Polycrystalline solar panels work by using multicrystalline silicon cells to absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity. This is a result of the photovoltaic effect, where electrons within the cells of the panel are knocked loose as a direct result of contact with sunlight. What kind of home do you live in? The highest ever efficiency achieved by a polycrystalline panel was 20. 4%, back in 2019, which didn't represent a whole lot of progress in the 25 years since 1994. When you evaluate solar panels for your photovoltaic system, you will encounter three main categories of panel options: monocrystalline solar panels, polycrystalline solar panels, and thin-film solar panels. Construction of Polycrystalline.