The mono solar panel consists of cells that are made from a single silicon source. This creates a panel that is purer than many others on the market, making them much more efficient when converting sunlight into energy. They are generally dark coloured in nature, and will produce more energy in low light then other panels and operate high heat situations making them perfect for Australian conditions. Although they are often more expensive than the polycrystalline solar panels, the additional efficiency rating means that you get a better draw out of a smaller panel and this makes them ideal when you have limited space (like on the top of a vehicle).
A monocrystalline solar panel will have a uniform appearance as they are cut from the same silicon. Generally, they look a lot better than polycrystalline panels which tend to appear like they're made of individual shards. Polycrystalline panels are less efficient than a mono solar panel because they are made up of varying pieces of silicon and some of these may contain imperfections. While the exact choice of solar panels is up to you, at Outbax we have found that the mono solar panel gives back more to the user, and the additional cost can be justified given their longevity and reduced footprint.
At Outbax, we test all our equipment in the field and have determined that the mono solar panel is the most ideal unit for a small camping or vehicular solar panel systems. They can be used in a wide variety of spaces and formats, including fixed solar panels for your vehicle, foldable solar panels for reliability around the campsite, or as a solar blanket for use while hiking. If you need assistance in choosing the right model for your needs, you can give our customer service team a call or send them an email and we'll do our best to answer all your questions.
Once you place your order through our online store, we'll get busy packing it up ready to ship in under 24 hours. Your order will be at your chosen address in less than seven days. We'll even send you a tracking code so you'll be updated regarding its delivery date. For your peace of mind, we recommend choosing insurance options for your packages. While it is rare, this will protect you against any potential damages that occur during transportation. When you receive your items, we suggest setting it all up and testing it out for a weekend to make sure that everything is working as intended and that you have access to enough power to suit your needs. All solar power systems are modular and you can add extra lithium batteries or solar panels to increase your overall energy requirements. At Outbax, we have many products that are suited to outdoor adventurers who may need 100Ah lithium batteries, portable generators, or 250 watt solar panels.
What are mono solar panels?
A mono solar panel-also known as monocrystalline-is a pure type of solar panel made from monocrystalline silicon. Essentially, it is cut from a single source of silicon. Cheap solar panels are often constructed using polycrystalline (or poly for short). These are made from different silicon sources and are considered to be less efficient. There are other types of panels as well such as the thin-film technology panel although these are considered to be the least efficient, when compared to mono and poly panels; they are most often used in large scale commercial systems. The monocrystalline solar panel is more suited to individuals as they will take up less space than other formats, which means that you can create more energy from the space you have available.
What are the benefits of using a mono solar panel?
The mono solar panel is widely accepted as the most efficient form of solar panel. These are ideal in situations where you need a good quality charge in a limited amount of time. When you only have a few panels, you need them to be working at peak efficiency, and this is often the case in camping situations. For large formats, you can afford to give up a lot of "real estate" to host many panels, but in smaller scale systems, it is best to make use of the panels you have available. Generally, you can expect to get about 15-20% efficiency out of a mono solar panel. They require less space than other types of panels because of this efficiency rating. In most cases you can get around 25 years of life out of these panels, which makes them the longest lasting of all the different types of panels. These panels can also deliver a better charge in areas where sunlight is low, which makes them perfect during cloudy situations and during low light times of the day (i.e. morning and evening).
While these panels are perfect for most applications, there are a few drawbacks. The cost of producing these is high and that is reflected in their price. However, this is just the initial outlay since you'll usually recoup those costs due to their longer lifespan and high efficiency rating. In some instances, you may find that these panels operate at a higher temperature than other panels, but provided they have enough air circulating around them this is not often a great concern. During the manufacturing process, there can be some material wastage, which also adds to the overall costs of production. Generally speaking, mono panels offer better value, especially when taking into account the lifetime of the unit.
