The different types of solar cells

There are various types of solar cells that are the essential component for harnessing renewable energy from the sun. It is important to know about the different ones so you can choose the right type for your business and energy needs. The current types include Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, and Thin-Film. 

What are solar cells? 

Solar Cells are made of silicon semiconductors that can absorb sunlight and convert it into useable electricity. Ultimately, solar cells make up the solar panel and are the start to the process of generating clean energy (1). 

How do solar cells work? 

Solar cells generate electricity by harnessing energy directly from sunlight. When sunlight hits the solar cells, it is absorbed, energizing electrons within the cell's material. This extra energy causes the electrons to flow, creating an electrical current. The current is then directed to the inverter, where it is converted into usable energy to power your business efficiently. (2) 

Monocrystalline solar cells 

Monocrystalline solar cells are the most widely used and highly efficient type of solar cell available. Although they are often the slightly more expensive that the polycrystalline cells, they reliably deliver excellent efficiency in all weather conditions, making them an outstanding option (3). 

Polycrystalline solar cells 

Polycrystalline solar cells are typically cheaper than monocrystalline due to their lower efficiency. Since they are composed of multiple melted silicon crystals, the electrons encounter has less freedom to move, resulting in reduced energy production (4).   

Thin-film solar cells 

These are typically used on buildings with a weaker structure due to their lighter and more flexible build e.g. aircraft hangers. Instead of crystalline, they are made from other types of material such as silicon and copper. This means the manufacturing of them is much cheaper, and therefore so is the sale of them. However, they have a much shorter lifespan and therefore also a shorter warranty period compared to monocrystalline (5).

Innovations in solar cell technology 

Solar cell technology is constantly evolving, whether it be small incremental year on year improvements in panel efficiency and output, or potential step changes to new materials that improve the usability of panels by making them lighter or malleable.  In recent years bi-facial panels, where panels can generate energy from light hitting both sides of the panel, have become popular for certain ground mounted systems where there is a light coloured/reflective surface behind the panels.   Perovskite or Calcium Titanium Oxide is one of the materials being utilised to improve and develop the performance of ordinary silicon solar cells, to help them better use the photons across the solar spectrum, taking the current panel efficiency standards from 20-22% up to the high 20s.  

How many solar cells are in a solar panel? 

The number of cells in a solar panel will vary depending on the type and size of the panel itself. Commercial solar panels typically contain 72-144 cells, which is much larger than residential panels as they are designed to produce more energy for the larger area. The more cells a panel contains, the more energy they can produce due to the larger surface area for capturing sunlight (7). 

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