Roof Solar Panels Explained
When shopping for roof solar panels, not only are there a number of brands, but also various types of roof solar panels to choose from. And each type has its pros and cons.
So what kind of roof solar panels are there? And how do they differ from one another?
To date there are 3 kinds, which we will explore in this article.
Monocrystalline Solar Panels:
The first and most widely used type are monocrystalline solar panels. Since they were the first to be produced, they have dominated the solar market for quite some time. They are your typical blue iridescent panels with rounded cells packed in uniform rows and visible from all directions.
Monocrystalline solar panels tend to be very costly to produce since they require a single silicon crystal grown in a very complicated process. This results in higher prices for consumers. In fact, at the time of writing this (Dec 2008), monocrystalline solar panels are about 41% more expensive per watt compared to thin film solar.
The advantage of these photovoltaic panels is that they take up the least space, making them a good choice for people with not much space. And although the cells are very fragile, they are secured in a rigid frame and can last for over 25 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Can you connect amorphous and monocrystalline solar panels together in a parallel?
I have a large monocrystalline solar panel I just got today and I want to hook it in parallel with a couple amorphous solar kits. There is a total of seven amorphous panels and one monocrystalline panel. Would the monocrystalline panel burn the other panels up? Just want to be on the safe side, thanks!-
ANSWER:
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QUESTION:
where can i sell damaged monocrystalline solar panels?
IF you know a company that can buy them per watt pls let me know. Or maybe any websites that i can list them,, any information will help..thank you!When i mean damaged..these are the solar panels damaged or broken during transit...they can still be used but then it is not coverec by manufacturer's warranty anymore. I wanted to sell them in a low price..please help! thank you
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ANSWER:
craigslist, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, sfbay.craigslist.org . Someone will buy them at the right price.
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QUESTION:
How to dispose damaged Monocrystalline Solar Panels?-
ANSWER:
Depends how they were damaged.If the panel was damaged by ESD, you can check with your local unit of government to see who in your area handles cadmium bearing materials.
If it was broken into pieces; and those pieces still have the ability to produce electricity- You can post them on Ebay, Amazon if you have an account for them, oryou can post an ad in various online forums like Freecycle,
Otherwise contact the manufacturer's US distributor and ask them for "Best Practices Disposal" and who in your area might be qualified. If you are on the east coast, you you should be able to just contact BFI to find out how they might be able to pick it up. Elsewhere in the US, it is not quite so simple. There may or may not be a fee attached to the disposal as well.
This may have recently been covered in:
http://www.wastenews.com
http://www.resourcerecyclingmagazine.com
http://www.wasteage.com
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QUESTION:
Is it possible to have both monocrystalline photovoltaics and solar panels fitted to a building?
i am doing a project for university and am confused as how the drawings for the building we are due to construct has details of bothmonocrystalline photovoltaics and also solar panels, as seperate items.From what i can establish the photovoltaics are a form of solar panel so it seems incorrect to have the two different items?
is the drawing wrong or am i?
thanks in advance
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ANSWER:
I see no reason why you can't have both types.solar panels are a general term, so a monocrystalline photovoltaic or any kind of photovoltaic is a solar panel.
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QUESTION:
Going solar for my home, I have ?s, and only want answers from people that have it in your home.?
I know the Monocrystalline solar panels cost more then the Polycrystalline solar panels, but which one of the two will last longer?, and will they leak over time? and will they fade over time?
what I mean by leaking is, moisture underneath the glass.-
ANSWER:
I don't have them in my home, if no-one else on here can answer then I might be the best you'll get :/ I've done a little research on solar panels (we developed CdTe rather than Silicon but we worked with other lab groups that do use silicon).Most solar panels will degrade slightly with time (a common cause is because solar cells rely on a junction, and thermal energy jiggles about the atoms and can mix up your dopants so that the junction quality goes down a bit over time). Generally speaking, more grain boundaries between crystals speeds up the rate of degradation so polycrystalline panels should degrade more quickly than monocrystalline ones (although if other decay mechanisms are dominant, or the system is generally stable, then the difference will be tiny).
Generally panels are well sealed against the elements so it shouldn't notably fade. Keeping the glass reasonably clean is good for output.
What do you mean 'leak'? Silicon panels are solid state devices, unless you're planning on heating them to hundreds of degrees C they will remain solid and shouldn't 'leak'!
When I say polycrystalline cells should degrade more quickly than monocrystalline, it's all relative. Most solar panels will be guaranteed for somewhere between 20-30 years and over that period they should not fall below 80% of their rated output (many should degrade even less).
EDIT: Moisture underneath the glass isn't a problem I've heard much about (but my experience is with lab tech devices we've grown specially rather than full scale real world ones!). In principle it shouldn't be much of a problem; typically your cells will be 'sandwiched' between two glass layers which are then hermetically sealed. There's a chance of leakage, in the same way double glazing might leak occasionally. This effect shouldn't be that different between mono- and poly- crystalline cells and it should be accounted for when they give you their 20-30yr guarantees!
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