How to Choose your Solar Panels
There are an increasing number of options when it comes to brands and manufacturers in the solar market, this can make it hard to know who to choose and what is important to look out for. In this blog we highlight some of the key information you should be looking out for that can guide you towards the right decision.
The solar system you choose should be personal to your requirements as each household uses energy differently.
What to compare on the panels themselves
At a basic level, some of the things we recommend looking out for are:
- Panel efficiency – This is the rate at which the solar panel transfers sunlight into DC energy. The average solar panel efficiency is between 11-22% and varies with each manufacturer. The higher the efficiency of the solar panel, the more solar power it will produce
- Panel productivity – Temperatures and winds play a big role in this. Temperature co-efficiency can help you understand how effective the panels are in higher temperatures (important when in hot climates like Australia) the closer the figure is to 0 the more effective the panel is
- Warranty of the panels – This is what gives your system its endurance over the period you own it, naturally you’d prefer it to stay as effective as possible for these years
- Panel type – There are 2 main types of solar panels, monocrystalline (mono’s) and polycrystalline (poly’s). Monos are cut from a singular crystal and are widely considered a better product in the Australian market and with warmer weather conditions. Size and colour of the panels is also worth considering if this is important to you
Why an off-the-shelf system is rarely the right one
We encourage customers not to buy off-the-shelf or budget solar because in doing so you might end up with a system that doesn’t give you what you need, or at worst is unsafe.
What to check about the brand behind them
There are a few other elements we recommend customers take a bit of time to consider when it comes to selecting your perfect panels, these include:
- Tier 1 – Tier 1 panels are those that come from the reputable brands – these are typically high quality products with reliable performance, getting your panels from a Tier 1 manufacturer is a very low risk decision
- Blue Chip – Using Blue Chip manufacturers are companies that have been in business longer than the warranty they offer. This means they are financially stable and have the capability to fulfill their warranty services
- Brand name – is it a brand you have heard of and can find online? This is usually a simple yet effective litmus test
- Customer reviews – Searching online for positive customer reviews can provide you with peace of mind from a like-minded customer
