Looking to save some cash when it comes to your home expenses? Start by taking a look at your energy bill.
It’s no great secret that solar panels are an amazing way to help both the environment and your bank account. But in order to achieve these aims, you need to identify the best solar panels that Sydney has to cover. With the right type for your home, you can offset your electric bill, in some cases at 100%. Better yet, the panels tend to pay for themselves after only a few years.
There’s no small amount of confusion when it comes to solar panels and their installation, and it can be quite a complex area to get your head around.
This guide is going to outline the best solar panels in Sydney and how to select the right ones for your home.
Are solar panels really worth it for homes in Sydney?
Without a doubt. The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to solar panels. With an 8kWh system at a rate of 30c per kWh, you’ll save $3,000 a year assuming all the energy is used up and not sent back to the grid. This means the solar panel system would pay for itself after three years or so, assuming an initial purchase and installation cost of $9,000.
The reason solar panels are such a great investment is due to the government rebates. These rebates have brought down the purchase price to make them more affordable for typical residents. Without these rebates, the purchase would still be worth it, but the uptake would not be as large and the profits not as lucrative.
Solar panels can also increase property value by 4% and are helpful for the environment. They are worth the investment in multiple ways; but you need to find the type and the installer that works best for your budget and preferences.
How to identify the best solar panels in Sydney
The world of solar power can be immensely confusing for homeowners to navigate. So let’s break it down into the most simple of components for ease of understanding. The most important things to look out for in solar panels are:
Thermal Efficiency: Anywhere from 17- 23% is regarded as an efficient solar panel. Remember that you can simply put up more solar panels (provided you have the space) in order to increase the total energy produced.
Business Rating: The solar panel manufacturer gets a business rating that determines their reliability. This is a big consideration. A 25 year warranty is no good if the business collapses after 10 years. That’s a lot of cash left on the table. Look for Tier One manufacturers only.
Type: There are many types of solar panels. Polycrystalline and monocrystalline are the most common. Monocrystalline will give you in the 18 – 22% range while polycrystalline will get you closer to 12 – 18%. Monocrystalline tends to be the most economically viable right now. While there are other options with higher thermal efficiencies, they are often too expensive and unsuited to residential purposes.
Warranty: The best solar panels will always come with product and performance warranties. Basically, the system output is guaranteed to a given point. This means that your system might be guaranteed to output at 85% capacity in 25 years’ time.
There are other factors that we could potentially go into here, but let’s keep it as simple as possible. In order to identify high quality solar panels, you need to check out the thermal efficiency, the business rating of the manufacturer, the type and the warranty.
This typically translates into the best solar panels in Sydney being 17 – 23% efficient, Tier One rated, monocrystalline, with a 25 year performance and product warranty. You want the panels to last and also provide a guarantee of performance until the warranty is finished.
The best solar panels in Sydney
Remember that when you’re discussing the best solar panels, you can’t really separate out this question from:
- Your energy requirements
- The provided warranty
- The quality of the manufacturer
With this in mind, let’s take a look at five of the top solar panels available in Sydney and the manufacturer that produces them. All of the manufacturers below are Tier One providers, a metric gauging the financial viability of a given company. More information on this is addressed further on in the article.
#1 – Sunpower Maxeon 3
Sunpower is one of the biggest names in the global solar panel industry. Sunpower is a Tier One panel producer of the Maxeon 3 Series of monocrystalline panels. These panels come with a product warranty of 25 years and a performance warranty of 25 years. The industry standard is usually a 10-year product warranty and a performance warranty of 15 – 25 years. The best manufacturers will offer 25 years for both product and performance.
The Sunpower Maxeon 3 performance guarantee is 92% after 25 years, which is among the highest you will find. Think about it: do you own a single technology item that performs at 92% after 25 years? Most gadgets die after about five, if they even last this long! And they’re certainly not outside on your roof.
The maximum efficiency of the Maxeon 3 is 22.5% which is very high. Moreover, it is PID resistant with a front wind load of 2400 PA and a snow load of 5400 PA. The power output for this series is 390 – 400W. It’s designed to last in multiple weather conditions, and you won’t find a monocrystalline solar panel with better longevity.
#2 – REC Alpha Series
The REC Alpha has a maximum of 21.7% thermal efficiency, a product guarantee of 25 years, and a performance guarantee of 25 years. The performance guarantee is 92%, so it rivals the Maxeon 3 in most categories. It has a snow load of 7000 PA and a front and back wind load of 4000 PA, which is very robust. The REC Alpha Series has a degradation rate of roughly 0.25% a year with a 2% degradation in the first year.
The REC Alpha solar panel has a smooth black look with thin wires that are barely visible and feature a gapless cell layout. In other words, the entire structure will look sleek and uniform on your roof. They are produced through an environmentally friendly manufacturing process and are entirely lead free in the construction. The power output of this series is 380W, and it has a high power density of 219 Watts per square metre.
Basically, this series meets all the criteria for the best solar panels in Sydney. It’s one of the most powerful, eco-friendly, energy efficient, and optimised panels on the market.
#3 – LG Neon R Series
The LG Neon R Series is available in 350, 355, 360, and 365 Watt monocrystalline panels. After 25 years, the performance of these panels is guaranteed to be 88.5% of initial performance. Moreover, they recently extended their product warranty to 25 years to match the top manufacturers in the industry. This means you’re all set for 25 years to make a return on investment. Otherwise, you can simply return them. The thermal efficiency of these panels is 22.1%.
The LG Neon R Series has clearly been designed with style in mind. In fact, it’s probably among the best looking panels on the market. It has a backcontact design which means that the busbars are located on the rear of the cell. It also excels in terms of temperature maintenance, providing improved performance even when the temperature rises.
This Series has a front load of 6000 PA and a rear load of up to 5400 PA. The frame is made of anodized aluminium and it’s an extremely lightweight solar panel. This is because it uses small amounts of glass in its design. LG is based in South Korea and is a well respected global manufacturer with a strong history.
#4 – QCELLS DUO G8 Series
Like LG, QCELLS are also headquartered in South Korea. The QCELLS Duo G8 Series ranges from panels from 340W to 360W in 5 Watt increments. The maximum thermal efficiency of these panels are 20.4% and the performance warranty is 85% after 25 years. In the first year, the degradation rate is 2% with a rate of 0.5% annually thereafter.
They offer a snow load of 5400 PA and a front/rear wind load of 4000 PA. QCELLS are now offering a 25-year product warranty against defects after recently upgrading from a 12 year policy.
Why would you choose QCELLS Duo G8 when the other products offer superior performance guarantees, more power, more thermal efficiency, and a better degradation rate? Well, the reason is that QCELLS Duo G8 actually offers among the best value for money per Watt of energy produced. They are very affordable when all things are taken into account.
However, keep in mind that there really is not much difference in price when it comes to the top quality solar panels. Also remember that the cost per panel and the cost per panel with installation are completely different. It’s an industry with quite a lot of factors to consider.
#5 – Seraphim S4 Series
The Seraphim S4 Series offers a power rating of 540W that is pretty much unparalleled in terms of monocrystalline solar panels. This series has quite a lot going for it with a 21.1% thermal efficiency rating, a lower temperature coefficient, dual installation methods, and competitive low light performance.
This is one of the most cutting edge Series on the market created by integrating 182mm silicon wafers with multi-busbar and half-cut cell technologies. It’s made from anodized aluminium and is excellent for commercial and industrial grade projects with an (alleged) high return on investment. It has a 2400 PA wind load and a 5400 snow load.
So, what’s the catch with this magnificent and technologically advanced solar panel? Well, it offers a 15-year product warranty as opposed to the 25-year warranty offered by the very best solar panel companies. The performance warranty is 84.8% after 25 years, which is not quite as robust as some of the heavyweights.
Still, this is an excellent solar panel that will perform very well in different temperatures and shading. This can make a big difference over a long time horizon in terms of the return on investment.
Solar panel comparison table
To make it a little easier to compare the above panels, the table below might be of some help. All of these are excellent solar panels, and with the current rebates and prices you stand to make an impressive return on investment with all of them.
| Model | Warranty | Tier 1 Rating | Thermal Efficiency | Degradation Rate | Primary Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunpower Maxeon 3 | Product: 25 Years Performance: 25 Years |
Up To 22.5% | Yes | Guaranteed 92% After 25 Years | Thermal Efficiency, Degradation Rate |
| REC Alpha Series | Product: 25 Years Performance: 25 Years |
Up To 21.7% | Yes | Guaranteed 92% After 25 Years | Thermal Efficiency, Degradation Rate |
| LG Neon R | Product: 25 Years Performance: 25 Years |
Up To 21.1% | Yes | Guaranteed 88.5% After 25 Years | Style, Degradation Rate |
| QCELLS Duo G8 | Product: 25 Years Performance: 25 Years |
Up To 20.4% | Yes | Guaranteed 85% After 25 Years | Price To Quality Ratio |
| Seraphim S4 Series | Product: 10 Years Performance: 25 Years |
Up To 21.1% | Yes | Guaranteed 84% After 25 Years | Very Robust With Cutting-Edge Features |
Are there other criteria in the selection of solar panels in Sydney?
Yes. Actually, there are many. The first thing you need to do is look through your annual power consumption to get an idea of what size system you require. This will often be between 5kWh to 8kWh for most households in Sydney. You then need to get a system that matches this output. In other words, your energy consumption will choose your system size for you.
The system size is a function of how many individual solar panels are on your roof and what the efficiency of each panel is. You’ll also need to find a CEC-accredited installer that will install the solar panels in the right way, perfectly suited for the Sydney latitude, longitude, and weather conditions.
Finally, you can take a look at the accreditations of each individual solar panel. This will be found on the official certification sheet. These standards related to the resistance to salt mist, resistance to ammonia, ignitability, dynamic load, front wind load, rear wind load, and hailstone resistance. They are lesser considerations but might be important for those interested in some of the technical details of the panels. With a performance guarantee, you don’t have to worry all that much with these technical points.
What is the Tier One rating for a solar panel manufacturer?
Solar panel manufacturers are classified according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance system. This international standard allows people to have a way to measure the financial status of a company. It is basically a statement that the company is well financed and competent enough to provide high-quality panels with strong warranties. It is essentially a marker that a company can deliver on its product and performance warranty.
To get classified as a Tier One solar panel manufacturer, you’ll need to supply your own brand in your own facility for at least six different projects. The projects must all be larger than 1.5 MV and have been financed by 6 different banks, all in the past 24 months. In other words, the best solar panels in Sydney will be manufactured by giant corporations who can deliver on their warranty. A Tier Two panel is pretty reliable, but aim for Tier One where possible.
Get the best solar panels in Sydney
If you want to find a reliable provider and installer of the best solar panels in Sydney, then simply contact RLE. Not only will we supply you with the very best from Tier One manufacturers, but we will also give you a premium install customised for your premises.
We are five-star rated, offer a 10-year warranty, and have over 40 years of combined experience, and our services meet multiple international standards. Get in touch if you’re looking for the best solar panels from the best installation experts in Sydney.
Call now on 02 9567 5886. for a free quote.
