Monocrystalline vs Polycrystalline

There are two main solar cell types that dominate the current market of photovoltaics, polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon. The differences mainly impact the efficiency, size, and cost of the photovoltaic panel.

Monocrystalline solar cells are created from a crystal that is grown in only one plane and can be thought of as basically two dimensional, while polycrystalline solar cells are created from crystals that grow in more than just two directions. Generally, monocrystalline cells are more efficient, meaning that a smaller solar cell can do the same amount of energy production that a larger polycrystalline cell. Monocrystalline cells are more expensive to manufacture, so the cost per watt is higher for monocrystalline solar cells.