What makes a quality solar panel?

The best solar panels have a very definite set of characteristics. Over the years, the markers of a quality solar panel have become obvious and the market has narrowed.

High performance

Low temperature coefficient range (The degree their performance degrades outside optimum temperature)

High conversion efficiency (The rate they convert solar energy into power)

Positive power tolerance (The relationship between the listed maximum watt output and what your solar panel is actually capable of. You can take advantage of this extra power only with Enphase micro inverters and SolarEdge DC optimisers. We recommend PLO/MPLE for this reason).

Low annual performance degradation (The degree their performance falls after each year in action. This should be less than 0.5%. )

High performance in low-light conditions (There are on average about 100 days a year without rain or cloud cover. Better panels perform well across all weather conditions.

Long life

Quality panels are durable, and their high conversion efficiency combined with low annual performance degradation means you save more, for longer.

How is longevity determined?

Solar panels are tested in accelerated aging chambers to assess how their efficiency changes over time. Longevity and strength of efficiency varies massively among brands, from a 0.3% to 0.5% yearly reduction in the top brands, to 0.7% or more in lower quality solar panels. In real terms, this means at 20 years of operation, an LG or Q-Cells panel will be at 85% to 87% of its initial efficiency while other panels would be at 80%. Lower output = less electricity.

Strong Warranties

Long meaningful warranties, with companies with the strength to honour them. What you want are product warranties that last at least 10 years. Performance warranties are useful as an indicator of future performance, but they are Furthermore, for the warranty to be of any value, it must be supplied through official distributors and the manufacturer must have an office in Australia. Additionally, the company must be in a strong financial position & committed to the Australian market.

Good value

These are panels that balance performance and price. We do not recommend choosing the cheapest panels.

CEC certification

CEC certification is NOT a guarantee of quality, but a tell. Why? There are hundreds of brands and panels on the list and not all are good. However, it’s still an indicator of quality. This is because your solar system cannot be eligible for STCs without the solar panels a) being on the list b) your panels having verified serial numbers. Counterfeit solar panels are unlikely to have the performance they’re said to have in the datasheet. Each solar panel in your installation is validated through the Solar Panel Validation scheme.

Solar panel brands we recommend