Solar panel review 2017-11-22T16:38:37+00:00

Solar panel review

Solar panel review

Low pitched roof

The Panasonic panels have corners cut out from the aluminium frame.  This allows the water to drain from the panels meaning there is no minimum pitch in the warranty for Panasonic panels.  Pools of water on the glass make the glass turn white and over time causes a reduction in performance.  Also water pooling encourages algae growth, which would require regular cleaning.

  • Panasonic

Examples

Panasonic HIT N Series 330W Black Frame Hybrid – VBHN330SJ47

Short of roof space

Chose a panel that is more efficient such as:

  • LG 320W Mono Neon 2

  • Panasonic HIT N Series 330W Black Frame Hybrid
  • JA Solar 300W Mono Percium SK All Black

Some panels have a very high output such as the Canadian Solar 330W Poly CS6U-330P; however, they are just larger panels so are not particularly efficient.

Examples

LG 360W Mono Neon R A5 – LG360Q1C-A5, LG 320W Mono Neon2 Black A5 – LG320N1K-A5, Panasonic HIT N Series 330W Black Frame Hybrid – VBHN330SJ47, JA Solar 300W Mono Percium SK All Black – JAM6-K-BK-60-295-PR

Maximise profit

The JA Solar panels are by no means the cheapest panels, but strike a good balance between quality and price.  JA Solar is the fifth largest solar panel maker in the world.  They do very well in independent performance tests.  From a non-scientific perspective, they are the highest performing panels we have installed, followed by Panasonic.

  • JA Solar

Examples

JA Solar 275W (K) Poly 4BB – JAP6-K-60-275-4BB, JA Solar 280W Mono SK All Black – JAM6-K-BK-60-280-4BB

Solar panel manufacturers

Brand

Household names such as LG and Panasonic are generally very popular.  The top five brands in the solar market in terms of size are Jinko, Trina, Canadian Solar,Hanwha Q CELLS and JA Solar respectively.

  • LG

  • Panasonic

  • Canadian Solar

  • JA Solar

  • Q Cells

The popularity of a brand is often a reflection of the warranty service.  In the unlikely event that a panel goes wrong, your installer has someone reliable and responsive to source a replacement panel from.

Examples

Jinko 270W Eagle Poly Silver Frame – JKM270PP-60, Panasonic HIT N Series 295W Black Frame Hybrid (SJ46) – VBHN295SJ46, Canadian Solar
275W Mono K All Black – CS6K-275M-AB, Q Cells 295W Mono Q Peak G4 All Black- Q.PEAK-BLK-G4-295

Value for money

Both of the companies listed below offer cost effective panels.

  • Canadian Solar

  • Jinko

Canadian Solar, contrary to popular belief, manufacture most of their panels in Asia and are the third  largest solar panel maunfacturer.  Jinko is also a top end Chinese manufacturer and the largest manufacturer in the world.  Whilst slightly more expensive, worth a mention is JA Solar which is the fifth largest manufacturer in the world.  Whilst not a household name in the UK, JA Solar do manufacture good quality panels at very reasonable prices.

Examples

Canadian Solar 275W Poly (K) – CS6K-275P, Canadian Solar 330W Poly (U) (72 X 6) – CS6U-330P, JA Solar 275W (K) Poly 4BB- JAP6-K-60-275-4BB, JA Solar 280W Mono SK All Black – JAM6-K-BK-60-280-4BB, Jinko 270W Eagle Poly Silver Frame – JKM270PP-60

European manufactured

Due to strong competition from overseas, a large number of German companies have left the market such as Axitec, Conergy, Solar Fabrik and SolarWorld.  It is therefore a sad situation not to be able to recommend a European company without the real risk of losing your warranty.

  • Hunwha Q.Cells

Whilst it is now not a German company, Hunhwa Q Cells do their research and development in Germany and manufacturer in South Korea.

Examples

Q Cells 295W Mono Q Peak G4 All Black – Q.PEAK-BLK-G4-295, Q Cells 300W Mono Q Peak G4 Black Frame – Q.PEAK-G4-300, Q-Cells Cells 305W Mono Q Peak G4 Black Frame – Q.PEAK-G4-305

Slate roof or listed building

Chose an all black panel (which means mono crystalline cells), black frame and black back sheet.  The back sheet is the sheet of plastic behind the solar cells.

  • Canadian Solar

  • JA Solar

  • LG

  • Hanwha Q.Cells

The most aesthetically pleasing panel is the LG 320W Mono Neon 2 since it has much finer solder running across the panels, which reduces the glare and reflection of the panel.  The LG panel is the most efficient all black panel on the market.  The Perlight 250W Delta Mono Triple Black, which has its solder lines sprayed black, is a less expensive alternative.

Examples

LG 320W Mono Neon2 Black A5 – LG320N1K-A5, JA Solar 285W Mono SK All Black – JAM6-K-BK-60-285-4BB, Canadian Solar
275W Mono K All Black – CS6K-275M-AB, Q Cells 295W Mono Q Peak G4 All Black- Q.PEAK-BLK-G4-295

Warranty

A shorter warranty from a top branded panel may be worth more than a longer warranty from an unknown company.

  • Panasonic – 15 years

  • LG – 12 to 25 years

Examples

LG 360W Mono Neon R A5 – LG360Q1C-A5, Panasonic HIT N Series 295W Black Frame Hybrid (SJ46) – VBHN295SJ46, Panasonic HIT N Series 330W Black Frame Hybrid – VBHN330SJ47

Panel buying tips