The 19% figure is a rating derived form calculating what percentage of sun light hitting the solar panel is turned into electricity. The higher the percentage, the greater the efficiency and therefore the cheaper the cost is.
When discussing solar panel efficiency it is important to distinguish between maximum efficiency achieved in lab testing and the efficiency of a manufacturers commercial solar cells. Whilst claims of efficiency in test have been 50% or more, the average efficiency of commercial cells is 15%.|The average efficiency of commercial solar cells is around 15%, although many company have reached far more than this in perfect lab conditions.
The E19’s panels achieve a higher efficiency by using 3 percent more surface space per cell and by employing an anti-reflective coating that can capture greater amounts of off-angle light, explained San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower. By using 3 percent more surface area on each solar cell as well as a coating which reduces reflection, the solar cells can take in more light that comes in slightly off angle.
A greater proportion of energy per watt power is generated due to the coating. A great bonus with the new series is the darker look of the panels themselves. Many of the people who have seen them believe that they are far more aesthetically pleasing than previous panels.
There are two panels available in the E19 range, these are a 72-cell, 238-watt solar version with an efficiency of 19.1 percent and a 96-cell, 318-watt solar panel with an efficiency of 19.5 percent.
Besides the new E19 Series, SunPower will continue to offer its E18 product line, offering 18 percent or greater efficiency. The E18 lineup includes 96-cell and 72-cell configurations that range in power from 305 watts to 225 watts. The E19 product line will be available to both residential and business customers in North America and Europe starting in the third quarter of 2010.
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