the most expensive material, but you will end up paying a hefty sum to make sure they are constructed well. This is because solar panels are exposed to the environment for a long time, so you want to make sure they are durable.
As technology has progressed, the average cell has increased from 15% efficiency to over 20%. Other factors that affect solar panel efficiency are wavelength, recombination, temperature, and reflection.
Most Efficient Solar Panel
The most efficient type of solar panel is concentrated PV cell solar panels. As their name suggests, they contain a concentrated amount of photovoltaic material. They can reach efficiency rates of 40% or greater.
These are at the forefront of technological development, are expensive, and are not recommended for residential use.
Best Solar Panel Producers
Ranked in terms of efficiency, here are some of the best cells as of 2021.
- SunPower – 22.8% Efficiency
- LG – 22.0% Efficiency
- REC – 21.7% Efficiency
- CSUN – 21.2% Efficiency
- Panasonic – 21.2% Efficiency
These producers not only rate highly because of efficiency but because they offer warranties on their products. However, because solar panels are commonly exposed to the elements, they can easily break or malfunction.
Notably, Tesla is also a provider of solar panels aside from cars. Tesla solar panel efficiency is decently high, being slightly above 19%. The benefit is that they can come fully integrated with other Tesla battery implements, like the Tesla Powerwall home battery.
Exploring Residential Solar Energy
If you’re looking for residential high-efficiency solar panels, you will want to consider a couple of factors. Many solar panels these days can reach above 20% efficiency.
Aside from measuring solar panel efficiency, you will want to make sure the price works for you, that there is an applicable warranty, and that you can install them correctly as well.
Feel free to read more about clean energy in our extensive technology section.
