Different Types of Solar Cell & How to Choose?

When it comes to solar panels, the type of solar cell used is critical. There are several different types of solar cells on the market, each with its own unique characteristics.

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Mono & Poly)

Crystalline silicon solar cells, which are currently the most common, come in two types: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline solar cells are more efficient, with an efficiency range of 20% – 24%, while polycrystalline solar cells have an efficiency range of 18% – 20%. Additionally, monocrystalline solar cells are more expensive than polycrystalline ones. However, as technology improves and production costs decrease, the price difference between the two is becoming less significant.

Monocrystalline Solar Cell

IBC Solar Cells

IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) solar cell transfers all the electrode grid lines on the front side of the solar cell to the back side of the solar cell. IBC solar cell mainly improves conversion efficiency through structural changes. This not only brings more effective power generation area to users, but also helps improve power generation efficiency and makes the appearance more beautiful. IBC solar cells are the most efficient solar cells on the market, with an efficiency of over 23%. However, they are also the most expensive.

IBC Solar Cell

When choosing a solar panel, it’s important to consider the specific needs of the application. For small solar panels with limited use areas, monocrystalline solar panels are a better option. Encapsulation methods for crystalline silicon solar panels include glass lamination, PET, ETFE lamination, or epoxy. For IBC solar panels, encapsulation methods include PET or ETFE lamination.

Remember, choosing the right solar cell is essential for the overall efficiency and effectiveness of your solar panel.

Source of origin: https://chinasolar-panel.com

What is IBC solar cell?

IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) transfers all the electrode grid lines on the front side of the solar cell to the back side of the solar cell. The PN junction and metal contacts are all on the back side of the solar cell, arranged in an interdigitated manner to reduce the blocking of sunlight by the front grid lines. The light trapping structure composed of pyramid suede structure and anti-reflection layer can maximize the use of incident light. IBC solar cell mainly improves conversion efficiency through structural changes and is a relatively pure single-sided solar cell. This not only brings more effective power generation area to users, but also helps improve power generation efficiency and makes the appearance more beautiful.

Advantages and Disadvantages of IBC Solar Cells

The unique structural design of IBC solar cells gives it the following advantages:
1) There is no grid line shielding on the front of the solar cell, which can eliminate the light-shielding current loss of the metal electrode and maximize the utilization of incident photons. Compared with conventional solar cells, the short-circuit current can be increased by about 7%;
2) Both the positive and negative electrodes are on the back of the solar cell. There is no need to consider the grid line occlusion problem. The grid line ratio can be appropriately widened to reduce the series resistance and increase the fill factor FF;
3) Since the front side does not need to consider factors such as gate line shading and metal contact, the surface passivation and surface light trapping structure can be optimally designed to obtain a lower front surface recombination rate and surface reflection, thereby increasing the open circuit voltage Voc and Short circuit current Isc;
4) Beautiful appearance, especially suitable for building-integrated photovoltaic BIPV, with good commercial prospects;

At the same time, the production and manufacturing of IBC solar cells also faces many challenges:
1) It has higher requirements on the matrix material and requires a higher minority carrier lifetime. Because IBC solar cells are back junction cells, in order to prevent photogenerated carriers from being recombined as little as possible or not at all before reaching the back p-n junction, a higher minority carrier diffusion length is required.
2) IBC solar cells have higher requirements for passivation of the front surface. If the front surface recombination is high, the photogenerated carriers will be recombinated before reaching the back p-n junction area, which will significantly reduce the solar cell conversion efficiency.
3) The process is complex. The cross-shaped p-region and n-region on the back require multiple masking techniques during the production process. In order to prevent leakage, the gap area between the p-region and n-region also needs to be very precise, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty and cost of the process.

IBC Solar Panel

WSL Solar has been a quality and professional manufacturer of custom solar panels, solar mini panels, IoT solar panels and solar solution provider in China since 2006.

https://www.wsl-solar.com

Source of origin: https://www.wsl-solar.com/Product_News/2024/0315/what-is-ibc-solar-cell.html

Back Contact Solar Panels

Back contact solar panels adopt back contact solar cells, the cell efficiency can reach 23%, it can generate more power than traditional solar cells within the same area. The surface of this panel is ETFE film, which makes this solar panel very thin, lightweight, and portable. The back of this solar panel is PCB board. This kind of solar panel is widely used in wireless sensors, IoT devices, LED lights and other small electronic devices.

Introduced by Carrie Wong of WSL Solar.

WSL Solar has been a professional manufacturer of high quality custom solar panels and solar solution provider in China since 2006.

https://www.wsl-solar.com

What is a back contact solar panel?

A back contact solar panel is a type of photovoltaic solar panel that differs from conventional solar panels in the way that the photovoltaic solar cells are manufactured and arranged. In a back contact solar panel, the electrodes that collect the electrical current generated by the solar cells are located on the back of the cell, rather than on the front and sides as in a traditional solar panel. This configuration allows for a potentially higher electrical output per cell and an overall higher efficiency of the panel since there are fewer areas for energy loss or shading to occur.

Back contact solar panels are also known for their durability, as they don’t have any front-side wires that are vulnerable to breakage or corrosion. They are often used in special applications such as space satellites and outdoor equipment, where high efficiency and durability are important factors.

However, back contact solar panels may be more expensive to manufacture than traditional solar panels since they are built using more specialized manufacturing techniques.

WSL Solar has been a quality and professional manufacturer of custom solar panels, solar mini panels, IoT solar panels and solar solution provider in China since 2006.

https://www.wsl-solar.com

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell vs IBC Solar Cell

This video mainly introduces the difference between Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell vs. IBC Solar Cell, and the difference between Mono Solar Cell vs. Poly Solar Cell. Hope it can help you better understand different types of solar cells.

Created by Carrie Wong | WSL Solar

WSL Solar has been a quality and professional manufacturer of customized solar panels and solar solution provider in China since 2006.

https://www.wsl-solar.com

What is IBC Solar Panel ?

IBC solar panels are built with the super high efficiency IBC solar cells (“Interdigitated back contact” solar cells). They are laminated by ETFE or PET film, which is light weight and thin. Thess customized solar panels are ideal for use in off grid applications such as IoT devices, smart phones, radio, Bluetooth, wireless sensors, RF Radio Sensitivity or solar gifts etc.

Features:
– IBC solar cell with efficiencies of up to 23% guarantee high power output
– Matte finish and no busbar on panel surface
– ETFE or PET laminated, light weight and thin
– Waterproof, scratch resistant & UV resistant
– Excellent performance under low light environments
– Custom manufacturing in various size & shapes available upon request

Lists of existing IBC solar panels from WSL Solar.

ItemSpecificationSizeSolar Cell TypeLamination
WSL-S0016V 1.2W Custom Solar Panel85x85x1.8mmIBC Solar CellPET Film
WSL-S0025V 0.2W Round Solar PanelD=43mmx1.8mmIBC Solar CellPET Film
WSL-S0032V 80mA Small Solar Panel40x30x1.8mmIBC Solar CellPET Film
WSL-S0045V 0.75W mini Solar Panel70x60x2mmIBC Solar CellETFE Film
WSL-S0055V 1W IoT Solar Panel95x69x2mmIBC Solar CellETFE Film
WSL-S0064V 150mA Custom Solar Panel93x40x2mmIBC Solar CellPET Film
WSL-S0075.5V 1W Small Solar Panel80x80x2mmIBC Solar CellETFE Film
WSL-S0086V 120mA Circular Solar PanelD=89mmx2mmIBC Solar CellETFE Film
WSL-S0095V 0.6W ETFE Solar Panel65x65x2mmIBC Solar CellETFE Film
WSL-S0105.5V 1.6W ETFE Solar Panel120x70x2mmIBC Solar CellETFE Film
WSL-S0113V 0.4W PET Solar Panel57x50x2mmIBC Solar CellPET Film
WSL-S0125.5V 0.2W Mini Solar Panel30x50x2mmIBC Solar CellPET Film
IBC Solar Panels

WSL Solar has been a quality and professional manufacturer of customized solar panels and solar solution provider in China since 2006. 

https://www.wsl-solar.com