Adding solar panels to the house can improve the value of the house and it will reduce your utility bill as well. There are many savings that you can obtain by installing solar panels. However, there are several types of solar panels that you can select for your home. You need to understand the differences before asking a solar company to have a look.
There are three types of solar panels available in the market. These are polycrystalline, monocrystalline and thin film solar panels. There are solar roofing shingles as well that you can consider as a fourth option. Monocrystalline solar panels are the most commonly used type and they are considered to have the highest efficiency out of all options. This type of solar panel is made from an individual pure silicon crystal. The colour of these panels is uniform and they are quite durable as well. Companies are known to provide warranties that last several decades for this type of solar panel. While there are many benefits to purchasing monocrystalline solar panels for house, the initial investment for these panels can be quite high. This is because of its high production cost. There are other models under monocrystalline solar panels as well. One such example is the PERC which is called passivated emitter and rear cell. It is known to have a high level of efficiency.

A more cost-effective option is polycrystalline solar panels. These have a low production cost compared to monocrystalline panels. The production of polycrystalline solar panels includes different pieces of silicon that is fragmented and melted. However, the efficiency of polycrystalline panels is less than that of monocrystalline panels. In appearance, both types of solar panels look similar. The warranties can be similar as well. If you are looking for lightweight solar panels, then a better option is amorphous or thin film solar panels. The installation process is fairly easier and therefore faster because of the reduced weight.
Silicon is only present in the thin layers at the top of the amorphous solar panel. They can stand high heat conditions so they are a good option for tropical countries. They will generate energy even when the sun is not very bright. But the durability of these panels is lower than monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. On average, you will be able to use thin film panels for a decade or two at the most. Also, efficiency is on the lower end of the scale. Because of this, thin film panels are selected for large scale installations where a higher number of panels can be placed. This is a more affordable option when compared to monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels.

There are different options that you can look for within the thin film solar panel category. However, these options are produced using cadmium which is a heavy metal. However, efficiency is still low when it comes to these options. There are solar roofing shingles that are available for a range of prices. The main benefit of these is that they don’t affect the appearance of the roof. In solar panel installations, the panels will be very noticeable. However, these are quite costly and hard to find.