why do UMG solar panels have a lower cost per watt?
UMG (Upgraded Metallurgical Grade) Silicon based solar panels have been debated because they use a lower grade Silicon to reduce the cost per watt for solar power to the end customer. Canadian Solar Incorporated (CSI) is a company that has changed the game by introducing UMG Silicon solar panel on a large scale into the solar panel market. The primary reason solar power has not reached grid parity yet is because pure silicon prices very high and UMG silicon based solar panels are more competitive to coal based generation because of the lower cost.
UMG Silicon is 95% pure compared to high grade silicon which is 99% pure. Solar cells only need a silicon purity of 95% to produce energy, therefore CSI blended UMG with pure silicon to create a lower cost solar panels. Although many people argue that these newer lower cost solar panels are unproven in the field, and it’s a point well taken. On the other hand, CSI is offering 25 year performance warranties on UMG based solar panels. What do you think about low cost solar panels that use UMG Silicon? Do you think they will be as reliable as solar panels that are pure silicon?
