What is the difference between monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon solar cells and which one is better?

What is the difference between monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon solar cells and which one is better?

Polycrystalline silicon and monocrystalline silicon are two different substances, Polysilicon is a chemical term commonly known as glass, High-purity polysilicon material is high-purity glass, Monocrystalline silicon is the raw material for making solar photovoltaic cells, It is also a material for making semiconductor chips, Due to the scarcity of silicon ore raw materials and complex production processes for the production of monocrystalline silicon, Therefore, the yield is low and the price is high, So what is the difference between monocrystalline solar cells and polycrystalline solar cells? Which is better?

1. The difference in appearance

From the appearance point of view, The four corners of the monocrystalline silicon cell are arc-shaped, No pattern on the surface;

Whereas the four corners of polycrystalline silicon cells show square corners, The surface has patterns similar to ice flowers;

Amorphous silicon cells are what we usually call thin-film components, It is not like a crystalline silicon battery, you can see the grid lines, The surface is as clear and smooth as a mirror.

2. Use the distinction above

For users, There is not much difference between monocrystalline silicon cells and polycrystalline silicon cells, Their longevity and stability are good. Although the average conversion efficiency of monocrystalline silicon cells is about 1% higher than that of polycrystalline silicon cells, However, since monocrystalline silicon cells can only be made into a quasi-square shape (all four sides are arc-shaped), Therefore, when a solar panel is formed, a part of the area will not be filled; Polycrystalline silicon is square, So there is no such problem, Their advantages and disadvantages are as follows:

Crystalline silicon modules: The power of a single module is relatively high. With the same floor area, The installed capacity is higher than that of thin film modules. However, the components are heavy and fragile, Poor high temperature performance, Poor low light, Year high attenuation rate.

Thin film components: The power of a single module is relatively slightly lower. But the power generation performance is high, Good high temperature performance, Good low light performance, Shadow occlusion power loss is small, Low annual decay rate. The application environment is extensive, beautiful and environmentally friendly.

3. Differences in manufacturing processes

The energy consumed in the manufacturing process of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is about 30% less than that of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, Therefore, polycrystalline silicon solar cells account for a large share of the total global solar cell production, The manufacturing cost is also lower than that of monocrystalline silicon cells, So using polycrystalline silicon solar cells will be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly!

Which is better, monocrystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon solar cells?

The current photoelectric conversion efficiency of monocrystalline silicon solar cells is about 15%, High efficiency can reach 24%, This is the relatively high photoelectric conversion efficiency among all types of solar cells currently, But the production cost is very high, So much so that it cannot be widely and commonly used, Since monocrystalline silicon is generally encapsulated with tempered glass and waterproof resin, Therefore it is strong and durable, The service life is generally up to 15 years,Up to 25 years.

The manufacturing process of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is similar to that of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, But, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is much lower, Its photoelectric conversion efficiency is about 12% (On July 1, 2004, Japan's Sharp launched the world's ultra-high-efficiency polycrystalline silicon solar cell with an efficiency of 14.8%).

In terms of production costs, Cheaper than monocrystalline silicon solar cells, Simple manufacture of materials, Save power consumption, The overall production cost is lower, Therefore it has been greatly developed. In addition, Polycrystalline silicon solar cells also have a shorter service life than monocrystalline silicon solar cells. In terms of performance-price ratio, Monocrystalline silicon solar cells are slightly better.

Overall For, Currently, most solar cells on the market use monocrystalline cells, Basically the technology is mature, The market is big, It is convenient easier to repair.