To make a solar panel, you need solar cells.
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But what are solar cells?
Solar cells are those little squares and rectangles that cover the surface of your solar panels &#; and they hold the most important materials necessary to generate electricity.
This article will explore the most frequently asked questions about solar cells we hear from homeowners today.
If you asked a solar cell what it did for a living, it wouldn&#;t stretch the truth too far if it claimed to be a magician. Using a process known as the photovoltaic effect, solar cells convert sunlight into electricity &#; which, on paper, can sound almost like sorcery. In performing this &#;trick&#; over and over again, however, solar cells do not use magic so much as they use reliable scientific processes to convert energy found in sunlight into electricity that can be used in your home.
Learn more: What is Solar Energy?
In solar energy systems with rigid, rooftop solar panels, as well as thin-film solar panel sheets, solar cells work through the same three steps, converting sunlight into electricity and generating emission-free power.
How solar cells work, step by step, is as follows:
Learn more: How Does Solar Energy Work?
Solar panels designed for homes usually contain 60 solar cells, and solar panels designed for commercial buildings typically have 72 solar cells. Of course, in the wide world of solar energy products today, there are also panels manufactured with 32, 36, 48, and 96 solar cell configurations, and even modules with 120 or 144 &#;half-cut&#; cells that effectively double the solar cell count of a 60 or 72-cell solar panel.
When designing your solar energy system, remember that a higher solar cell count doesn&#;t necessarily translate into more efficient electricity generation or a larger amount of electricity. Instead, cell count has much more to do with the physical size of each panel for the sake of production, transportation, the manufacturing process, and installation feasibility.
For example, while large solar farms with ample ground space can theoretically use panels with as many solar cells as possible, a residential roof with multiple faces and obstruction will likely require smaller, 60-cell solar panels to fit into the usable installation space.
Learn more: How Much Roof Space Is Needed For Home Solar Panels?
Silicon solar cells are one of the most popular types of solar cells, and represent approximately 95% of the solar panels installed today to generate photovoltaic solar electricity. Produced with the second most abundant element on earth, silicon solar cells are categorized as either monocrystalline or polycrystalline, both of which can deliver multiple decades of efficient solar power generation.
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of solar cell materials:
Although CdTe and Perovskite materials only make up a small fraction of the US solar market today, they are among the two most popular solar cell technologies currently in research and development for higher efficiency materials.
With worldwide efforts accelerating solar cell efficiency significantly over the last several decades, solar cell technology only stands to continue its trajectory upward toward higher efficiencies, lower costs, and increased sustainability, helping to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels.
In summary, solar cells may come in a wide variety of sizes, types, and packages, but they are all designed to do one simple thing: save you money with green energy. While most homes today utilize high-efficiency 60-cell monocrystalline solar panels (and will likely do so for some time), continuous improvements in the industry may diversify the solar cell technology available to consumers in the future.
If we haven&#;t answered all of your questions about solar cells, please do not hesitate to reach out to a solar expert with Palmetto today or visit our clean energy resources to learn more.
When shopping for solar panels, you'll encounter two standard sizes for residential and commercial projects: 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels. Both small commercial and residential solar power systems will use one of these two types.
The apparent difference between 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels is the number of cells. 72-cell solar panels have higher wattage than 60-cell solar panels, but this doesn&#;t necessarily mean better performance.
If you&#;re deciding whether to use 60-cell panels or 72-cell panels for your solar system, there are a few things to consider. Let&#;s walk through it.
The most notable difference between 60-cell panels and 72-cell panels is size and weight.
A typical 60-cell panel is 3.5 feet wide and 5.5 feet tall. 72-cell panels are the same width but are much longer &#; 6.5 to 7 feet &#; depending on the brand.
For more 72 Cell Solar Module Exporterinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
The larger 72-cell solar modules are also heavier, weighing almost 50 pounds compared to the 60-cell modules, which are about 40 pounds.
Solar cells in a panel are typically wired in series. This means that the volts of each solar cell add up to create the total voltage output. Thus, the voltage of a 72-cell panel is higher and will output more watts than a 60-cell solar panel.
Efficiency is measured by a solar panel&#;s ability to convert sunlight into electricity. Newsflash: neither 60-cell nor 72-cell solar panels have an advantage in this department!
If you are shopping around for high-efficiency solar panels, know that they are available in both 60-cell and 72-cell variations. To learn more about the most efficient solar panels today, check out our list here.
There aren&#;t any significant variations or set rules regarding the cost of 60-cell vs. 72-cell solar panels.
When evaluating solar panels, look at the cost per watt to ensure you&#;re comparing apples-to-apples with different size panels.
There are no significant pros or cons with 60-cell vs. 72-cell solar panels. But depending on your circumstances, you may want to opt for one size over the other.
Let&#;s talk about when to choose a 60-cell vs. 72-cell solar panel for your solar power system.
If you have limited space for your solar panels, the size of your available area may dictate whether 60-cell or 72-cell panels are best for your installation.
For example, if you are installing solar panels on a roof and have a space that is 12 feet tall, you could install two rows of 60-cell panels but only one row of 72-cell panels. That means installing 60-cell panels will give you a higher wattage system.
If the available area is only 8 feet tall, you would only be able to fit one row of either 60-cell or 72-cell panels. In this case, you could opt for the 72-cell panels to get more output from the entire system.
If you&#;re installing ground-mount solar, you probably have fewer size limitations. So, most people choose 72-cell panels for ground-mount installations because you can have a higher wattage system with fewer solar panels.
Lastly, another physical consideration is the size and weight of the panels. If you are doing a DIY solar installation and won&#;t have professional help, you may want to choose 60-cell panels as they weigh less and are therefore easier to handle.
The higher voltage of 72-cell solar modules will make a difference in system design.
If you are using microinverters or DC optimizers, you will have to choose a microinverter or optimizer that can handle the higher voltage of the modules.
If you have a system with a string inverter, you will be able to wire more 60-cell panels in each string due to their lower voltage.
72-cell panels are ideal for commercial and utility-scale systems, but you can also use 72-cell panels for your residential project. There is no set rule when it comes to solar module size and project type.
Generally, you shouldn&#;t use both 60-cell and 72-cell panels for one installation. While it&#;s possible to mix and match, this can make your installation complicated with supporting equipment.
If you choose this route, ensure that you&#;re only using compatible equipment connected to the same circuit. You also have to verify that the 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels are in separate strings, connected to separate maximum power point trackers for proper performance and efficiency.
While we are discussing cell counts, we should also mention 120-cell and 144-cell solar panels, which are newer additions to the solar industry. These solar panels are made with half-cut solar cells wired into two separate string series.
A 120-cell solar panel is equivalent to a 60-cell panel in terms of physical size and power output, while a 144-cell panel has similar specifications to a 72-cell panel.
Learn more: What is a Half-Cut Solar Panel?
Because 60-cell and 72-cell panels offer the same efficiency, the best choice for you depends on what you need to accomplish for your project. 60-cell panels can be easier to carry and allow for flexible layouts in a limited space. 72-cell panels might make your installation cheaper and faster, and are more useful for ground-mount arrays or large-scale commercial projects.
For more information, please visit 72 Cell Solar Module Custom.