1st Generation Solar Panels

These are the traditional types of solar panels made of mono-crystalline silicon or poly-silicon and are most commonly used in conventional surroundings.


Mono crystalline Solar Panels (Mono-SI)

This type of solar panels (made of Mono crystalline Silicon) is the purest one. You can easily recognise them from the uniform dark look and the rounded edges. The silicon’s high purity causes this type of solar panel has one of the highest efficiency rates, with the newest ones reaching above 20%.

Mono crystalline panels have a high power output, occupy less space, and last the longest. Of course, that also means they are the most expensive of the bunch. Another advantage to consider is that they tend to be slightly less affected by high temperatures compared to Poly crystalline panels.

2nd Generation Solar Panels

These cells are different types of thin film solar cells and are mainly used for photovoltaic power stations, integrated in buildings or smaller solar power systems.


Poly crystalline Solar Panels (Poly-SI)

You can quickly distinguish these panels because this type of solar panels has squares, its angles are not cut, and it has a blue, speckled look. They are made by melting raw silicon, which is a faster and cheaper process than that used for mono crystalline panels.

This leads to a lower final price but also lower efficiency (around 15%), lower space efficiency, and a shorter lifespan since they are affected by hot temperatures to a greater degree. However, the differences between mono- and poly crystalline types of solar panels are not so significant and the choice will strongly depend on your specific situation. The first option offers a slightly higher space efficiency at a slightly higher price but power outputs are basically the same.

3rd Generation Solar Panels

3rd generation solar panels include a variety of thin film technologies but most of them are still in the research or development phase. Some of them generate electricity by using organic materials, others use inorganic substances (Cd Te for instance).

thin film solar panel - DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLAR PANELS

Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)

If looking for a less expensive option, you might want to look into thin-film. Thin-film solar panels are manufactured by placing one or more films of photovoltaic material (such as silicon, cadmium or copper) onto a substrate. These types of solar panels are the easiest to produce and economies of scale make them cheaper than the alternatives due to less material being needed for its production.

They are also flexible—which opens a lot of opportunities for alternative applications—and is less affected by high temperatures. The main issue is that they take up a lot of space, generally making them unsuitable for residential installations. Moreover, they carry the shortest warranties because their lifespan is shorter than the mono- and poly crystalline types of solar panels. However, they can be a good option to choose among the different types of solar panels where a lot of space is available.

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Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell (A-Si)

The amorphous silicon solar cell is among the different types of solar panels, the one that is used mainly in such pocket calculators. This type of solar panel uses a triple layered technology, which is the best of the thin film variety.

Just to give a brief impression of what “thin” means, in this case, we’re talking about a thickness of 1 micrometer (one millionth of a meter). With only 7% efficiency rate, these cells are less effective than crystalline silicon ones—that have an efficiency rate of circa 18%—but the advantage is the fact that the A-Si-Cells are relatively low in cost.

Bio-hybrid Solar Cell

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The Bio-hybrid solar cell is one of the types of solar panels, that is still in the research phase. It has been discovered by an expert team at Vanderbilt University. The idea behind the new technology is to take advantage of the photo system 1 and thus emulate the natural process of photosynthesis. In case you want to learn more about how the bio-hybrid solar cell works in detail, read more about it in the American Journal of Optics and Pho-tonics. It explains more detailed how these cells work. Many of the materials being used in this cell are similar to the traditional methods, but only by combining the multiple layers of photo system 1, the conversion from chemical to electrical energy becomes much more effective (up to 1000 times more efficient than 1st generation types of solar panels).

Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell (Cd Te)


Among the collection of different types of solar panels, this photovoltaic technique uses Cadmium Telluride, which enables the production of solar cells at relatively low cost and thus a shorter payback time (less than a year). Of all solar energy technologies, this is the one requiring the least amount of water for production. Keeping the short energy payback time in mind, Cd Te solar cells will keep your carbon footprint as low as possible. The only disadvantage of using Cadmium Telluride is its characteristic of being toxic, if ingested or inhaled. In Europe especially, this is one of the greatest barriers to overcome, as many people are very concerned about using the technology behind this type of solar panel.

Concentrated PV Cell (CVP and HCVP)

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Concentrated PV cells generate electrical energy just as conventional photovoltaic systems do. Those multi-junction types of solar panels have an efficiency rate up to 41%, which, among all photovoltaic systems, is the highest so far.

The name of such CVP cells is related to what makes them so efficient, compared to other types of solar panels: curved mirror surfaces, lenses and sometimes even cooling systems are used to bundle the sun rays and thus increase their efficiency.

By this means, CVP cells have become one of the most efficient types of solar panels, with a high performance and efficiency rate of up to 41%. What remains is the fact, that such CVP solar panels can only be as efficient if they face the sun in a perfect angle. In order to reach such high efficiency rates, a solar tracker inside the solar panel is responsible for following the sun.

What are solar panels?

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Solar panels are devices that convert light into electricity. They are called “solar” panels because most of the time, the most powerful source of light available is the Sun, called Sol by astronomers. Some scientists call them photovoltaics which means, basically, “light-electricity.” A solar panel is a collection of solar cells. Lots of small solar cells spread over a large area can work together to provide enough power to be useful. The more light that hits a cell, the more electricity it produces, so spacecraft are usually designed with solar panels that can always be pointed at the Sun even as the rest of the body of the spacecraft moves around, much as a tank turret can be aimed independently of where the tank is going.

Solar cells and solar panels have lots of uses. They are in everyday things like calculators, watches, and flashlights. There are solar-powered toys, radios, and MP3 players. There are solar-powered cell phones and pagers. Using solar power with devices like these means you never have to worry about batteries. Solar panels are sometimes used to make the electricity to light up road signs and bus stops. They may make the electricity that makes roadside emergency phones or parking meters work. Even some ATM’s have solar panels. The ceiling lights and all kinds of machines and appliances used at home, school, and work get their electricity from the wires running through the building. Usually, this electricity comes to the building from the public power system, or grid. But solar panels can also be used along with power from the grid. People sometimes put solar panels on their homes. Large buildings may have them as well. They make it possible to use less of the grid’s costly electricity. In addition, they are a backup in case of a power failure, or blackout. In some areas the grid itself gets some power from solar panels.


The Sun constantly gives off energy. The energy is carried through space as electromagnetic radiation. There are several types of electromagnetic radiation. Light is one type. Radio waves are another. Electromagnetic radiation travels like waves in water. Like water waves, it is a series of ups and downs. One way various types of electromagnetic waves differ is in their wavelength. This is the distance between two ups (or two downs) in a row. The wavelengths of radio waves are longer than those of light. Among types of light, red has a longer wavelength than blue. Only part of the energy sent toward Earth by the Sun actually makes it to Earth’s surface. Some solar energy gets bounced back into space. Some gets absorbed by the air. Most of the solar energy that does make it to Earth’s surface is in the form of visible light. Solar cells can use the energy of this light to make electricity. But they don’t work equally well with all forms of light. Different types of solar cells use different wavelengths. This means a cell can use only some of the solar energy that it receives.

Russell Ohl was the first person to come up with a solar cell like the ones used today. He worked at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. His cell was made of silicon (silicon is found in sand and in many types of rock). He called the cell a “light-sensitive electric device.” He filed for a patent on it in 1941. Five years later, he got the patent. In 1954, Bell Labs made the first practical solar cell. It was the first one to make enough electricity to run ordinary electrical devices. Still, early cells didn’t make much electricity. Also, they were very costly. Their first important use was in space satellites, starting in 1958. As cells became cheaper, they were used in other ways. The first power station able to make 1 megawatt of electricity with solar panels opened in Hesperia, California, in 1982.

Solar cells come in various sizes. Some are tinier than a stamp. Some are 5 inches (12 centimeters) across. The cells are made of a type of material known as a semiconductor. Often, they are made of silicon. Semiconductors can conduct, or carry, electricity. They don’t do this as well as metals, however. That is why they are called “semi.” Because they only “semi” conduct electricity, they can be used to control electric current. On their top and bottom they typically have metal contacts through which current can fl ow. A typical simple cell has two layers of silicon. One is known as n-type. The other is p-type. The layers are different from each other.

The process of making electricity begins when the silicon atoms absorb some light. The light’s energy knocks some electrons out of the atoms. The electrons fl ow between the two layers. The fl ow makes an electric current. The current can leave the cell through the metal contacts and be used. When light hits a solar cell, much of its energy is wasted. Some light bounces off or passes through the cell. Some is turned into heat. Only light with the right wavelengths, or colors, is absorbed and then turned into electricity. A single simple solar cell makes only a little electricity. For most purposes more is needed. For this reason, cells are often linked together in groups known as solar modules. A solar module has a frame that holds the cells. Some modules are several feet long and wide. They usually can produce up to a few hundred watts of electricity. If more power is needed, modules can be joined together to form a large solar array. Modules are sometimes called solar panels. Arrays are also sometimes called solar panels. Whatever you call a group of solar cells, the fact remains: the more cells you link together, the more electricity you make. With enough modules, huge amounts of power are possible. A good example is a new power plant being built at Moura in Portugal.The first phase of the project has 262,080 solar modules, each with 48 cells. They will produce up to 46 megawatts of electricity. Many experts think even bigger power plants using solar panels will be built in the coming years. Someday there may be solar plants able to make as much as 500 megawatts of power. That is about what a typical coal power plant produces today. Solar panels work best when they directly face the Sun. For this reason, the panels are often put on “trackers.” The trackers turn the panels so that they follow the Sun as it moves across the sky.

lead - Future Business Leaders In Solar Sector: What Are The CXOs Looking For?

India is a land of opportunities for start-ups, especially the tech start-ups aimed at disrupting the way we go about living our daily lives. With world’s finest engineers building innovative products, India has become a hub of technological innovation. Even though innovation has spiraled into every aspect of our lives, our energy infrastructure is still decayed and paralyzed by traditional, old fashioned way of production, distribution and consumption.

India’s energy infrastructure looks up to a massive transformation with advent of solar sector and ambitious targets by Government. Solar allows for a cleaner generation, closer to the point of consumption, thereby eliminating the need for a grid infrastructure and energy losses. Future business leaders in Solar are looking out for innovative use of technology to achieve grid transformation and make energy accessible for all. This definitely requires the need to attract technical and data analytics professionals who can build new models for managing energy at consumer level. CXOs are also looking out at visionary goals to aim for given that India currently barely consumes 1/30th that of US per capita energy consumption. Solar energy firms have the unique opportunity to sustainably enable the growth of India’s energy consumption without hampering the environment. Lastly, CXOs from solar sectors expect mobilization of private capital which is required for scaling and trying out innovative financing models. Currently, solar industry is laden with debt and is heavily dependent on Government incentives and makes the entire industry vulnerable. With the assistance of private capital, solar firms can look forward to long term view for the industry and investors can fetch higher returns at lower risk.

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With little respite from the government measures of subsidizing electricity costs for the rural consumers, high transmission and distribution losses and volatile price of electricity from sources like coal, it is expected that our electricity tariffs would go up by 4~5 percent every year for several years to come. The future of electricity consumption looks grim not just for the industrialists but also for the residential owners.

To brace ourselves from a futuristic perspective, we need to start exploring renewable energy, especially solar in India, combinations with our existing systems to become reliant.  Apart from seeking to save the planet; it’s pure economics to produce electricity than to fall back on expensive and polluting diesel generators to keep the lights on.

Among the array of renewable sources available, Rooftop solar is the fastest growing segment in renewable energy in India, driven by large customers, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance research. Especially with  Net Metering initiatives- a process where all the extra units that you generate from your solar system that go unused, are sent back to the main grid and adjusted monthly against your consumption from the network, helps the user to be self-sufficient financially as well.

One can install solar rooftops in four simple ways :

1. Connect with us at 8739938888 or sales@peacock.solar/
2. Our technical team evaluates your house and presents you with two options to go solar
3. Choose between our financing options & complete the documentation
4. Get solar installed and enjoy lifetime clean energy

Therefore, there is no better time to Go Solar than now.  Log in to our website https://peacock.solar/ to get a free site inspection today. For anything more, you can also e-mail us at sales@peacock.solar/‬

In India, we envision a future where we can meet the ever-increasing energy demand in an economical and more importantly, in a sustainable manner. In the renewable energy space, solar rooftops make economic and commercial sense. The  transition to solar households has never been this easy with the right amount of government intervention.

Why buy electricity when you can produce your own.Having said that, one needs to carefully asses the ground reality  and handpick  a system that fits one’s energy needs and your finance capabilities.

Do you have a roof that can support solar panels?
The first and foremost thing one needs to understand before installing residential solar is to check on how much shadow-free space is available. If one’s roof is covered in the shade most of the day throughout the year, then it might not have a favorable advantage to justify the costs of solar panels. Also, it is essential to understand the placement of panels, quality of components and expertise of the installer.

How to determine the consumption rate of your household?
It is also important to size the system appropriately to make the most economic sense out of the investment in the rooftop solar installation. One needs to asses the amount of electricity consumed utilized by a family. What one must also factor in is- the rising electricity tariffs set by the various state governments.

For instance, a monthly bill of Rs 5,000 on average can be offset by installing a 5kW rooftop solar plant at home.

Buy the system or directly buy the electricity?
Every household will need to calculate their cost-benefit analysis depending on their spending power. Understand the various financing schemes offered by the service providers so that the solar system fits your energy needs and your finances. The most common options available are as below:

Direct Buy
•    Own your system
•    Avoid interest charges
•    Get all the benefits of solar from Day 1 of installation

Purchase clean electricity produced from solar
•    Get solar at zero upfront cost
•    Start saving on your electricity bill from day 1
•    Affordable monthly payouts

For Further Information please log on to https://www.peacock.solar or contact +91-8739938888 for getting your home’s rooftop evaluated for free

 green energy green power placement solar panels - Empowering Individuals to Harness the Sun - How Residential Solar can usher in a new era of energy in India

Every emerging economy envisions a future where it can meet its ever-increasing energy demand in an economical and more importantly, in a sustainable manner. India has climbed to the second position from the third in last year’s ‘Renewable energy country attractiveness’ index released by Ernst & Young. This rapid progress, especially in India, is primarily due to a combination of stable government intervention and the attractive economics behind the solar power. Industrial entities are the early adopters of renewable energy. However, the adoption of solar power for domestic consumption has gained momentum due to the rise in electricity bills, interrupted power supplies and energy-intensive lifestyles.

Although the government has incentivized the infrastructure feasibility required for residential solar, a lot is yet to be changed regarding consumer behavior and preferences. Those as mentioned earlier are the key aspects that could potentially bolster residential solar into a new era of carbon-free energy In India.

Energy Independence:
By instilling the notion of homegrown electricity among people, suppliers can reduce country’s reliance on burning coal and nuclear resources for power. This self-reliance could also facilitate optimized and conscious consumption.

Real-Time Monitoring:
Monitoring and analyzing data from residential solar is an integral part of a solar implementation. Current information about the energy created and utilized help households to customize their needs based on dynamic requirements with minimal effort and risk.

Efficient Financing:
While solar power is economical in the long run, most of the investment needs to be made upfront. Strong government-led financial incentives such as EMI and credit policies could bolster the adoption rate.