

You can also take a look at our solar panel comparison table to view specifications and pricing of various popular brands and models currently available in Australia side-by-side. The reviews are only from Australians who have had the panels installed for at least 12 months. By reading reviews you can get a good idea of how various modules perform in local conditions. The first thing I would do to rate a panel brand is to look at the thousands of solar panel reviews I have collected from Australian customers over the last 11 years. It is not easy to determine the quality of solar panels, inverters and installation service from a quote – and as mentioned, salespeople tend to be biased. Otherwise, as long as the solar panel efficiency is over 19%, don’t worry about conversion efficiency. So if roof space is at a premium, or you just want super-duper PV technology, look into higher efficiency modules as your best choice but be prepared to pay a bit more. So, the higher the efficiency – the smaller that solar panel becomes for the same electrical output and the less roof space required.Ī disadvantage of high efficiency panels is that they tend to be more costly. Why is a high efficiency good? Well, the higher the efficiency, the more watts of electricity you will get per square meter of panel. In real-world conditions, good conventional solar panel efficiencies range from about 19% up to just over 22%. When I talk about efficiency, I am referring to the ratio (as a percentage) of the solar energy that hits the panel surface to the electrical energy generated by the module.įor example, if a solar panel captured half the energy in the sunlight, then the module’s conversion efficiency would be 50%.

So now we’ve sorted out the difference, let’s jump in and discuss what you need to know about solar panels! If solar hot water is your thing, then you probably want to be at my other website 100% dedicated to solar hot water systems. Here’s a look at the two different types of panels: This type is called a “solar hot water panel” or “solar thermal collector” and is a completely different beast. There’s another type of solar panel that is used for heating water (as opposed to generating electricity). Aesthetics – how the solar panels look.The information on this website is focused on photovoltaic solar panels also known as “ solar PV” or “solar electricity” modules. So let’s get any confusion out of the way for starters. If you’re preparing to get quotes for solar power, this guide provides detailed and valuable information on the star component of a system installation – the solar panels.īefore we delve into the wonderful world of PV modules and which are the best solar panels to choose – we need to make sure we are talking about the right product.
