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Solar panel reviews

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Last updated: 31 January 2023
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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. We partner with an expert photovoltaics laboratory to test 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.

This is the first batch of solar panels we've tested since our testing with the CSIRO wound up back in 2019. This new test has been done with PV Lab, an expert photovoltaics laboratory in Canberra. None of the panels from previous tests are now available, and our test method has changed, so the results in this review are for our latest test only.

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 in 2022. Actual prices can vary significantly between suppliers – you need to compare costs of whole systems and installation, not just the panels.

    enter value/s in increments of 1 between 263 and 382

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    Type

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

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

      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 390

      Product warranty (years)

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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 as much as 25 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
        • 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 (L x W, cm)
        • Product warranty (years)
        • Performance warranty (years)
        • Claimed power output at end of performance warranty
        • Warranted performance degradation per year
        • Country of origin
        • Operating temperature range
        • Temperature coefficient
        • AC or DC

        Product selected for a detailed comparison

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