Yes, these might seem overwhelming to you. Let us compare them in Performance, Cost, and Aesthetics.
In solar cells, performance is measured in terms of efficiency. In other words, how much sun energy is converted into electricity. Here, monocrystallines are better than polycrystallines (25% vs 21%). This is because a polycrystalline has crystal boundaries stopping “carriers” like electrons which generate electricity. Therefore for the same area, a polycrystalline generate less electricity.
However, monocrystalline cells are more difficult to manufacture. Consequently, polycrystalline cells are much cheaper. This is why polycrystalline cells dominate solar installations today.
A monocrystalline cell is solid black in colour, while a polycrystalline cell is dark blue with some “cracks”. If you really care about having a stylish roof, then the solid black colour in mono would be a good choice as it blends nicely on your roofs. Otherwise, the polycrystalline’s dark blue is not too ugly either as the “cracks” will not be visible after few meters away.
Next, you might want to know how we install these cells in a project study.