Selecting a good quality and reliable solar panel can be very difficult for those not familiar with the hundreds of manufacturers. Fortunately, the team at Clean Energy Reviews have a decade of experience in the solar industry and feedback from hundreds of solar professionals, which we used to put together a list of the best quality and most popular solar panels available in Australia from the worlds leading manufacturers.

As highlighted in our guide to choosing aquality and efficient solar panel, when it comes to selecting panels, higher cost panels from the leading manufacturers generally offer better quality, higher efficiency and increased reliability. Solar panels from the manufacturers listed below have proven to out-perform and outlast most cheaper panels, with many of the lesser-known 'cheap' manufacturers failing to honour warranties, going bankrupt or being de-listed from the Clean Energy Council'slist of approved solar panels.

Top 5 Premium Solar Panels

Here is our shortlist of the best qualityand most efficient solar panels available based on company history, quality, real-world performance,warrant conditions, service, and feedback from solar industry professionals. This list is generally applicable to most regions with established solar industries, including Australia, the US, Europe, Africa and Asia.

• * Themost efficientmodel currently offered by the manufacturer

• ** Maximumproduct warranty period- May vary by country or region

• ^ Cost range $ per W - Does not include the solar inverter, installation and other equipment.

Looking for Australian made panels?

Tindo Solaris currently the only Australian solar panel manufacturer and is well regarded by installers and customers alike. The company only uses high-quality mono PERC cells in the newly constructed manufacturing facility near Adelaide. However, the limited production volume means they can be difficult to source outside South Australia.

Looking for American made panels?

The美国太beplay全站App阳能市场is unique in that has numerous local manufacturers. There are several well regarded North American based brands such asSilfab Solar,Solaria,Misson Solarand of courseTesla, who are focused on supplying the growing North American market.Note:In comparison to the Australian market, the installation cost is far greater in the US and Canada due to higher overhead costs and far stricter regulations. Other factors adding to the cost of solar in the US are the extra safety requirements including arc-fault detection (AFCI) and the addition of rapid shutdown devices on every panel.

Best Value solar panels

Based on our experience andfeedbackfrom solar professionals, below is our list of the most trusted value level solar panel manufacturers. With a long history in research and development, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, Hyundai and Canadian Solar are some of the oldest and best-known manufacturers, while LONGi Solar has recently become the worlds largest manufacturer of monocrystalline cells by volume. Winaico is known for producing high-quality, cost-effective panels at a more affordable price point.

SunPower

Sunpower,now known asMaxeon Solar,is the world leader in manufacturing high-efficiency solar panels using an extremely robust patented cell design which has proven to outperform and outlast conventional solar panels by a considerable amount of time. Sunpower now offers an outstanding industry-leading 40-year product and performance warranty which is 15 years longer than any other manufacturer. of 92% retained capacity after 25 years, plus a 25-year manufacturers product warranty.

The Sunpower Maxeon series panels use high-performanceIBC N-typecells which are the most efficient solar PV cell technology available today. Although, they do come at a premium price due to the more expensive materials and sophisticated manufacturing process. The more cost-effective Performance or P series panels from SunPower are popular for both residential and larger scale commercial installations. In North America, Sunpower panels are very popular and one of the most trusted brands available.

• Power rating (W): 340W to 550W

• Efficiency (%): 20.6% to 22.8%

• Price range: Med to Very High $$$$$

• Product Warranty: 25 or 40 Years *

• Performance Warranty:Min 92.0% after 25 years *

See the detailedSunPower太beplay全站App阳能panel review.

REC

RECmanufactures very high quality, cost-effective panels which have proven to be very popular among installers, in particular, the Alpha series. All REC, Alpha TwinPeak and N-peak panels come with a standard 20-year product warranty and improved performance warranty with reduced degradation making it one of the best warranties on the market.

REC pioneered the use of half-cut cells in the split module format which is now the industry standard due to providing higher efficiency and improved shade tolerance. The cost-effectiveTwinPeak seriespanels and high-performanceAlpha seriespanels which use the advanced61beplay体育 Heterojunction (HJT) half-cut cells, have positioned REC among the industry-leading manufacturers in high performance solar with extremely low degradation.

• Power rating* (W): 370W to 430W

• Efficiency (%): 20% to 22.3%

• Price range: Med to High $$$

• Product Warranty: 25 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 92.0% after 25 years *

See the detailedREC solar panel review.

Panasonic

Panasonicis a well-known Japanese company that specialises in manufacturing premium, high-quality solar panels. With over two decades of experience, the company, previously known as Sanyo, was a pioneer in high-performance heterojunction (HJT) solar cell technology and established itself as one of the industry leaders in high-performance solar panels. HJT cells are built on the more efficient, higher purity61beplay体育 , which offers the lowest degradation and best performance in high temperatures.

The new EverVolt series of panels from Panasonic, built on the next-generation half-cut HJT cells, incorporate the latest innovations to improve performance and efficiency. The EverVolt series, designed primarily for residential applications, are available in power ratings from 350W to 380W with a maximum efficiency of 21.7%, making them some of the most efficient panels available.

• Power rating (W): 350W to 430W

• Efficiency (%): 19.8% to 22.2%

• Price range: High $$$$

• Product Warranty: 25 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 92.0% after 25 years *

Q Cells

Hanwhabeplay 5倍流水 is a well-known, high-volume panel manufacturer offering a wide range of quality panels for all applications. The latest Q cells G9+ Duo panels are backed by a new 25-year product warranty and an improved long-term performance warranty with 86% rated output after 25 years.

Q cells offer a very wide range of panels, from entry-level standard 60-cell panels using reliable monocrystalline cells to highly efficient half-cut mono PERC cells used on the Q.Peak Duo G5 and G6 range and, more recently, the advanced Q.Peak DUO G9 and G10+ range featuring the latest innovations including zero-gap cells with 12 microwire busbars.

• Power rating (W): 335W to 465W

• Efficiency (%): 20% to 21.8%

• Price range: Med $$$

• Product Warranty: 12 to 25 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 86.0% after 25 years *

See the detailedbeplay 5倍流水 .

Winaico

beplay sports is a relatively small-volume manufacturer offering a premium range of high-quality panels which are reasonably priced. Winaico panels now come with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty and are well-regarded and trusted by installers. They also have a good track record for long-term reliability and performance in harsh Australian conditions.

Winaico’s attention to detail, high-strength frame designs and great service also put them ahead of most other manufacturers. The next generation GEMINI series are available in power ratings up to 415W panels and feature high-efficiency mono PERC half-cut cells.

• Power rating (W): 330W to 415W

• Efficiency (%): 18.8% to 21.2%

• Price range: Med to High $$$

• Product Warranty: 25 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 85.3% after 25 years *

See the detailedbeplay sports .

Hyundai

Hyundai历史悠久的能源和制造业dat吗ing back to the early 1970s and in 2004 Hyundai entered the solar industry and slowly built a solid foundation in solar panel manufacturing. Unlike the massive Chinese competitors, Hyundai solar has focused on producing a small number of quality, affordable solar panels built around established solar cell technologies.

While most solar manufacturers are now making panels using half-cut or split-cells, Hyundai has focused on producingshingled cell solar panels使用高效mono PERC细胞。Shingled cell panelsoffer a variety of benefits over the more common split-cell panels such as improved shade tolerance and a very low risk of micro-cracks or hotspots. Hyundai is also one of several premium manufacturers offering a 25-yearproduct warrantyon the SG, VG and UF series panels.

• Power rating (W): 350W to 490W

• Efficiency (%): 19.8% to 21.3%

• Price range: Med $$$

• Product Warranty: 25 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 84.8% after 25 years *

See the detailedbeplay 188 .

Performance and durability testing

The many advancements in solar cell technology led to huge price reductions over recent years with many new low cost, more efficient solar panels being released by the leading Chinese manufacturers. To ensure ongoing quality there are several leading, independent, testing institutions that verify long term performance and reliability.Learn more in our选择一个质量可靠的太阳能pa指南beplay全站Appnel.

Trina Solar

Trina Solaris one of the worlds largest solar panel manufacturers and are investing heavily in low-cost, high-efficiency panels. The well known Trina Honey range of panels are considered great quality and very good value for money, in particular the Honey M (monocrystalline) panels which are now available in the more efficient half-cut 120 cell format up to 370W.

Trina Solar offers a very diverse range of panels from cost-effective mono-crystalline PERC panels to advanced bifacial panels. The latest Vertex and Vertex S (small) series of high-performance panels boosted Trina Solar’s standing as a manufacturer of advancedhigh-efficiency panels.

• Power rating (W): 330W to 670W

• Efficiency (%): 20.6% to 21.9%

• Price range: Low to Med $$

• Product Warranty: 12 to 15 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 84.8% after 25 years *

See the detailedTrina solar panel review.

Jinko Solar

JinkoSolaris the largest Chinese solar panel manufacturer by volume and produces a wide range of cost-effective and reliable panels. The Jinko engineers work closely with the AustralianUNSW solar research centerof excellence and have achieved several efficiency records over the years through their continuous research and development in new PV cell technology.

老虎的板晶科能源是obeplay全站Appf the most popular low-cost panels on the market, with an excellent track record for reliability and good support from local offices. More recently, the more powerful Tiger Pro and Tiger NEO series of panels have pushed the boundaries of PV cell innovation and technology.

• Power rating (W): 335W to 585W

• Efficiency (%): 20.5% to 22.0%

• Price range: Low to Med $$

• Product Warranty: 12 to 20 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 84.8% after 25 years *

  See the detailed2018beplay .

Canadian Solar

Canadian Solaris the fifth largest solar panel manufacturer in the world and produces a wide range of cost-effective, reliable panels. The company generally focused on more cost-effective polycrystalline cells and developed some advanced high-efficiency panels based on the half-cut polycrystalline cell design. However, over recent years, Canadian Solar shifted to developing more efficient mono-PERC cell-based panels like the HiDM and HiKu series.

The new-generation HiKu6 and HiKu7 range of monocrystalline split-cell panels from Canadian Solar have become popular among installers as a quality, affordable, high-performance panel backed by good support from local offices.

• Power rating (W): 350W to 665W

• Efficiency (%): 19.6% to 21.3%

• Price range: Low to Med $$

• Product Warranty: 12 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 84.8% after 25 years *

See the detailedbeplay 365 .

LONGi Solar

LONGi Solarhas grown rapidly over the last few years to become not only one of the largest Chinese solar panel manufacturers but the largest monocrystalline cell manufacturer in the world. LONGi produce a wide range of cost-effective and reliable panels whichonly use monocrystalline cells. In fact, part of the industry shift towards more efficient mono and mono PERC cells was due to the massive investment by LONGi in large-scale mono wafer manufacturing.

The Hi-MO 4 and latest Hi-MO 5 range of panels from LONGi Solar use the common split-cell format and have become some of the most popular and affordable 370W to 415W panels on the market. Additionally, the unique Gallium-doped silicon cells are an impressive development that has proven to improve the lifespan of solar panels.

• Power rating (W): 350W to 540W

• Efficiency (%): 19.8% to 21.9%

• Price range: Low to Med $$

• Product Warranty: 12 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 84.8% after 25 years *

See the detailedLONGi solar panel review

JA Solar

JA Solaris a well-regarded Chinese producer established in 2005 and is one of the world's top five solar panel manufacturers by volume. The company is known for developing reliable, cost-effective solar panels for various applications, including residential, commercial and utility-scale systems. While not generally offering the most efficient panels, JA Solar focuses on incorporating proven solar cell technologies to produce reliable and affordable panels.

The Deep Blue 3.0 series of mono PERC-based panels are available in a wide range of sizes for different applications from 340W up to an impressive 555W. Along with Longi, JA Solar has also incorporated Gallium-doped silicon cells to improve performance, reduce light-induced degradation (LID), and increase lifespan.

• Power rating (W): 340W to 670W

• Efficiency (%): 19.6% to 21.5%

• Price range: Low to Med $$

• Product Warranty: 12 or 15 Years

• Performance Warranty:Min 84.8% after 25 years *

See the detailed JA Solar review (coming soon)

(*)Product warranty and performance warrantyconditions shown may vary depending on panel model, region and country. Performance warranty figures shown represent the leading panels offered by the manufacturer with the lowest degradation. Refer to manufacturers warranty conditions for your region.

Solar Power Questions

See more discussions around the best solar panels in our forum, including:

• Jinko vs Risen vs Canadian vs Trina Solar

• Longi vs JA vs Q Cells vs Suntech vs Jinko