Solar power has been around for several decades, but manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to improve the technology used in solar power systems to make them more powerful, more efficient, more durable, and more reliable. One of the advancements made in solar panel technology in recent years is Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell, or PERC, technology. What is PERC technology and how does it impact your solar panels? Keep reading to find out.
What Is PERC Technology?
PERC technology is a type of solar technology that has become standard in many high-performance solar panels. While traditional solar cells absorb sunlight on the front side of the panel, this means that not all of the light that hits the cells is converted; some of it passes through the cell or is reflected away, escaping capture and conversion. Additionally, some of the electrons will recombine before generating power for your system.
PERC technology improves upon this by adding a special passivation layer to the rear side of the solar cell. This layer reflects the unabsorbed sunlight back into the solar cell for a second chance at being absorbed and converted. This increases light capture for every solar cell, thereby increasing overall efficiency as well. The passivation layer also reduces recombination by keeping electrons from slipping away before they can be used. The passivation layer also helps manage heat within the solar cells, keeping temperatures lower for even better efficiency.
How Does PERC Impact Performance?
As you’ve probably already guessed, PERC technology can drastically improve the performance and efficiency of your solar panels by increasing light absorption, decreasing electron recombination, and effectively managing heat. But just how big of an impact does it have?
Standard solar cells usually have efficiencies between 18% and 20%. Solar panels with PERC technology, however, typically have efficiency ratings that range from 20% to 23%, and sometimes higher. While that difference may seem small, over the lifetime of your solar panels, this can translate to drastically more energy production and, therefore, much higher savings.
It’s also worth noting that PERC panels perform better in low-light conditions, like on cloudy days or even in the early morning or late evening hours when sunlight is less direct. So, the difference in performance will be even greater in these situations.
PERC Mission Solar panels represent a big advancement in solar panel design, and this technology has fast become the new standard in the industry. If you’re looking into installing solar panels, you shouldn’t settle for any panel that doesn’t have built-in PERC technology.
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