Solar Panels Comparison 2021: Types and Brands

Solar energy is the way of the future. With rising electricity costs, the looming adverse effects of global warming, high irradiance levels, and generous solar rebates in Australia, switching to solar energy makes a lot of sense for homeowners in Sydney.

But how do you go about deciding which solar panels are the best? With many different brands and types on the market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or about making a wrong decision. A detailed solar panels comparison can help you understand the differences in types and brand as you choose the right system for you and your property.

To help you with this, we’ve put together our solar panels comparison guide as a starting point to your research.

Solar Panels Comparison 2021: Types and Brands

How do I compare solar panels?

When comparing solar panels to install in your property, there are a few main categories that work for making accurate decisions. While brand names might seem the easiest, there are actually physical properties in the panels themselves and cost considerations that work best.

Silicon composition

There are three main types of solar panels based on their composition: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. The difference here is the material structure of the panels and individual cells as well as their manufacturing process.

Monocrystalline panels are the most expensive, but they’re also the most efficient with ratings ranging from 19-23%. In contrast, polycrystalline panels are more affordable, but they have a lower efficiency rating from 15-17%.

Thin-film panels are relatively newer and have the benefit of being lightweight, flexible, and extremely cheap. However, with low efficiency ratings of just 10-13%, you’ll need to roll out twice as many thin-film panels to create the same amount of energy than if you’ve used a monocrystalline panel.

Cell technology

Aside from the silicon composition, you can further group solar panels into photovoltaic (PV) cell technology. Each of these will have a different efficiency rating.

Most solar panels that are sold in the market for home use range around 15-22% in efficiency. Physically they are roughly the same size and weight, but some panels are more efficient than others. This means that you can get varying amounts of power generated within the same space with different solar panel systems. If you have roof space and structural constraints, then it would make sense to go install fewer yet more efficient solar panels.

Pricing

Both composition and technology also have an impact on costs. When it comes to solar panels, the more expensive ones are often the most efficient and the most durable. The best way to shop around for solar panels is to compare the kilowatts generated per dollar. What may be cheap upfront may not be as efficient or long-lasting.

Product and Performance Warranties

Solar panels usually have life spans of over 30 years. Of course, their performance may start to wane after, but decades of discounts on electric power bills are already a great deal. But what if a solar panel system’s performance starts to decay much earlier than usual? That’s what warranties are for.
Warranties are a company’s way of saying that they are confident in their products. And this couldn’t be more true with solar panel systems.
Solar panel manufacturers often provide limited product warranties ranging from 10-20 years and performance warranties of up to 30 years. Product warranties protect consumers from product defects, while performance warranties ensure that solar panels work as efficiently as they’re supposed to for years to come.

Top 5 best solar panel manufacturers

Which solar panels are the best? It all depends on what matters most to you in a system. For example, some homeowners may look at a lower budget range because they don’t have high energy requirements. Others may have space or structural loading constraints, so they need to go with more expensive but also more efficient panels to work with their limitations.

If you’re at a loss for what to do, we’re here to help out. First let’s look at the best solar panel manufacturers, according to solar industry professionals.

#1 – SunPower

SunPower is quite possibly the most popular among solar panel brands available to Australian homes and businesses. It’s home to one of the most powerful residential solar panel systems, the 400W Maxeon 3. This solar module uses N-type IBC cells that give the panel an overall efficiency of 22.6%.
SunPower Maxeon 3 uses a mirror-like material on the underside of the panel, helping reflect the light that passes through the panel back into the panel to be converted into electricity. In addition, this layer makes the solar panel less prone to microcracks, stress, and bends.

SunPower also offers one of the most comprehensive warranties for solar panel systems: the 25-year Complete Confidence Panel Warranty. This warranty includes system and service warranties for solar panels, microinverters, racking, and power production hardware. SunPower offers a 10-year warranty for solar module monitoring hardware.

SunPower solar panels are also covered by a 25-year performance warranty. Whereas most solar panels have starting efficiencies of around 97.5% and annual degradation rates around 7%, SunPower panels have a starting efficiency of at least 98% and a yearly degradation of just 0.25%. This means that, compared to the usual 80.0%, you can expect your SunPower solar panel to be performing at 92% of its efficiency at the end of its 25-year warranty period.

• Power rating: 340W to 550W
• Efficiency: 19-22.8%
• Price range: $$$$$

# 2 – LG

LG has several noteworthy solar panels, and this includes the LG NeON R and LG NeON 2. So how do they fare against each other?

LG NeON 2 are N-type monocrystalline solar panels. This solar panel series includes several models like the 144-cell LG NeON H BiFacial and the 60-cell LG NeON 2 ACe panels. LG NeON 2 comes in black and bifacial models with power outputs of 340W to 440W and efficiencies as high as 20.4%. All LG solar panels are covered by a 25-year product and a 25-year performance warranty that ensures a linear output performance of at least 90.1%.

Like SunPower’s Maxeon 3, LG NeON R also uses N-type IBC solar cells. This boosts LG NeON R panel efficiency to 22.0%. They’re also the newest and the most advanced among all solar panels from LG at this time of writing. NeON R trumps NeON 2 in terms of degradation rate, temperature coefficient, and panel efficiency. However, LG NeON 2 is still quite an upgrade compared to many solar panels from other brands.

• Power rating: 350W to 450W
• Efficiency: 19.3-22.0%
• Price range: $$$$

#3 – REC

REC is another famous solar panel manufacturer thanks to high panel efficiencies, competitive solar panel prices, and 25-year product and service warranties. REC offers quite a flexible range of options when it comes to solar modules. Because while other companies focus on creating the most efficient panels money could buy, REC focuses on providing more options for people who may be looking at different price ranges.

REC’s latest series is the TwinPeak 4. TwinPeak panels are 120-cell, monocrystalline panels with efficiencies of 19.4% for the more aesthetic black version to 19.7% for the regular TwinPeak 4 panels. Though the minimum linear output performance warranty is somewhat lower than LG’s and SunPower’s, an 85% performance efficiency after 25 years isn’t an easy feat especially for solar panels at REC’s price range.

• Power rating: 300W to 380W
• Efficiency: 18-21.7%
• Price range: $$$

#4 – Q Cells

Q Cells solar panels are popular for both residential and commercial applications. Their Q.Peak Duo G series uses Q.antum Duo Technology that allows these dual solar panels to work efficiently even when the panels are in partial shade. They’re also extremely weatherproof for snow and winds.

The Q.Peak Duo ML-G9 395W model operates on a 20.8% efficiency. This is a P-type, half-cut, 132-cell monocrystalline panel module. Q Cells offer a 12-year limited product warranty on their solar panels plus a 25-year performance warranty that ensures at least an 83% efficiency on its 25th year. EUPD Research has granted Q Cells the top brand PV award for the fifth year in a row.

• Power rating: 325W to 460W
• Efficiency: 18.8-20.8%
• Price range: $$$

#5 – SolarEdge

SolarEdge may not offer the widest selection of solar panel modules in Australia, but this hasn’t stopped SolarEdge from being a top choice for many Australian homes. SolarEdge’s Smart Panels use dual-cut, monocrystalline PERC cells.

SolarEdge Smart Panels are protected with 15-year product warranties, while power optimizers are protected with 25-year product warranties. These panels are specifically designed to work with SolarEdge inverters. The 25-year performance warranty on Smart Panels ensures a minimum linear power warranty of 84.8% by the end of the warranty period.

• Power rating: 370W to 375W
• Efficiency: 19.8-20.0%
• Price range: $$$

Top 5 best value solar panel brands

Do you have a stricter budget and are looking for solar panels that offer more value for money? You might want to take a look at these solar panel brands.

#6 – Trina Solar

Trina Solar is one of the largest solar panel manufacturers globally, and this brand focuses on low-cost and high-efficiency solar power solutions. The Honey M model is one of its most popular panels, operating on 330W to 380W power outputs and efficiencies from 20.7-20.8%.
The Vertex S model is better suited to commercial applications, reaching power outputs of 670W and an efficiency rating of 21.6%.

#7 – LONGi Solar

About a decade ago, solar panel manufacturers began creating more and more polycrystalline panels because they were much easier to produce. It’s LONGi Solar that you’d want to thank for getting solar panel manufacturers back on track with making the more efficient N-type monocrystalline solar panels. LONGi Solar started to create highly efficient but less expensive solar panels, driving prices down and quality up.
LONGi Solar carries one of the most efficient solar panels in the market right now: the Hi-Mo 4. The Hi-MO 4 is a 375W solar module with an efficiency rating of 20.1%.

#8 – Jinko Solar

Jinko Solar is considered the biggest manufacturer of solar panels in the world. Though based outside of Australia, Jinko Solar works closely with UNSW Sydney to research and develop solar PV technologies.

PVEL, an independent solar panel testing company, has constantly put Jinko Solar as a top performer in the solar panel industry since 2014. Trina Solar is the only other company aside from Jinko Solar that has managed to keep PVEL’s top performer award since 2014.

#9 – Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar is yet another big name in the solar panel industry as it’s considered the fifth largest producer of solar panels worldwide. Canadian Solar made polycrystalline panels in the past. Still, demands for monocrystalline PERC solar cells drove them to work on more efficient dual-panel solar cells like those in the HiDM and HiDM5.

#10 – Winaico

While Winaico isn’t a large-scale manufacturer of solar panels, they offer a range of premium but reasonably priced solar panels. Their newest offering from the Gemini series focuses on strength, durability, reliability, and maximum energy production.
Gemini solar panels pass IEC standards for thermal cycling, damp heat, mechanical load, and hail impact. This ensures that Winaico solar panels can withstand extreme weather conditions and work efficiently as possible for 25 years or more.

The best solar solar panels depends on budget and requirements

An in-depth solar panels comparison can help you figure out the best solar panel system for your home or your business. And we’re hoping that this guide helped introduce you to the best solar panel brands. Now, all that’s left to do is get to know these brands more, compare different solar panel models, and pick a solar solution that works for your budget, space constraints, and energy requirements.

Turning to the professional is also a great way to get accurate pricing and the answers you need At Roland Lawrence Electrical, we offer fast free quotes to help homeowners across Sydney.

We know just what it takes to fit and install residential and commercial solar panels in Australia. With more than 40 years of combined experience, our local and licensed team of experts has provided residents of Sydney, Southern Sydney, and Rockdale with cost-efficient, eco-friendly, and high-quality solar solutions for decades. Call us on 02 9567 5886 to chat with our experts.