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Solar panel reviews

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Last updated: 26 July 2024
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Checked for accuracy by our qualified fact-checkers, verifiers and subject experts. Find out more about fact-checking at CHOICE.

Find out how much a solar system might cost you and what you'll save

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With so many solar panel brands claiming to be the most efficient, best value, or most advanced, picking one above the rest is no easy task. We lab test and review solar panels from major brands to help you choose.

Our solar panel reviews cover panels from major Australian and international brands. Our tests examine the manufacturing quality of the panels, and how well they match their claimed power output.

To see the specifications of current panels from major brands in the Australian market, check out our solar panel database.

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Our expert testers test three samples of each solar panel to find the models that:

  • are closest to their labelled power output
  • demonstrate good manufacturing quality
  • are most efficient.
 

We also provide the panel's warranty details, which can be a good indication of the manufacturer's confidence in the product.

Note that there are no product images – most solar panels look very similar and appearance isn't a major factor when choosing them.

These tests are performed for CHOICE by PV Lab, an expert photovoltaics laboratory in Canberra, as our own lab doesn't have the required equipment or expertise.

Our solar panel buying guide will help you decide which type of panel is right for your home.

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Brand

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List of brands we tested in this review.

    Price

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    Price per panel at time of testing. Actual prices can vary significantly between suppliers – you need to compare costs of whole systems and installation, not just the panels. NA = not available (some tested panels are not obtainable individually and were borrowed from suppliers).

    enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 382

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    Type

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    Monocrystalline: The typical black panel used in most current domestic installations. 

    Monocrystalline PERC: A higher efficiency technology found in some panels. See our buying guide for more information.

    Bifacial: Has solar cells on both faces, i.e. front and back. These can be mounted as usual, with the front facing the sky and the back face picking up extra reflected light from the roof, or mounted vertically (e.g. to face east and west for morning and afternoon sun).

      Claimed power output (W)

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      The claimed power output for the panel under standard lab conditions. The higher the number, the more electricity you'll get from the panel. See our buying guide for an explanation.

      enter value/s in increments of i between 330 and 475

      Product warranty

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      The warranty for the panel itself, covering repair or replacement if the panel is faulty. 12 years is the typical minimum, but some brands have increased these warranties to 25 or 30 years (in some cases conditional on the panels being installed by one of their approved installers).

        Included in this review

        Members-only access
        • CHOICE Expert Rating
        • Availability
        • Recommended
        • Power output score
        • Electroluminescence score
        • Wet leakage score
        • Visual inspection score
        • Passed PID test
        • Measured power output (W)
        • Good points
        • Bad points
        • Price
        • Claimed power output (W)
        • Claimed power tolerance
        • Efficiency (%)
        • Dimensions (cm, L x W)
        • Product warranty
        • Performance warranty
        • Claimed power output at end of performance warranty
        • Warranted performance degradation per year
        • Country of origin
        • Operating temperature range
        • Temperature coefficient
        • AC or DC

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