Monocrystalline panels use crystalline silicon, a basic semiconductor material. Crystalline silicon is produced in large sheets that can be cut to a specific size and used as one large cell in a panel. Conducting metal strips are laid over the entire cell to collect electrons from the cell into an electrical current.
These panels are more expensive to produce than the polycrystalline panels that follow. However, they are highly efficient and are often more cost-effective in the long run as a result. Monocrystalline panels are typically 15-18% efficient, meaning that for every unit of solar energy that hits the cell, the panel can convert 15-18% of this energy into electricity.