Best Solar Panels 2019
Jason Svarc
By combining years of experience in the solar industry and feedback from hundreds of solar professionals around Australia we have put together a list of the best quality and most popular solar panels from the leading manufacturers.
As highlighted in our guide to choosing a quality and efficient solar panel, when it comes to selecting panels higher cost generally equals higher quality and reliability. The solar panels from the leading manufacturers listed below have proven to out perform and out last most cheaper, lower quality panels, with many of the lesser known 'cheap' manufacturers either going bankrupt or being de-listed from the Australian Clean Energy Council's list of approved suppliers.
Best Solar Panel Manufacturers
Here is our short list of the best quality and most reliable panel manufacturers on the Australian market based on company history, quality, real world performance and feedback from solar industry professionals.
For the complete list and more details of the many innovations being used to improve panel efficiency, reliability and performance in the complete solar panel technology review.
LG Energy
LG energy is regarded as one of the world’s leading manufacturer’s with a premium range of quality, reliable, high performance panels. LG are also one a very few manufacturers who offer both a 25 year product and performance warranty on the Neon 2 and Neon R modules which both use high grade, longer lasting N-type cells.
LG's range of premium panels are very popular in Australia, USA and Europe and use many industry leading technologies. The LG Neon 2 panels which use multi-wire busbars together with high performance N-type cells are one of the most popular high end panels available in Australia. See the full LG review here.
SunPower
Sunpower is a world leader in high efficiency IBC solar cells which offer a very high performance warranty of 92% retained capacity after 25 years on both the E series and X series solar panels, plus a 25 year manfacturer’s product warranty.
The ultra-efficient E & X series panels use the high performance IBC N-type cells but do come at a premium price and are not widely used in Australia, however the more cost-effective P series panels are popular for larger scale commercial installations. In North America Sunpower panels, in particular the E series are very popular and one of the most trusted and highest performing panels available. See the full SunPower here.
Winaico
Winaico is a relatively small volume manufacturer offering a premium range of very high quality panels which are reasonably priced. The well known Winaico M6 PERC panels come with a 15 year manufacturers warranty and are very well regarded and trusted by installers having a very good track record for long term reliability and performance in the harsh Australian conditions.
Winaico’s attention to detail and extremely strong frame design with unique corner inserts also put them ahead of many other manufacturers. The new 330W panels with high grade mono PERC cells are due to be released early 2019.
REC
REC manufacture quality, cost effective panels which have proven to be very popular among installers, in particular the TwinPeak range of panels. As of January 2019 all REC TwinPeak and N-peak panels come with an standard 20 year product warranty and reduced degradation rates making it one of the best warranties on the market.
The REC TwinPeak panels were the first to use half-cut cells in the split module format providing higher efficiency and improved shade tolerance. The recently released N-Peak range of high efficiency panels utilising N-type half-cut cells position REC among the industry leaders in high performance modules. See the full REC review here.
Q Cells
Hanwha Q cells is a well known quality panel manufacturer offering a wide range of quality panels for all applications. The latest Q cells monocrystalline panels are backed by an above average 12 year product warranty and improved long term performance with 83% rated capacity after 25 years.
Q cells have a very wide range of panels from entry level mono and poly crystalline to the the new Q.Peak Duo range using half-cut cell with 6 bus-bars to achieve up to 19.3% efficiency.
Trina Solar
Trina solar is one of the worlds largest solar panel manufacturers and are investing heavily in new generation of lower cost high efficiency panels. The well known Trina Honey range of panels from Trina solar are considered great quality and very good value for money, in particular the Honey M (monocrystalline) panels.
Trina Solar offer a very diverse range of panels from cost effective poly crystalline panels, efficient half-cut cell panels and advanced bifacial panels. See the full Trina Solar review here.
JinkoSolar
JinkoSolar is largest Chinese solar panel manufacturer by volume and produce a range of cost effective reliable panels. The Jinko engineers work closely with the Australian UNSW solar research center of excellence and have achieved several efficiency records over the years through it’s continuous research and develoment in new PV cell technology.
The Eagle 60 (poly) and Eagle PERC 60 (mono) range of panels from JinkoSolar are one of the most popular low cost panels on the market with a good track record and support from local offices.
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In addition to continuous feedback from our solar specialists the clean energy reviews team invite all solar industry professionals and installers to give your feedback (positive or negative) from experience with any modules.
Most efficient Solar Panels 2019
Comparison chart of the most efficient solar panels on the Australian market in 2019. Click image to see the full article.
Runners up
Below is a short list of other well known manufacturers which offer a balance of good value and quality. The complete list of the top 10 panel manufacturers and the Australian made Tindo solar panels are shown in the complete solar cell technology review article including:
JA Solar
Canadian Solar
LONGi Solar
Risen
Seraphim
Other Quality Panel Manufacturers
There are several other notable panel manufacturers which are very well regarded for producing high quality, reliable panels. Besides Panasonic which is not yet available in Australia, most of these are either new to Australia or we have limited experience and feedback from our solar specialists.
Most Popular Solar Panels
In addition to the best manufacturers there are a few models which are favorites among our specialists and many Australian installers due to a combination quality, efficiency, performance and value for money. These panels are also proving very popular in the US and much of Europe, in particular the range of modules from Sunpower, REC, LG and Q-cells.
LG NeON 2
LG Neon 2 panels use high efficiency mono N-type cells with advanced rear side absorption technology similar to PERC cells, along with 12 ‘Cello’ thin wire busbars to further improve efficiency and performance. The Neon 2 range from 325W to 335W power rating are now covered by a leading 25 year product warranty and above average performance warranty of 86% retained capacity after 25 years. LG panels also have frames with very high wind load ratings which make them one of the strongest panels on the market. See full LG solar panel review here.
See full LG Neon 2 specifications here.
SunPower P19 series
The SunPower P series panels have become a popular choice for larger scale commercial installations due to the high quality and performance. Unlike other SunPower panels which use higher grade, more expensive IBC cells the P series uses a shingled cell design which is a much more cost effective design. The shingled cells are partially shade tolerant and less prone to micro-cracking which can be an issue with panels using conventional full-size square solar cells. Despite being based on standard P-type silicon SunPower still offers a 25 year manufacturer’s warranty. See the full SunPower solar panels review here.
See full SunPower P19 series specifications here.
Winaico M6 PERC
The Winaico M6 Mono PERC modules from 310 to 330W are highly regarded by installers due to the extremely high build quality, great service and 15 year manufacturers warranty. Winaico is a smaller manufacturer with a great reputation for reliability and performance supported by the outstanding real world results at the Australian Desert Knowledge testing facility. The Winaico range of panels have extremely high strength frames using extra deep aluminium extrusions and unique corner inserts for maximum rigidity.
See full Winaico M6 specifications here
REC TwinPeak 2 Mono
REC’s renowned TwinPeak range of panels with PERC cell technology use half-cut mono cells in the split module format with the upper and lower sections combining at a centre junction box. The half size cell format increases efficiency and improves performance especially in partially shaded conditions. The new generation N-peak panels from REC take the half-cut panel design the next level utilising advanced high purity N-type silicon cells. See the complete REC solar panels review.
See full REC TwinPeak 2 Mono specifications here
Trina Solar Honey M Plus
The Trina Honey range of panels have been a favorite among installers for many years. They offer high quality and very good value for money from a large, trusted manufacturer together with good service. The recent Honey M plus range offer higher performance and efficiency over the standard Honey panels using monocrystalline (Mono PERC)* cells. See full Trina Solar review here.
See Trina Honey M plus specifications here
Q Cells Q.Peak Duo
Hanwha Q cells previously known as Q cells founded in 1999 are rapidly re-gaining popularity as a medium to high-end panel option for many solar installers as the the company releases advanced new modules including the new Q.Peak Duo range of split cell modules with 6 bus-bars and up to 19.3% efficiency.
See the full Q cells Q.Peak Duo-G5 specifications here
Jinko Solar Eagle PERC
The Eagle PERC monocrystalline range of panels from JinkoSolar are one of the more popular low cost panels available on the Australian market offering a good combination of quality and affordability. The mono PERC cells developed closely with the UNSW in Australia use the common Passivated Emmiter Rear Contact (PERC) technology offering up to 18.33% efficiency and are warranted against degradation caused by PID effects.
See the latest solar cell technology review
Learn more about the leading solar panel models and cell types here including PERC, multi busbar, split modules and bifacial panel technology here.
Close up of the LG Neon 2 Cello multi busbar cell design