Mission Solar panels: complete review
Although Mission Solar is a relatively new brand, more and more homeowners are choosing solar panels. The company’s growing popularity is no surprise: Mission designs and installs high-efficiency, high-quality solar panels right here in the United States.
In this article, we take a closer look at Mission Solar Energy and how its solar panels meet industry standards to help you decide if they’re the right panels for your home.
What is Mission Solar Energy?
Mission Solar Energy is a solar module manufacturing company that began operations in 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. Since then, Mission Solar has grown to become the fourth largest manufacturing company in San Antonio, with more than 400 employees.
As a company with American roots, it complies with the Buy American Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This also means that Mission Solar’s modules are not subject to Trump’s Section 201 import tariffs.
Mission Solar prides itself not only on its Texas heritage, but also on its high manufacturing standards. All of Mission’s raw materials are inspected upon receipt to ensure that cells are not damaged before module assembly begins. Cells and modules are inspected several times during the manufacturing process.
Mission also conducts third-party testing to determine product performance under various conditions. Mission Solar products are used in residential, commercial, and municipal applications.
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What products does Mission Solar offer?
Mission Solar Energy offers a wide range of grid-connected and off-grid solar panels. All Mission modules use single-crystalline p-type solar cells.
All Mission Solar Energy modules can be divided into three product groups:
MSE PERC 60 black
MSE PERC 60 white
MSE PERC 72
MSE PERC 60 black
The MSE PERC 60 Black modules range from 300 W to 325 W. The MSE PERC 60 Black modules are available in two different power ratings. The MSE PERC 60 Black is available in two different power ratings. The all-black design of these single-crystal modules gives the whole solar panel a more uniform appearance.
MSE PERC 60 White modules
The MSE PERC 60 White modules have a white backing, so they look like normal solar panels.
This makes them slightly less aesthetically pleasing, but the Mission PERC 60 White modules offer higher performance and efficiency. PERC 60 White modules are available in power outputs from 305 to 330 W, with a maximum efficiency of 19.53%.
MSE PERC 72 modules
MSE PERC 72 modules are the most popular for larger commercial and municipal installations.
They have 72 solar cells instead of 60, making them much larger than other Mission solar panels. But bigger size also means more power – the smallest PERC 72 has a power output of 365W and the largest 390W.
How do Mission Solar panels compare to other solar panels on the market?
Sure, Mission Solar Energy panels sound great, but how do they stack up to other solar panels? Let’s take a closer look at the specifications of Mission Solar panels, and how they compare to solar industry standards.
| Specification | MSE PERC 60 Black | MSE PERC 60 White | SE PERC 72 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power output | 300 W – 325 W | 305 W – 315 W | 365 W – 390 W |
| Efficiency rating | 18.05% – 19.24% | 18.35% – 19.53% | 18.39% – 19.35% |
| Cell type | P-type monocrystalline | P-type monocrystalline | P-type monocrystalline |
| Power tolerance | -0 ~ +3% | -0 ~ +3% | -0 ~ +3% |
| Front & back load | 5631 Pa | 5631 Pa | 5631 Pa |
| Warranty | 25-year linear warranty | 25-year linear warranty | 25-year linear warranty |
| Product data sheets | Sheet 1, Sheet 2 | Sheet 1, Sheet 2 | Sheet 1, Sheet 2 |
Efficiency
“The efficiency of Mission Solar modules meets industry standards. The efficiency of all modules ranges from 18% to 19.53%.
Mission Solar modules are not the most efficient modules you can buy, but they are still more efficient than the average solar module. The higher efficiency is primarily due to the five-chamber PERC monocell, which allows more electrons to flow through each solar cell.
Power tolerance rating
The power tolerance indicates how much higher or lower the power rating of a solar module is at any time under “standard test conditions” (STC). The smaller the power tolerance range, the more accurate the power rating.
Mission Solar modules have a power tolerance of -0/+3%. This means that a Mission Solar module will always operate at least at its rated power, but can be up to 3% above its rated power. For example, a Mission Solar panel with a rated power of 300 W can operate between 300 W and 309 W (or 3% more than 300) below STC. The module cannot operate at less than 300 W.
A tolerance value of -0% is very favourable for solar system performance, as it indicates that the modules are likely to perform well under realistic conditions. It is also an indicator of a robust and high-quality manufacturing process.
PTC ratings and other performance factors
The solar module specifications show how the solar module behaves in the laboratory under typical test conditions. This means that all the specifications on the solar module data sheet will only work if the solar panel temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, if it receives 1000 watts per square metre of solar radiation and if the air mass is 1.5.
The likelihood that your solar panel will operate continuously (or at all) under typical test conditions is very low or non-existent. This is where PTC estimates come in. PTC ratings are carried out in independent laboratories where solar panels are tested under realistic conditions such as higher temperatures, higher wind speeds and less sunlight.
High PTC values mean that a solar panel performs better under these realistic conditions than a solar panel with lower PTC values. Mission Solar has the highest PTC values of any solar module manufactured in the USA, outperforming leading brands such as Sunpower.
Mission Solar panels can withstand higher loads than many other solar panels. This means that Mission panels are more resistant to heavy snow or debris loads. Their ratings for fire, hail and salt spray are fully in line with industry standards.
Warranty
Mission Solar offers a 25-year in-line product warranty and a 12-year product warranty.
The product warranty guarantees the correct installation and trouble-free operation of the solar panels for 12 years. If you register your panels online with Mission after installation, the product warranty is extended to 25 years.
The manufacturing guarantee describes how the production of solar panels decreases over time. After the first year, the production of Mission solar panels must not decrease by more than 0.7% per year. In the 25th year, the solar module shall operate at a minimum of 80,20 % of its original capacity.
The good news is that Mission’s guarantee explicitly states that the production of solar modules must not decrease by more than 0.7% per year. The bad news is that a degradation rate of 0.7% is quite high. The degradation rate of most solar panels is around 0.5, and for many it is much lower, around 0.3.
This means that Mission Solar panels can degrade faster over time than other solar panels and produce less energy.
Price
The cost of Mission solar panels is quite reasonable, especially if they are highly efficient.
Before installation, Mission panels typically cost $0.60 to $0.70 per watt. Other solar panels with comparable performance to Mission panels, such as some Panasonic HIT and LG NeOn panels, cost around $1.00 per watt. This is almost $0.40 per watt more than a Mission model that has comparable performance.
If professional installation is included, the price is.
Mission solar panels are relatively inexpensive, especially considering their high efficiency.
Before installation, Mission panels typically cost $0.60 to $0.70 per watt. Other solar panels with Mission-like efficiencies, such as some Panasonic HIT panels and LG’s NeOn panels, cost nearly $1 per watt. This is almost $0.40 per watt more than a Mission model with similar efficiency.
Including professional installation, Mission solar panels cost approximately $2.45/watt, which is slightly less than the national average solar panel installation cost of $3.00/watt (as of January 2022).
This means that a 6 kW Mission solar panel system would cost approximately $14,700 before federal tax credits are factored in. After applying the 30% tax credit, the cost of the Mission Solar system would drop to approximately $10,290.
The actual cost of installing Mission solar panels on a roof depends, of course, on the size of the system, the chosen installer, and the Mission panels installed.
The cost of Mission Solar panels is approximately $2.45 per watt, which is slightly below the national average of $3 per watt for installed solar panels (as of January 2022).
This means that a 6 kW solar panel system from Mission Solar would cost approximately $14,700 before federal tax credits are applied. With the 30% tax credit, the cost of a Mission Solar system would drop to approximately $10,290.
The cost of installing Mission solar panels on a roof depends, of course, on the size of the system, the installer chosen, and the Mission panels installed.
Are Mission Solar panels worth getting?
While Mission Solar’s panels do not have record-breaking efficiency or extremely high performance, they are a good choice for homeowners looking to go solar.
Multiple third-party inspections during manufacturing and testing ensure a high-quality solar system without having to spend a fortune.
The downside of Mission Solar modules is the relatively high warranty deterioration rate. However, since the modules perform better in real-world conditions than many other solar modules on the market, a slight increase in degradation rate is not a serious problem.
If you install Mission Solar modules, you can’t go wrong. This is a reliable company that produces a high quality product. Mission Solar customer reviews on SolarReviews say a lot about the product: 4.70 out of 5 stars, with over 200 reviews.
And an added bonus: they are made in the USA! Mission Solar allows you to power your home with clean solar energy while supporting American workers and the economy!
