A copper indium gallium selenide solar cell or cigs cell sometimes ci g s or cis cell is a thin film solar cell used to convert sunlight into electric power.
Cigs solar panels vs polycrystalline.
Monocrystalline solar panels remained the number one seller in the industry for many decades yet that s no longer the case.
Usually polycrystalline silicon solar cells won t have the corners cut off of them so you won t see the large white spaces on the front of the panel that you see on monocrystalline panels.
Monocrystalline solar panels are very durable and long lasting.
Silicon has history on its side but the future may lie in cigs.
Thin film requires more space to produce the same power as mono or poly.
The differences between cigs and crystalline solar cells one big difference is that the cigs is more light sensitive and therefore will a 100 watt peak cigs panel produce around 10 15 more power in a year than a 100 watt peak crystaline panel.
In addition when you seek polycrystalline solar panels for sale the sellers may highlight the blue hue of these panels compared to the monocrystalline panels black hue.
You can expect them to last you for as long as 25 years which is why they often come with a long standard performance warranty of up to two decades.
Polycrystalline solar panels are also made from silicon.
It is manufactured by depositing a thin layer of copper indium gallium and selenium on glass or plastic backing along with electrodes on the front and back to collect current.
In addition polycrystalline solar panels tend to have a blue hue instead of the black hue of monocrystalline panels.
The efficiency of polycrystalline solar panels is somewhat lower but the benefit for customers is that this option is more affordable.
If you are limited on size and want to get the most energy possible monocrystalline panels are the better choice.
Since monocrystalline panels are more efficient per area the size of the solar panel is less than a polycrystalline solar panel for the same wattage.
Cigs will start earlier in the morning and stay on for longer in the evening.
In recent years polycrystalline silicon solar panels have surpassed monocrystalline to become the highest selling type of solar panel for residential projects.
Polycrystalline solar panels generally have lower efficiencies than monocrystalline options but their advantage is a lower price point.
What should solar panels be made of.
Like conventional solar panels amorphous solar panels are made from silicon but they are constructed in a different way.
With solar energy the issue is material.
Instead of being constructed from solid silicon wafers like mono or poly crystalline solar panels amorphous panels are made by depositing non crystalline silicon on a substrate like glass plastic or metal one layer of silicon on an amorphous solar panel can be as thin.