List of the Best Solar Panels on the market

The Most Efficient Solar Panels of 2022:

Let’s start at, let’s put it this way, the top of the iceberg. That is, the panels with the highest efficiency and performance that exist in the world in 2020-2021

If there is something in which there is no discussion, it is that the manufacturers of solar panels with the highest efficiency are those of the highest quality. They are more expensive, it is also true, but it is no less true that the long-term performance compensates the investment.

Think that, for example, a SunPower solar panel, at 25 years of age, is producing more than 90% of its nominal power, when a standard solar panel would be around 80%. A very big difference, and that is every day of operation of the panel.

Many will tell you that it is not worth investing in a quality solar panel because of its high price, but it is not true.

Since when is quality a bad investment?

Well, the same thing happens with solar panels. Yes, the initial investment is higher, but also the yield and the  energy  that they will generate in the 30 years will be much higher, it can even reach up to 40-50% more production throughout the life of the installation. . So the factor “photovoltaic plate price” should not be the one that decides a purchase, you must analyze many more factors that, in the long run, are much more important.

In fact, take a second to see this image. Do you know what place it is ?:

 

This is a photograph of the  Apple headquarters inaugurated in 2018 , completely covered with  the best solar panels that exist . What are they? Well, indeed, SunPower.

Do you think that a company like Apple would invest in such a product, if it were not profitable and of the highest quality? Of course not.

High efficiency, today, is considered a photovoltaic panel that is above 19%. That is, 190W for every square meter installed. This, as you can already perceive, is very important for photovoltaic self-consumption installations, which are usually on roofs where space is always limited and the more efficient the panel, the more power we can install.

And these would be the best solar panels of 2019 according to their efficiency:

Panel Brand	Model	Minimal efficiency	Unitary Power	Size (length x width)
SunPower	SPR-X22-370	22.7%	370W	1.559 x 1.046 mm
SunPower	SPR-X22-360	22.1%	360W	1.559 x 1.046 mm
SunPower	SPR-X21-345	21.2%	345W	1.559 x 1.046 mm
Lg neon	LG360Q1C-A5	20.8%	360W	1.700 x 1.016 mm
Lg neon	LG355Q1C-A5	20.6%	355W	1.700 x 1.016 mm
AUO	SunForte PM096B00	20.6%	335W	1.559 x 1.046 mm
AUO	SunForte PM096B00	20.3%	330W	1.559 x 1.046 mm
SunPower	E20-327	20.1%	327W	1.559 x 1.046 mm
SHARP	NQ-R256A	19.8%	256W	1.318 x 980 mm
Panasonic	VBHN330SJ53	19.7%	330W	1.590 x 1.053 mm
Panasonic	VBHN325SJ53	19.4%	325W	1.590 x 1.053 mm
SunPower	SPR-P19-400	19.4%	400W	2.067 x 998 mm

The best solar panels in 2022 according to the OCU:

If there is an organization that cares about the quality of the products that reach consumers in Spain, that is the OCU.

What are, according to the OCU (Organization of consumers and users) , the best solar panels of 2019 ?: The OCU recently carried out a market study analyzing which are the best options when buying solar panels for self-consumption facilities in 2019-20.

The result of this analysis has been published in numerous information portals, although the prices of the publication are not correct, they do obtain results from the best brands of highest to lowest quality:

 

Maker	Model	Power	Wattios/m2	OCU score
SunPower	SPR-X21-345	345W	214W/m2	97/100
Panasonic	VBHN325SJ47	325W	194W/m2	94/100
Aleo	Aleo X59	310W	184W/m2	86/100
QCells	Q.Peak-G4.1 305	305W	176W/m2	77/100
REC	REC 280TP	280W	171W/m2	94/100

All the solar panels analyzed are Monocrystalline, with the exception of REC 280TP. This data is also important and was not taken into account by the OCU, since the performance of the monocrystalline will always be higher than the polycrystalline.

It seems clear that the winners are clearly  SunPower  and  Panasonic . A smart purchase and also both manufacturers have a 25-year product warranty.

The best solar panel 2022 according to the DNGL:

We take one more step in this compendium of lists and data on the best solar panels on the market and we take a look at the list of the best solar panel 2019, or at least a set of them, according to the independent laboratory DNVGL.

What does DNVGL do and why was it created?

In 2012, DNVGL developed the Photovoltaic Plate Product Qualification Program, known by the acronym PQP, to support the solar community with two objectives:

1. Provide photovoltaic equipment buyers and power plant inverters with consistent, independent reliability and performance data to support the implementation of an effective supplier management process (such as an Approved Supplier or Product List).
2. Provide independent recognition to module manufacturers that outperform their competitors in product quality and durability.

This list of PV modules with their score is a distillation of the PQP results of the last 18 months.

In the last five years, DNVGL has tested more than 300 bills of material for more than 50 solar module manufacturers. Nine of the top ten solar panel manufacturers and more than 70% of the last Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) called “Tier 1” manufacturers.

Main manufacturers that passed some or all of the tests in 2022:

This is the summary table of the 4 tests carried out and the list of the manufacturers that obtained the best results. All of them under 2% power losses, and some even without any loss after all the tests, as is the case with SunPower.

It is also deduced from the table, in the boxes in gray, that not all manufacturers successfully passed the 4 extreme hardness tests.

 

Thermal Cycle Test	Humid Temperature Test	Mechanical Load Test + Thermal Cycles + Humid Cold	PID Induced Potential Degradation Test
Manufacturers with Less than 2% Degradation	Manufacturers with less than 2% degradation	Manufacturers with less than 2% degradation	Manufacturers with less than 2% degradation
SunPower	SunPower	SunPower	SunPower
Panasonic		Panasonic	Panasonic
LG		LG	LG
LONGi	LONGI	LONGI	LONGi
Astronergy	Astroenergy	Astroenergy	Astroenergy
Adani		Andani
WORLD	WORLD	WORLD	WORLD
Flex	Flex	Flex	Flex
GCL	GCL	GCL	GCL
HT-SAAE		HT-SAAE	HT-SAAE
JA Solar		JA Solar	JA Solar
Jinko	Jinko	Jinko	Jinko
Neo Solar Power	Neo Power	Neo Solar Power
REC	REC	REC	REC
SunSpark		SunSpark	SunSpark
Suntech	SunTech	SunTech	SunTech
Trina Solar	Trina Solar	Trina Solar	Trina Solar
Yingli Solar	Yingli Solar	Yingli Solar	Yingli Solar
		Solariums
	Hanwha Q Cells	Hanwha Q Cells	Hanwha Q Cells
			Phono Solar

In the results table we find some surprises such as the LG solar panels that did not pass all the tests of the test.

Description of the tests carried out by DNGL on the best solar panels:

What does each of the tests carried out by the DNVGL consist of? We describe them below:

Thermal Cycle Test:

According to the IEC standard that is usually used to certify a solar panel, a solar panel must withstand 200 cycles of temperature variation from -40ºC to 85ºC without significantly affecting its performance.

However, the DNVGL performs 800 cycles, that is, 4 times more than what is required by the IEC, and each cycle takes between 3 and 5 hours to complete.

Humid Heat Test:

In the IEC 61215 standard, the modules are kept at a   constant temperature of 85 ° C and a relative humidity of 85%. for 1,000 hours (approximately 42 days).

DNV GL performs hundreds of Moist Heat tests with different durations, evaluating the resistance of the modules and found that 2,000 hours is much more effective in deciding the quality and performance of a good solar panel.

Mechanical Load Test + Thermal Cycles + Moisture Freezing:

For the DML (Dynamic Mechanical Load) test sequence, the module is installed according to the manufacturer’s recommended mounting and is subjected to 1,000 alternating load cycles at 1,000 Pa.

After some time the module is stressed in a chamber for 50 thermal cycles to cause the propagation of microcracks by previously going through 10 cycles of moisture freezing to fully realize the potential loss of energy.

A true torture for a solar panel and that only the best solar panel manufacturers surpass .

The DML test examines various aspects of the photovoltaic module, including design features such as frame size, material selection, such as edge sealing, and interconnect manufacturing controls and cell etching.

Degradation test  by induced potential or PID :

During the test, a voltage bias equal to the nominal system voltage of the module (-1 kV or -1.5 kV) is applied. under conditions of 85 ° C and 85% relative humidity for two sessions of 96 hours. This accelerated environment provides the temperature, humidity, and stress bias conditions necessary to assess degradation related to increased leakage current.

Guarantees and fine print

If your panels do not have 25 years of product and power, be suspicious:

As you well know, the vast majority of solar panels have a 10-year product and 25-year warranty on power (performance).

Has that distinction ever seemed strange to you? . If a manufacturer gives you a power (production) guarantee of 80% at 25 years, why is the guarantee for product defects only 10/15 years?

Now take a  good look at the following image  of a fragment of the production guarantee (performance) of a well-known European manufacturer:

 

As you can see, it makes it very clear:

If, for example, your glass breaks or, worse still, the junction box after 10 years … That will not be covered by the production warranty, because, as it says, the manufacturer will measure the output power of the panel directly on the output terminals of the solar panel, NOT at the output of the connection box.

 

The one that counts is the product guarantee, the production guarantee is “wet paper”:

If, for example, at 11 years of age,  the connection box breaks down  (an element that is very frequent that causes problems), the power guarantee will not cover it and the product warranty will have already expired.

The problem that you will find is that, nowadays, you have an infinity of brands in the market and it is important to know the market and be clear about various concepts and requirements of solar panels, which, having so much offer, makes it difficult to know which is the best and more suitable for your self-consumption project.

Solution ?, simple:

Our advice: Buy solar panels that give a 25-year product warranty and a 25-year production warranty. This way you will avoid scares.

What is the  best solar panel on  the market and the scores obtained according to the old PV + Test?

The best solar panels on the market – PV + Test results

Today, the only 100% independent test that performs tests on  solar panels that actually reach the installer, or the end customer,  is the PV + Test, carried out by the German certifier TÜV.

You must take this test into account, as it is a  fundamental guide  to ensure  that your photovoltaic project will obtain, or even exceed, the  expected performance , and you will have the certainty that the photovoltaic panels you have installed for your client are a good product that will not cause problems in the short or long term.

 

Some of the 11 brands of solar panel manufacturers that have authorized, for the moment, the publication of the results of the PV + Test are: SolarWorld (acquired by SunPower since 2018), SHARP, Solon, Schott, Conergy, Sovello …

The result of the tests of the  best solar panels , in order of maximum quality are:

Assessment	Outcome	Maker	Analyzed Panel
92.29	Excellent	SolarWorld solar panels ->  Now SunPower since 2018	SW260 Poly -> SW290 Mono (New Standard)
91.3	Excellent (-)	Schott solar panels	Schott Poly 290
90.7	Excellent (-)	SHARP solar	NU-180E1
89.8	Good (+)	IBC	IBC Monosol 240 ET
89.0	Good (+)	Mitsubishi Electric	PV-TD185MF5
88.5	Good (+)	Jetion	JT235PCe
88.1	Good (+)	Conergy	PowerPlus 225P
84.3	Well	Sovello	SV-X-195-fa1
80.0	Well (-)	Perfect Solar	PS230-6P-TOP

It is no coincidence that there is little presence of manufacturers of modules of Chinese origin, the vast majority of  Chinese manufacturers of solar panels do not achieve the minimum  necessary quality , although, of course, there are always exceptions.

The  PV + Test scores  range from the highest grade, which is Excellent, to Very Poor. In each grade, depending on the results, it can carry (+) or (-) as a classification of intermediate grades.

That is, the Excellent (+) grade would be the highest possible score that can be obtained in the test, and the Very Poor (-) grade would be the lowest possible and colloquially classified as “junk solar panels”.

As we told you before, the  PV + Test must be a point to take into account when defining the photovoltaic panel to use,  or at least to know which solar panel manufacturers are best considered in terms of quality.

As an answer to the question of What is the  best solar panel in  the world ?, it is very evident, the  best solar panel in the world  is SolarWorld (SunPower now), closely followed by Schott and SHARP Solar. At least as far as  “standard” technology  is concerned.

As we say, we must bear in mind that we are talking about the best photovoltaic panels on the market with standard polycrystalline and monocrystalline technology .

If we broaden the vision to any type of technology, we would find that the best solar panel on the market would be the  Panasonic Sanyo solar panels, with  high-efficiency  HIT technology and, also with another exclusive technology, we would have the SunPower panels, the panel most efficient solar in the world.

In other words:

If you are looking for the best photovoltaic panel on the market with the use of standard technology, the most prominent is SolarWorld. If you are looking for the best panel of any technology, then it would be Panasonic Sanyo and SunPower the most prominent.

They are  the three best brands of panels that you can find  today in the solar photovoltaic sector.

For this reason we work with these three solar panel manufacturers, although it  has taken us 10 years to  achieve the distribution of these three brands, it is worth knowing that the projects we supply will always give a  plus in performance and quality  than any other. mark, out of those three, can give.

You can check these and other information on the TÜV website 

What is this PV + Test made by TÜV?

We can summarize it in the following points:

• It is an independent test   with crystalline solar panels carried out by TÜV Rheinland in collaboration with SolarPraxis and purchased directly from the market. That is, it is not the manufacturers who send a sample, but it is TÜV Rheinland that anonymously buys the samples on the real market (this is undoubtedly the most important point).
• A committee of experts decides which aspects to analyze are the most important to take into account in the PV + Test and what relevance is given to each of them. They are, let’s say, the rules of the game that mark the general protocol of the test.
• Any manufacturer can request to be evaluated in the PV + Test.
• Once the test is finished, each manufacturer is informed of the final result, with the degree of quality obtained and the manufacturer decides whether or not the results are made public.
• The results are made public from time to time in PV-Magazine, the TÜV Rheinland website, etc.

As a summary, and in the words of some of those responsible for TÜV Rheinland, what this test aims to do is “Separate the dust from the straw” and therefore, TÜV Rheinland buys the samples in the real market to later analyze them. It could be said that what is intended is that the test results are from the panels that reach the end customer, and not those that the manufacturer sends for analysis.

How many brands have been analyzed and what are the results? So far 21 brands of recognized prestige have been analyzed, but only 11 of them, the best scored, have authorized the publication of the data, the rest of them preferred not to show the results.

The PV + Test is the test and the basis to know which is  the best  photovoltaic solar panel in the solar market .

Final conclusion:

Therefore, if you take as a reference the first list with the photovoltaic panel manufacturers classified by the TÜV, and take the list with the best solar panels of 2018 in terms of efficiency, and finally the DNVGL list, you already have a good number from manufacturers of solar panels in which you can perfectly place your trust and who assure you that you will receive a good product.

If you ask us, we would have no doubt,  the best solar panel that exists is SunPower . It has always been like this and continues to be the manufacturer that  makes the difference with all the others due to its exclusive technologies and totally different  from other solar panel manufacturers.

So, if you want to know more about solar panels and prices for professionals, get in touch with us and we will help you as much as possible with your project.