Far West Electric
Far West Electric
Far West Electric
  • Home
  • About
    • Service Areas
    • Submit Feedback
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • Residential
    • Aluminum Wiring Replacement
    • Electrical Safety Inspections
    • Home Generators
    • Electrical Wiring
    • Knob & Tube Wiring
    • Electrical Repairs
    • Lighting
    • Panel Upgrades
    • Electrical Vehicle Charging Station Installations
    • Surge Protection
  • Commercial
    • New Construction
    • Tenant Improvements
    • Electric Re-wire
    • Design & Build
    • High Efficiency Retrofits
  • Specials
  • Electrical Tips
  • Testimonials
  • Request Service
Far West Electric
  • Home
  • Solar Panels
  • What Are the Different Types of Solar Panels?

What Are the Different Types of Solar Panels?

Category: Solar Panels

solar-panels-escondidoSolar panels are growing in popularity among Escondido homeowners. This environmentally friendly option can help you to heat and power your home without totally relying on electricity generated by fossil fuels. Especially in the dry, sunny California climate, solar panels are surprisingly useful and efficient. If you’re considering solar panels for your home, you may be largely unacquainted with what they actually are, and what different types are available.

What Are Solar Panels?

The workings of solar panels are scientifically complex. Essentially, solar panels work using what’s known as the “photovoltaic effect”: some materials emit electric current when exposed to light. This happens because the energy in the photons, or particles of light, excite valence electrons in the atoms of the material, which become free and jump into a conduction band. Although the photovoltaic effect was first described in 1839, efficient and useful photovoltaic (solar) cells are a far more recent development. Nowadays, technological advancement has led to affordable solar panels that can be used on people’s homes—an important step in humanity’s process of moving toward more sustainable sources of energy than coal, oil, and other fossil fuels.

The 4 Main Types of Residential Solar Panels

Here’s a brief summary of the main types of solar panels, with a bit of information about their relative benefits and how each one works.

  • Monocrystalline silicon panels. Also known as “single silicon” solar panels, these are often considered to be the most efficient type of panel currently available for harnessing solar energy. The panels themselves are cut from single bars of crystalline silicon. The crystal lattice is uniform and uninterrupted, hence the name. They work best in bright sunshine, with the sun shining directly onto them.
  • Polycrystalline solar panels are made out of several cuts of silicon, arranged together in blocks. They’re less perfectly aligned than monocrystalline panels. This is an advantage since, with pieces having slightly different orientations, they can work better than single silicon panels in low light or at different lighting angles. However, the losses and joints between pieces of silicon also detract from the efficiency of this type of solar panel.
  • Hybrid panels have an extra, amorphous layer directly behind the monocrystalline silicon. They’re highly efficient and space-saving, since the extra layer absorbs extra energy, including in low light. They’re a popular choice for residential solar panels.
  • Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPVs). This type of solar panel can be made to look more like regular roofing material than other types of panels. However, they’re also less efficient and more expensive than other solar options.

Solar panels are an excellent option for homeowners interested in an efficient but environmentally friendly energy solution. To find out more about installing solar panels for your home, talk to an electrician about pricing, solar cell options, and more. In the Escondido area, Far West Electric is the premiere company for great solar cell installation work, excellent customer service, and reasonable pricing. Call today to find out more about solar panels for your Escondido home.

If you are looking for a San Diego lighting contractor then please call 760-533-6307 or complete our online request form.

form top
Fill out my online form.
form bottom

review us on google

feedback

gallery

newsletter

specials


yelp!

angies list

Noah Grantham in Escondido, CA on Houzz


body bottom

Company

©2025 Far West Electric, All Rights Reserved

Far West Electric

934 Hillhaven Road

Escondido, CA 92027

Phone: 760-803-3507


Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Yelp
  • Angies List
  • Houzz
  • Write Review
  • RSS

Quick Links

  • Google Maps
  • Articles
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap

Service Areas

Escondido, CA | Valley Center, CA | San Marcos, CA | San Diego, CA | Delmar, CA | Carlsbad, CA | Rancho Bernardo, CA | Santa Fe, CA | Encinitas, CA | Poway, CA | Fairbanks Ranch, CA | Olivenhain, CA | Murrietta, CA | Hidden Meadows, CA | Temecula, CA

And more