How to distinguish between Monocrystalline Solar and Polycrystalline Solar?

July 17, 2020

When you are ready to purchase some solar products, you may want to choose the best solar panel. So do you know what you can do?

Distinguishing between Monocrystalline Solar Panels and Polycrystalline Solar Panels is achievable through multiple dimensions, including appearance, performance, manufacturing principles, and application scenarios.

There are two types of solar panel material in the market, one is Monocrystalline, and the other one is Polycrystalline.

Normally, we will suggest more to our customers to choose Monocrystalline Solar when they ask for solar street light, because Monocrystalline will be more efficient. It can collect more sun power convert to electronics.

How to distinguish between Monocrystalline Solar and Polycrystalline Solar?
1, Different Color.
The typical monocrystalline panel will tend to have a darker black color, polycrystalline panels tend to have a blue color.

2, Silicon Shape.
Monocrystalline panel silicon is not a regular square shape, but polycrystalline panel silicon is a regular square shape.

Monocrystalline panel

Shenzhen Leadray solar light uses Monocrystalline panel, perfect quality and reasonable price.

Visual Identification: The Most Intuitive Method

Appearance is the fastest way to tell them apart, as their silicon wafers have distinct visual features:

Feature	Monocrystalline Solar Panels	Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Color of Silicon Wafer	Deep black (or dark blue with a slight metallic sheen)	Blue with obvious "speckled" or "cloudy" textures
Shape of Silicon Wafer	Typically rounded corners (due to the cylindrical ingot cutting process)	Usually square corners (molded directly, no waste from rounding)
Surface Texture	Uniform, smooth, and glossy (single crystal structure reflects light consistently)	Uneven, with visible grain boundaries (small, scattered light spots under light)
Backsheet Color	Often white (to enhance light reflection and efficiency), but some use black for aesthetics	Mostly white (less focus on "black panel" design due to lower efficiency)

Monocrystalline panel

Performance Comparison: Beyond Appearance

If visual cues are unclear (e.g., panels with black backsheets or anti-reflective coatings), performance parameters can further help distinguish them:

Performance Indicator	Monocrystalline Solar Panels	Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency	Higher (typically 18%–24%, some high-end models exceed 25%)	Lower (typically 15%–19%)
Space Efficiency	Better—generates more power per unit area (e.g., a 1㎡ monocrystalline panel produces ~220W, vs. ~180W for polycrystalline)	Poorer—requires more installation space for the same power output
Temperature Coefficient	Lower (usually -0.3%/℃ to -0.4%/℃): Performance degrades less when the panel heats up (critical for hot climates)	Higher (usually -0.4%/℃ to -0.5%/℃): Efficiency drops more significantly in high temperatures
Low-Light Performance	Superior—converts weak light (e.g., cloudy days, dawn/dusk) into electricity more effectively	Inferi

Monocrystalline Panels: Ideal for scenarios where space is limited or efficiency is prioritized, such as:

Rooftop solar systems (residential/commercial buildings with small roof areas)

Portable solar devices (solar chargers, camping lights)

Areas with hot climates or frequent cloudy weather

Polycrystalline Panels: Suitable for large-scale, cost-sensitive projects with ample space, such as:

Ground-mounted solar farms (where land is abundant)

Budget-friendly residential installations

Regions with strong, consistent sunlight (e.g., deserts, tropical areas)

We have solar street lights, solar garden lights and so on. If you want to know more details, please contact me at: sales@szleadray.com

More info please go to our website: www.szleadray.com

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How to distinguish between Monocrystalline Solar and Polycrystalline Solar?

Visual Identification: The Most Intuitive Method

Performance Comparison: Beyond Appearance

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