Efficiency Rating Solar Panels

The graphic below shows how dramatically solar panel performance has improved over time.

Efficiency rating solar panels.

In other words the efficiency value that we can find on the datasheet of a solar panel represents the ability of the module to convert sunlight into electricity according to its size. High quality solar panels can exceed 22 efficiency in some cases and almost reach 23 but the majority of photovoltaic panels available are not above 20 efficiency. If a solar panel has 20 percent efficiency that means it s capable of converting 20 percent of the sunshine hitting it into electricity. The most efficient solar panels commercially available today have solar panel efficiency just under 23.

The average efficiency of solar panels falls between the 17 to 19 percent efficiency range. Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how much sunlight that hits the surface area of a solar panel is converted into usable electricity. The highest efficiency solar panels on the market today can reach almost 23 percent efficiency. A higher solar panel efficiency rating means a panel will produce more kilowatt hours of energy per watt of power capacity.

Most solar panels are between 15 and 20 efficient with outliers on either side of the range. Simply put solar panel efficiency is referred to the ratio of peak power compared to the amount of sunlight that arrives at the solar cells of the module.