Solar Power Panels

There are several types of solar panels used for converting sunlight into electrical power. The most common type of material used to make photovoltaic cells is silicon. Silicon is the second most abundant element on the earth. There are three main types of silicon that can be used to make solar panel cells.

Monocrystalline cells are single crystal cells. They are cut from a single boule that is grown from a single crystal in the same direction. They are the most expensive to create because they require pure silicon and have very complicated crystal growth processing. However, they also have the highest energy efficiency, which is around 16 percent. Polycrystalline cells are wafers of silicon that are cut from a boule with crystal growth in several directions.

The polycrystalline cells have a lower production cost than monocrystalline technology, but they still have a pretty high conversion efficiency, which is around 13 percent on average. The third type of silicon used to create solar cells is amorphous. This is a more recent technology that was developed in the 1970s, and it is the least expensive. However, it has the lowest efficiency with an average of eight percent.

The amorphous silicon process uses very thin layers of silicon which are sprayed onto glass, plastic or metal surfaces. They appear black in color, while polycrystalline appears blue in color. Bee Cool Inc. uses polycrystalline technology to create all of our solar panels and modules. We are dedicated to creating the most reliable, efficient and affordable solar panel module possible. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 802-425-7151 or Beecool@gmavt.net