{"id":4736,"date":"2019-08-01T21:33:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T21:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?p=4736"},"modified":"2021-03-16T12:12:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T12:12:19","slug":"understanding-solar-panel-efficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4736\" class=\"elementor elementor-4736\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9bfca8d lead-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9bfca8d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8f5f1dc\" data-id=\"8f5f1dc\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d95ce99 article-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d95ce99\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Understanding the Fundamentals of Solar Panel Efficiency<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-cfa3573 toc-and-author-bio-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cfa3573\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-55c2388 left-column\" data-id=\"55c2388\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc3d848 table-of-contents elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"dc3d848\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_55 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/#What-Does-Solar-Panel-Efficiency-Mean\" title=\"What Does Solar Panel Efficiency Mean?\">What Does Solar Panel Efficiency Mean?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/#What-Is-the-Average-Solar-Panel-Efficiency\" title=\"What Is the Average Solar Panel Efficiency?\">What Is the Average Solar Panel Efficiency?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/#How-to-Calculate-Solar-Panel-Efficiency\" title=\"How to Calculate Solar Panel Efficiency?\">How to Calculate Solar Panel Efficiency?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/#How-to-Increase-Solar-Panel-Efficiency\" title=\"How to Increase Solar Panel Efficiency?\">How to Increase Solar Panel Efficiency?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-594c13a right-column\" data-id=\"594c13a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ada5fa5 author-bio elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"ada5fa5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"name\": \"Leonardo\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"url\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/author\/leonardo\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"image\": \"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a356313a78840e5d3164c29cee295bad?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"jobTitle\": \"Author\"  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script><p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"author-bio-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a356313a78840e5d3164c29cee295bad?s=50&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" alt=\"Leonardo\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/p><p class=\"author-bio-text\"><span class=\"written-by-text\">Written by<\/span> <span class=\"job-title\">qualified solar engineer<\/span> <span class=\"author-name\">Leonardo<\/span><span class=\"written-by-period\">.<\/span> <span class=\"last-updated-text\">Last updated:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2021-03-16 12:12:19\">March 16, 2021<\/time><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4caed31 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4caed31\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b3770e9\" data-id=\"b3770e9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ff3f74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ff3f74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Typical solar panel efficiency ranges from 15% to 20%, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/most-efficient-solar-panels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the most efficient solar panels commercially available<\/a> are slightly above 22%. Some laboratory prototypes have reached efficiency values over 40%, but they are still very expensive and not viable for commercial use.<\/p>\n<p>In simple terms, solar panel efficiency can be described as the conversion rate from sunlight to electric power. If solar panels from many brands are exposed to the same sunshine, the ones with the highest efficiency will produce the most kilowatt-hours per day.<\/p>\n<p>The efficiency of solar panels is often misunderstood, and a value of 20% may seem small when some natural gas power plants are above 50%. However, there is an important difference:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fossil fuels must be purchased, and they produce emissions when burned.<\/li>\n<li>Sunlight, <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/how-do-solar-panels-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">which allows a solar panel to function<\/a>, is free and clean.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-Does-Solar-Panel-Efficiency-Mean\"><\/span>What Does Solar Panel Efficiency Mean?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The solar panel <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/solar-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">efficiency<\/a> describes how much sunlight is converted into electricity. For example, if you place a panel that is 20% efficient under 1,000 watts of sunshine, it will produce 200 watts of electricity.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/picture-of-half-a-house-and-half-a-chart-of-energy-efficiency-e1564693776569.webp 500w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/picture-of-half-a-house-and-half-a-chart-of-energy-efficiency-e1564693776569-300x261.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/picture-of-half-a-house-and-half-a-chart-of-energy-efficiency-e1564693776569.jpg\" height=\"435\" width=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/picture-of-half-a-house-and-half-a-chart-of-energy-efficiency-e1564693776569.jpg 500w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/picture-of-half-a-house-and-half-a-chart-of-energy-efficiency-e1564693776569-300x261.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4797 sp-no-webp\" alt=\"picture of half a house and half a chart of energy efficiency\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p>In this case it may seem that 800 watts are being wasted, and solar panels often get criticism for their low efficiency. However, consider that all 1,000 watts of sunlight were being wasted before! It would be more correct to say that solar panels obtain electricity from an abundant resource that is otherwise wasted. The outlook for fossil fuels is very different, since all inefficiencies result in wasted fuel, operating expenses and greenhouse gases.<\/p>\n<p>You can use solar energy even if your panels are at the lower end of the efficiency scale. In fact, a lower efficiency often makes the solar system more affordable, and you may get a shorter payback period. If your panels are from a quality brand and covered by solid warranties, your project can be successful even with modest panel efficiency.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-Is-the-Average-Solar-Panel-Efficiency\"><\/span>What Is the Average Solar Panel Efficiency?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As of 2019, the average solar panel efficiency is from 15% to 20%, but consider that some manufacturers have panels that fall outside this range. The SunPower brand has the current solar panel <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/efficiency\/\">efficiency<\/a> record among commercial products, at 22.8% conversion efficiency from sunlight to electricity.<\/p>\n<p>Solar efficiency is provided by manufacturers along with panel specifications. However, you can compare them more easily by looking for a solar panel efficiency chart from a trusted source, such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).<\/p>\n<p>Energy efficiency gets a high priority when <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/are-solar-panels-worth-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deciding if solar panels are worth it<\/a>. However, keep in mind that a higher efficiency often comes with an increased price. In this case, you must make sure that the additional savings compensate the additional costs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A good recommendation is asking solar companies to provide a <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/financial\/\">financial<\/a> analysis along with their proposals.<\/li>\n<li>The solar panels that achieve the highest return on investment and the shortest payback period will not necessarily be the most efficient ones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When comparing your options, also make sure you are looking at solar panel efficiency 2019 data. Manufacturers are constantly investing in research and development, to improve the efficiency of their solar cells.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-to-Calculate-Solar-Panel-Efficiency\"><\/span>How to Calculate Solar Panel Efficiency?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Solar panel efficiency is calculated with a set of Standard Test Conditions (STC), which are used by the entire solar industry. They are tested in laboratory conditions, with a light source that provides 1,000 watts per square meter, and a solar panel surface temperature of 25\u00b0C. Also, the test light source must closely replicate sunlight that has moved through the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>When solar panels are installed on homes and businesses, the site conditions differ from the idealized lab conditions. As a consequence, the actual efficiency achieved by solar panels differs from the laboratory efficiency. However, the standard efficiency rating is very useful to compare solar panels under equal conditions.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724.webp 500w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724-300x200.webp 300w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724-354x235.webp 354w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724.jpg\" height=\"334\" width=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724.jpg 500w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/calculator-working-out-the-efficiency-of-solar-panels-on-a-home-e1564693642724-354x235.jpg 354w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4796 sp-no-webp\" alt=\"calculator working out the efficiency of solar panels on a home\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p>Solar panels can also be tested under other conditions called NOCT, which stands for Nominal Operating Cell Temperature. These conditions are designed to simulate a typical project site:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A light source that provides 800 watts per square meter.<\/li>\n<li>An air temperature of 20\u00b0C with a speed of one meter per second.<\/li>\n<li>The panels are mounted with an open back side, to allow air circulation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The NOCT efficiency test considers factors that are ignored in the STC test. However, keep in mind that both are reference values for panel efficiency. To know the exact performance that solar panels can achieve in your property, you must get a professional design that is based on a site assessment.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-to-Increase-Solar-Panel-Efficiency\"><\/span>How to Increase Solar Panel Efficiency?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Solar panels have become more efficient as the manufacturing technology for solar cells has evolved. This factor is beyond the control of the homeowners and businesses who use the panels. However, smart design decisions can also improve the efficiency of a solar energy system.<\/p>\n<p>The solar panel angle efficiency loss is a very important factor during the design process. The orientation of solar panels affects efficiency, and electricity production is increased when they are placed optimally:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Solar panels that receive sunlight head-on produce more electricity that those getting sunshine at an angle.<\/li>\n<li>Ideally, the panels should have an orientation that maximizes efficiency in the presence of direct sunlight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/solar-panel-tilt-angle-calculator\/\">Solar companies use several software solutions that calculate the solar panel angle<\/a> for maximum efficiency. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the south-facing side of your roof will typically get the most sunshine, unless an obstacle is casting a shadow. For countries in the southern hemisphere, the north-facing side of the roof is preferred.<\/p>\n<p>Ground-mounted solar panels have more flexibility with respect to their orientation. Solar companies can calculate the exact angle that maximizes electricity production, to adjust the racking accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Working with a qualified solar company is important, since the installation quality is just as important as the solar panel quality.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6bb7995 references-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6bb7995\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-30421a5\" data-id=\"30421a5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-814e9fb references-heading elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"814e9fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">References<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c7fee8e references elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c7fee8e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol>\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrel.gov\/pv\/cell-efficiency.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best Research-cell Efficiency Chart<\/a> &#8211; NREL<\/li>\n\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/solar\/articles\/solar-performance-and-efficiency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Solar Performance and Efficiency<\/a> -Department of Energy<\/li>\n<\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-22addeea post-rating-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"22addeea\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-15f95c4f\" data-id=\"15f95c4f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bea0bf post-rating elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"5bea0bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><!-- Rate my Post Plugin --><div  class=\"rmp-widgets-container rmp-wp-plugin rmp-main-container js-rmp-widgets-container js-rmp-widgets-container--4736 \"  data-post-id=\"4736\">    <!-- Rating widget -->  <div class=\"rmp-rating-widget js-rmp-rating-widget\">          <p class=\"rmp-heading rmp-heading--title\">        We hope you liked this article. Please rate it or leave us a comment.      <\/p>            <div class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons\">      <ul class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list js-rmp-rating-icons-list\">                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Not at all useful\" data-value=\"1\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Somewhat useful\" data-value=\"2\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Useful\" data-value=\"3\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Fairly useful\" data-value=\"4\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Very useful\" data-value=\"5\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>              <\/ul>    <\/div>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__hover-text js-rmp-hover-text\"><\/p>    <button class=\"rmp-rating-widget__submit-btn rmp-btn js-submit-rating-btn\">      Submit Rating    <\/button>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results js-rmp-results \">      Average rating <span class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results__rating js-rmp-avg-rating\">4.9<\/span> \/ 5. Vote count: <span class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results__votes js-rmp-vote-count\">11<\/span>    <\/p>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__not-rated js-rmp-not-rated rmp-rating-widget__not-rated--hidden\">      No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.    <\/p>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__msg js-rmp-msg\"><\/p>  <\/div>  <!--Structured data -->  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{  \"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",  \"@type\": \"Product\",  \"aggregateRating\": {    \"@type\": \"AggregateRating\",    \"bestRating\": \"5\",    \"ratingCount\": \"11\",    \"ratingValue\": \"4.9\"  },  \"image\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-stacked-up-solar-panels-with-an-energy-efficiency-chart-on-top.jpg\",  \"name\": \"Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency\",  \"description\": \"Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency\"}<\/script>      <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the Fundamentals of Solar Panel Efficiency Typical solar panel efficiency ranges from 15% to 20%, and the most efficient solar panels commercially available are slightly above 22%. Some laboratory prototypes have reached efficiency values over 40%, but they are still very expensive and not viable for commercial use. In simple terms, solar panel efficiency &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":14351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"right-sidebar","site-content-layout":"plain-container","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency - ecotality.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/understanding-solar-panel-efficiency\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency - ecotality.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understanding the Fundamentals of Solar Panel Efficiency Typical solar panel efficiency ranges from 15% to 20%, and the most efficient solar panels commercially available are slightly above 22%. Some laboratory prototypes have reached efficiency values over 40%, but they are still very expensive and not viable for commercial use. 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