Crystalline silicon is an ideal solar panel material. Monocrystalline silicon solar cells use monocrystalline silicon rods with a purity of 99.9999% as raw materials. Compared with polycrystalline silicon and amorphous silicon solar cells, their photoelectric conversion efficiency is the highest. The current highest conversion efficiency in the laboratory is 24.7%. Due to the high requirements for raw materials and manufacturing processes, its cost is also high.

    Compared with monocrystalline silicon solar cells, the preparation process of polycrystalline silicon solar cells is simpler and more economical. However, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar cells will be reduced a lot, and its photoelectric conversion efficiency is about 18%, and its service life is also shorter than that of monocrystalline silicon solar cells.

    The CdTe material matches the solar spectrum very well and has a very high theoretical efficiency (28%). The efficiency obtained in the laboratory has reached 17.8%. The battery life cycle is 20 years, and its production cost is low, which is conducive to large-scale production.

    But relatively, tellurium reserves on the earth are far less than silicon, and cadmium, as a heavy metal element, is highly toxic, and improper disposal may pollute the environment. Experiments have shown that cadmium telluride solar cell components are safe, so cadmium telluride batteries have high development potential.

    CIGS is a copper indium gallium selenide battery, which is a mixed crystal semiconductor of CulnSe2 and CuGaSe2. Eg can change with the ratio of the two materials (from 1.04eV-1.70eV). The highest conversion efficiency obtained in the laboratory is 23.2%. The battery has a long life and requires less material, making it suitable for mass production. Its disadvantage is that it needs to occupy a large area and is prone to light-induced attenuation. At present, CIGS is also a potential battery.