Polycrystalline solar panels

• 13-16% efficiency
• Lifespan of 25-30 years

Polycrystalline solar panels are one of the oldest types of solar panel in existence.

These blue panels, with cells that are made by melting multiple silicon crystals and combining them in a square mould, are less efficient, less aesthetically pleasing, and less long-lasting than black monocrystalline panels.

And though they’re technically cheaper, this comes with a large drawback: they take up far more space.

Polycrystalline panels are 31% less efficient than monocrystalline panels, on average, which means, to achieve a certain level of output, you'll need a higher number of polycrystalline panels than you would monocrystalline panels.

When considering the lifetime cost of solar panels, it’s almost always better to cover your roof with as many panels as you can, to generate the most electricity possible – and polycrystalline panels won’t get the best out of your roof space.