Solar panels are necessary for harnessing renewable energy, but when it comes to maximizing your solar system's efficiency, the debate between having more solar panels or more batteries can be complex. This decision ultimately depends on your specific energy needs, budget, and. E. to get to 6 kwp, is it better to have, let's say, 12x 500W panels or 24x 250 panels? (numbers invented here) What are the pros and cons of different configurations? Less racking expense with 500 Watt panels. Together they can maximise your own energy generation and use, whilst minimising your reliance on the national grid. In this. Solar panel efficiency shows how much sunlight a panel turns into electricity. Modern panels reach 18–23% efficiency. The concept has continued to be viable. 1) If you want to get the most power out of solar panels on cloudy days/shading, is it better to have more small panels rather than fewer big panels? For instance (for a 2kw system for an off-grid house): 10 each of 200w panels or 20 each of 100w panels? I'm thinking of the shading effect, or.