Looking at the data behind the purchase of many household items has shown that brand recognition plays a massive role in the choice of consumers. Large corporations understand this and invest large amounts of resources in order to sell you on their product before you even enter the store.
When it comes time to choosing the best possible solar panel for your home it would seem that this trend is still playing a massive role. You have a plethora of solar panel manufacturers to choose from in an emerging market which means you can either do some research on your own time to determine the best option or simply go with a company you already know based on shopping in the past.
Not everyone has time to look through the numerous options and weigh the pros and cons but that is what we are here for. We stock a wide range of panel options and have seen it all during our time in this industry. Our goal is to get you the best solar setup possible and therefore we need a variety of options that allow us to give you the results you want within your budget and homes location.
What Does “Tier 1” mean?
Before we take a look at what consumers think about various brands on the market we need to quickly address the use of the term “Tier 1”. While it would be completely sound to assume that this is a reference to the performance of the solar panel it is actually a measurement of the financial stability of the manufacturer.
This doesnt mean it should not be a factor in your decision because solar is an industry still in development and new brands are appearing all the time. Knowing a company will still be there 6 months down the line in case there are any issues is important. Having said this it is also not a reason to walk away from a perfectly fine panel should it not be Tier 1.
Top Solar Panels By Efficiency
When looking to pick the right panel the key factor usually comes down to efficiency. This is the measurement of how effectively a panel converts the total amount of sunlight it receives into power for your home or office to use. The recent years have seen incredible increases in the efficiency of panels which translates into a better return on your dollar from your solar system.
Here is a list of the most efficient solar panels available from the top residential panel manufacturers that was put together by the folks over at SolarReviews.
In this list we can see some big names which you are probably already familiar with. We see LG and Panasonic both performing well and for good reason; they make great panels. They are however not at the top of the list and some other big players didn’t make it at all. What we see here is the emergence of new manufacturers that are committed to making great panels and getting a piece of the market for themselves as specialists.
Being a jack of all trades is a great thing its common for large multinational companies to have their fingers in a little bit of everything. But while a brand might make a great TV it doesnt mean they will make a comparable panel. In our experience combined with customer feedback we have determined the best panels come from those companies whose sole focus is set on producing panels.
Efficiency is a key factor in deciding what panels to purchase not only because it directly reflects your rate of return from the panels but also because it dictates what you can fit on your roof. The lower the efficiency the more panels you need to fit on your home to achieve your desired power output.
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Best solar panels according to consumers
Word of mouth means a lot when it comes to considering what product would best suit your needs and for good reason. No matter how many promises a brand makes only the test of time will let you know if their panels are worth your cash. Luckily we have a fantastic resource from the folks over at SolarReviews who collect reviews from homeowners for various bands of solar panels.
They have thousands of reviews on their website and it gives us a great insight into which brands are actually delivering results. If we take a look at the top 10 panel manufacturers we see a varied list of both major electronic manufacturers and dedicated solar panel manufacturers with the dedicated companies taking up the top 4 spots and the majority of the top 10.
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Rankings Based on Different Solar Cell Technologies
For the most part the solar panel market is divided into 2 types of solar panels, monocrystalline & polycrystalline. Let’s take a quick look at what these terms mean when it comes to solar panels:
Polycrystalline panels are made by blending together multiple pieces of silicon which gives it a unique look similar to cama patterns and a bright blue colour. They are cheaper to produce and less efficient than mono panels but are more sustainable to produce.
Top manufacturers of polycrystalline solar panels
- Trina Solar
- ReneSola America
- REC Group
- Canadian Solar
- Jinko Solar
Monocrystalline panels are the most efficient panels with a uniform look to them due to the fact they are produced by cutting a piece of silicon for each panel. While they perform the best they are also the most expensive and are also less sustainable to produce.
5 best brands of monocrystalline solar panels
- Sunpower X Series
- LG NeOn
- Panasonic HIT panels
- Solaria
- Upsolar
Of the 2 panel types polycrystalline is the most popular choice globally mostly due to the fact they can be as much as 20-40% cheaper than mono panels while producing somewhat similar power per panel.
There is no one panel to rule them all
When choosing a solar panel we have a variety of considerations to make as we have discussed above. We need to take into consideration the solar system size and how much space the roof has to accommodate it. We also need to take into consideration what benefits, incentives and tariffs are available to us and as a result what the budget is for our system.
Our role at Global Solar Solutions is to provide you with all the information you need so that you can make the most informed decision possible. Our reputation in the industry demands we give you the most value for money with the best in parts and service so we can continue to garner positive reviews. We strive to give the best to our clients not only because it is what we believe in but also because it benefits us in the long run.
If you are considering solar and would like to know the best options available to you give us a call today on 1800 255 474 to talk with an expert solar consultant about what your power needs are or contact us online to have us get back to you when it suits.