Our test covers both mono- and multicrystalline panels, from Australian and international brands. This review includes the results from three months 'in the field': we'll keep them there for at least 12 months to give a true measure of their performance across all seasons.

Our expert testers give every solar panel a thorough workout to help find the models that:

• are closest to their labelled power output
• deliver the most power per square metre of panel.

Our interactive comparison tool helps you find out which brands are most efficient and which have the best warranties. 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 second batch of solar panels we've tested. For more about the results of our previous batch of tested solar panels, see what we found. We've removed those previously tested models from this review because they've all been superseded by newer models. Also the latest batch has only been in testing for three months, and it's not a valid comparison to include the earlier panels in the same review as those had been on test for 12 months in a full range of seasonal conditions.

By Chris Barnes