What is the Highest Efficiency for Solar Panels in 2016?

 

This question is part of the Super Big Solar Panel FAQ from Solar Mango, where expert answers to over 100 important questions on solar panels are provided.

 

As of 2016, the highest efficiency achieved for monocrystalline solar panels in real life is about 24%. This was announced by the premium solar panel maker, SunPower. In 2015, SunPower and Panasonic had been vying with each other to race to the top of the solar panel efficiency mountain, with each announcing efficiency nearing 23%.

Let us say that, as of mid-2016, SunPower appears to be the (temporary) leader in the efficiency of monocrystalline solar panels used on a commercial scale.

For polycrystalline solar panels, the highest efficiency achieved is about 17%.

That’s an ocean of a difference – 17% to 24%.

But that’s the way things are in the solar panel world.

Super Big Solar Panel FAQGet to know answers to over 100 important questions on solar panels from here.

 

Solar panel efficiencies, for both monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels, have been on the increase in the past few years, though not at the rate at which we would have liked them to increase.

The increase in efficiency for monocrystalline panels on average have been faster than that for polycrystalline panels. Given that monocrystalline solar panels are for the premium market, give the manufacturers a more handsome margin than that given by polycrystalline modules, and given also that monocrystalline solar panels are bought mainly for their high efficiency, all seem to contribute to much faster increases in efficiencies for monocrystalline solar panels than for polycrystalline solar panels.

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4 thoughts on “What is the Highest Efficiency for Solar Panels in 2016?

  1. Pingback: Big Solar Panel FAQ - 100+ Questions on Solar Panels Answered - Solar Mango – #1 guide for solar

  2. Pingback: Will a Solar Panel Really Last 25 Years? - Solar Mango – #1 guide for solar

  3. Pingback: How Much Electricity Will Solar Panels Produce in a Moderate Sunlight Region? - Solar Mango – #1 guide for solar

  4. Pingback: How Do I Know Thin Film Solar Panels Can Work for 25 Years? - Solar Mango – #1 guide for solar

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