Let's check how it is with modules

What determines that customers choose a particular panel model for their installation? Power, warranty, safety, price, these are all elements on which we can find information in hundreds of available sources, and these are also elements that the installer will certainly tell us about.

However, the appearance and aesthetics of the installation is a completely separate topic. The aesthetics of our installation are affected by the form of the roof (the arrangement of the panels) and the finish of the panels themselves, this is the element we have the most influence on as customers.
So, what do the panels look like, what makes them different?

The simplest division is:
► black frame (BF) and silver frame (SF).

Below: - All black panels - FB Hyundai on the left and Ja Solar on the right

Basically, we distinguish between 3 types of panels:
1. in a silver frame (considered the cheapest, typical, and most common on Polish roofs),
2. in black frame (in general opinion, better panels, sometimes minimally more expensive),
3. full black (uniform panels, creating a visually aesthetic surface on the roof but at a higher price and with some limitations).

The limitation is that each manufacturer only makes certain models in Full Black, so by focusing on aesthetics, we limit the choice of models we can use.

JA Solar panels from GRETO Poland's Full Black variant offer are:
- JAM60S1x series (320 - 345Wp) with 325Wp,
- of the JAM60S2x series (365 - 385Wp) with a power of 365Wp.

In addition, Full Black panels are not completely black. On the panel, you can see vertical dashes, and busbars (copper/tinned rails - hence the "silver" color) that collect current from subsequent cells.

It is different from Hyundai panels, which, having a different design, have collecting rails on the right and left sides. This makes them much less visible, and the panel itself visually appears more uniform. In addition, Hyundai has introduced Black Ribbon panels, in which these rails are not silver, but black ( HiE - S395VG with 395Wp).
So much for the color of panel frames and connections. What else affects their color?
Silicon, which itself has different shades. Manufacturers try to group panels according to the "color" of silicon they have obtained. So that the largest possible batch has a similar shade. This is a technological problem in the silicon extraction process. Hopefully, in the future, technologists will solve this shortcoming. The glass comes from different suppliers and has a different hue, which exacerbates the effect of the color difference of the silicon itself underneath. The difference is minimal and almost imperceptible as you stand in front of the panel, but from a greater distance having the panels mounted, the shades are noticeable. The ARC anti-reflective layer, enhances PV performance, but produces an effect similar to photochromic glasses - a slight filet tint (those interested are referred to here: (link below)

Manufacturers generally try on a single piece of panel to minimize the difference, but this is not always possible.
Longi Solar deals with this issue by describing the packaging (pallets of about 30 pieces - as the panels are packed and transported), e.g.: DeepBlue, DarkBlue, etc.
As an interesting fact, we can mention the appearance on the market of photovoltaic modules in "any color". This is a solution for investors who set the highest level of aesthetics for their house, matching the color of the entire installation to the color of the roofing. It should be noted in this case that a single module reaches a nominal power of 110-200W and is manufactured to order, which involves a high price.
In conclusion, the appearance of the panel does not affect the efficiency and quality of the product, but only the aesthetics of the installation and the building, and this is already a matter of taste.