Choosing the best solar panels for your rooftop PV is the first step toward the adoption of an energy-efficient system. The main reason for home and business owners to go solar for save on electricity bills. For getting the maximum out of solar energy, you need efficient panels. The promotion of green energy is another main reason for installing a PV System. Being a clean source of energy, installing solar systems is one of the best solutions to the global concern of carbon emission.
The future of the solar system is promising, because of decreased energy production costs. Around 10% of Australia’s electricity in 2020-2021 is from solar systems. More than 30% of Australian households have rooftop solar PVs.Some of the factors that affect the choice of solar panels are location, weather, time, the orientation of azimuth, the orientation of tilt, shading, and pollution. Certainly, proper planning and smart design will help one get the most out of their PV system and improve the rate of return.
See also: Top Solar Panel Brands in Australia
Budget solar panels Vs Premium solar panels
Advantages of premium panels over budget panels are:
- Superior quality materials are used for premium solar panels
- It degrades less than any other panels over time.
- Premium panels are highly advanced and backed by science and research.
- It is designed to perform better in extreme heat and lower light.
- Premium panels come with more comprehensive warranties.
It is ideal to buy the ones that best meet one’s needs. If you are planning to stay in a home for a decade or less, they can maximize the return on investment by choosing a solid budget solar system over a premium one. If you wish to stay less than 10 years in that house, the minimum 12 years guarantee offered by good solar panels will cover the entire time of stay. A premium panel with a 25year guarantee will do good to those who intend to stay in the same house for a longer time. Nevertheless, the best solar panel is the one that fits neatly into one’s performance and warranty expectations, without breaking their budget.
Tier 1 Solar Panels in Australia
Tier 1 solar panels are manufacturing companies are financially stable. They invest in research and develop new and emerging technologies. Besides being a fully-automated production they have a high degree of vertical integration as well. The quality control manufacturing process of Tier 1 solar panels makes them defect-free. It safeguards future technical issues or warranty claims. These qualities make Tier 1 solar panels the most expensive option. They are 10-30% more expensive than Tier 2 and Tier 3 solar panels. They last longer and produce abundant solar power.
Some of Tier 1 solar panels 2021:-
Bloomberg has developed a tiering system for solar panels. Bloober will select the top 20 manufacturers from hundred of solar panels worldwide. These are some companies, LONGi, Jinko, JA Solar, Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, Risen, Q-Cells, Suntech, Talesun, First Solar, ZNShine, Seraphim, EGing, Haitai New Energy, Astronergy, Jolywood, SunPower/ Maxeon, Jinergy, VSUN Solar, Jetion, LG Electronics, BYD
Solar Panel Warranty in Australia
In Australia, most solar panels come with a performance warranty of 25 years and a product warranty of 10 to 15 years from the manufacturer. Better quality solar panels come with a product warranty of up to 25 years.
The performance warranty gives protection against panels that degrades sooner. The product warranty provides protection against the system’s underperformance due to faulty modules. A workmanship warranty provides homeowners with coverage against workmanship or installation errors. This type of warranty generally covers about one year following the completion of the work.
An extended solar warranty is a service contract that costs between $350 to $500 per term. The level of coverage is the same as that of the manufacturer’s warranty, but it extends coverage for another five to fifteen years.
To claim a warranty one should first contact their solar retailer in order to have the product replaced or repaired. If that doesn’t work, one needs to contact the manufacturer of the product.
If that too is unsuccessful, one has to lodge a complaint with the relevant Office of Fair Trading in their state or territory: They negotiate on your behalf and arrange mediation where necessary.
Solar panel specification
When it comes to efficiency, commercial solar panel (19.6%) is more efficient than residential solar panel (18.1%).
A residential solar panel system typically has 72 cells and is 65 inches by 39 inches; whereas, a commercial solar panel system typically has 96 cells and is 78 inches by 39 inches. Being large, commercial systems can take up to a month to complete, while residential solar panels generally take one or two days to install. Commercial solar panel systems tend to be white, residential systems are black or white.
The efficiency of solar panels
The main factors affecting the efficiency of solar panels are:
- Sun Intensity – The efficiency of the solar panels increases when the temperature drops and decreases in high temperatures.
- Solar shading – total or partial shading by nearby trees or buildings can result in lower output and power losses.
- Cloud Covers – Cloudy atmosphere decreases the efficiency of solar panels by allowing less amount of sunlight to fall on solar panels.
- Soiling – Soiling of solar panels due to dust, ice, snow, debris, bird droppings can result in a significant decrease in its efficiency.
- The Orientation, Inclination, Latitude of the place, and Climatic conditions – These factors have to be considered while installing solar panels so as to get the full advantage of solar irradiation or else it affects the power output.
Maintenance of solar panels is very important for its efficient working. Making frequent physical inspections and periodic cleaning of the panels ensure direct sunlight. There will be efficiency loss due to the dirt, leaves, and other debris obstructing the sun’s rays from reaching the panels. The performance of a clean solar module is at least 5% higher than that of a dust-accumulated module.
Professional solar installation
Professional installers have training as well as work experience. As a first step, the installers lodge an application to the power network notifying them about the installation. After the approval, installers schedule a date for the installation. Professional solar installation is done by highly experienced and CEC Accredited installers and designers.
After installation, there will be a briefing on the metering process. All the paperwork required to get the meter upgraded and the warranty package will be sent.
To conclude, solar panels are an integral part of any solar system. Professional solar installers help you to choose the best panels according to the requirement. Professional installers are technically sound to install in the best possible way to get maximum output.
Top 6 best solar panels in Australia
Trina Solar Panels
Headquarters: Changzhou, China
Founded: 26 December 1997
Number of employees: 12,000
Module efficiency of 23.03%
Warranty for solar panels: 25 Years of limited power output warranty and 10 years of product warranty
Trina Solar’s business footprint extends to more than 100 countries and regions, including regional headquarters in Zurich, San Jose, Tokyo, Singapore, and sales offices in Madrid, Mexico, Milan, Sydney, Chile, and Dubai. Manufacturing facilities are located in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. More details
Trina is continuously engaging in research and development of new technology. The company has introduced Vertex modules recently. Vertex modules are available in two types: the monofacial module and the bifacial module. With a power range of 410 to 670W+, they can be widely used on residential, commercial, and industrial rooftop solar systems.
Q Cells Solar Panels
Founded: 1999 in Thalheim, Germany
Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
Module efficiency of 21.4 %
Revenue: 57 Billion
Warranty for solar panels: 25Years of limited power output warranty and 10 of product warranty.
Q Cells Solar is a global name with a strong presence in Australia since 2009. The company has been awarded EUPD Research’s Top Brand PV Award five consecutive years in a row.
Q Cells has three types of panels including the Premium series (QMax G2), Performance series (QPeak Duo G6+), and Premium innovation serries ((QPeak Duo ML G9+). The premium series is produced in China and the other two series are produced in South Korea.
Q Cells now operates as a subsidiary of Hanwha Solutions, an energy and petrochemical company. Q Cells has manufacturing facilities in China, Malaysia, South Korea, and the United States. More info
Canadian Solar panels
Founded: 2001, Guelph, Canada
Number of employees: 13,478
Net income: 14.7 crores USD
Listed: CSIQ (NASDAQ)
Solar panel efficiency: 20.06%
Solar Panels Warranty: 25 years power warranty and 15 years product warranty (Limited).
Canadian Solar is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and installers of solar panels and operates on six continents. Manufacturing facility located in China, Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brazil. More about Canadian Solar Panels.
Jinko Solar Panels
Founded: 2006 in Shanghai, China
Revenue: 538 crores USD (2020)
Listed: Newyork Stock Exchange
Solar Panel Efficiency: 25.4%
Solar Panel Warranty: 25 years power warranty and 10 years of product warranty (Limited).
Jiko Holding is one of the top solar panel manufacturers in the world. The company is headquartered in Shangai, China. More about Jinko Solar Panels
Risen Solar Panels
Founded: 1986, in China
Solar Panel Efficiency: 21%
Solar Panel Warranty: 25 years of power warranty and 12 years of product warranty (Limited).
Risen Solar is also one of the leading solar panel manufacturers. The company has a presence all over the world and production is located in China and Malaysia. Risen Energy is developing internationally with offices and sales networks in China, Germany, Australia, Mexico, India, Japan, USA, and others. In 2021 Dec Risen invested 7 Billion USD for a new production plant in China. More about Risen Panels
JA Solar Panels
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Founded: 18 May 2005
Solar Panel Warranty: 25 years of power warranty and 10 years of product warranty (Limited).
Manufactured in China and have global offices around the world. The company is manufacturing residential and commercial solar panels. According to PV InfoLink’s statistics, JA Solar’s module shipments would rank third in the world in 2020.
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