{"id":391,"date":"2011-01-10T09:32:24","date_gmt":"2011-01-10T00:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=391"},"modified":"2025-09-04T13:32:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T04:02:39","slug":"the-top-10-things-to-check-on-every-solar-panel-specification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/the-top-10-things-to-check-on-every-solar-panel-specification\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you getting the best Solar Panels? The Top 10 Things To Check"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"the<\/a>

How do you know if they are going to perform on your roof?<\/p><\/div>\n

There are a bewildering array of solar panel brands out there. How do you sort the wheat from the solar chaff and be sure you are getting the best solar panels for your roof?<\/p>\n

My advice is go thru the spec sheet for each panel and judge them on the following criteria.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t got a spec sheet, then get another quote!<\/p>\n

If the spec sheet combined with the quote doesn\u2019t have the answers, call up the solar supplier and ask. If they don\u2019t know the answers, that\u2019s a bad sign.<\/p>\n

The Top 10 Criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Warranty.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It seems that all panels claim to have a minimum 25 year Power Output Warranty. I’ve covered the common myths about solar panel warranties here<\/a>. But the main criteria is to check that the Warranty is backed by an Australian Entity that has to comply with Australian Consumer Protection Laws, and that it is an \u201con site replacement\u201d warranty. You really don\u2019t want to be removing the panel from your roof and going down the post office to send it back to China! Plus the last time I checked, Chinese consumer protection laws weren\u2019t that hot. (Note: There are some excellent solar panels, made in China, these days and also some shocking ones \u2013 the best way to know if the supplier believes in their quality is to see what responsibility they take for the warranty they offer on them)<\/p>\n

2. Cost<\/strong><\/p>\n

Typical prices for solar power systems of different kW sizes are shown here<\/a>. If the cost of your quotes solar system is substantially less, then make sure you are getting a bargain, not a liability by reading this post about the perils of cheap solar panels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If the price is much more expensive than those show, then either you have a particularly difficult install, or you are paying too much. Get multiple quotes to check which is the case.<\/p>\n

3. Manufacturer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do a quick Google of the manufacturer \u2013 What\u2019s their website like? Is there a \u201cwarranty\u201d section? Is there an Australian office? How long have they been around? Has anyone had any bad experiences with them on the forums?<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Panel Type<\/strong><\/p>\n

Is it a mono crystalline, multi crystalline or thin film solar panel, or some wacky new technology? The types of solar panels and their pros and cons are discussed here.<\/a> Make sure you are happy with the technology that you choose.<\/p>\n

5. Solar Panel Efficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unless you have a huge roof, you probably want an efficiency of at least 12%. Otherwise if you ever want to upgrade in the future, you\u2019ll probably struggle to find any roof space left over. However don\u2019t fall into the trap of believing that efficiency is the be all and end all of solar panel quality. You can get great quality panels at the lower end of the efficiency scale. There\u2019s an in depth discussion on solar panel efficiency, when it matters and when it doesn\u2019t here.<\/a><\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Power Tolerance<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the amount that the actual power output of your solar panel can vary from the output specified by the supplier. For example a 165W module with a tolerance of +\/- 5% could actually produce from 156.75W up to 173.25W.<\/p>\n

So be aware of this number, as it will directly affect the amount of power you can get.<\/p>\n

The best solar panels\u00a0have a \u201cpositive only\u201d power tolerance, which means you are guaranteed to get at least the specified output from the panel and usually more. For example: a 200W solar panel with a tolerance of +5%\/-0% will produce a minimum of 200W and a maximum of 210W.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Framing Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n

The aluminum frame which goes around the solar panel is a good indicator of the overall quality of the solar panel\u2019s manufacture.<\/p>\n

Look at the corners. Are they tidy joins? Are they anodized after the cut, or before. Anodizing after the cut is more time consuming, but means that the 45 degree edge is anodized too, helping protect from corrosion. Are the panels glued (bad), screwed or welded at the corners.<\/p>\n

If looks are important to you \u2013 then you may want to look for a black anodized frame \u2013 they look damn sexy when mounted in a solar array on a roof (I can’t believe I just wrote that what a solar geek I am!)<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0The Backsheet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All solar panels have a plastic backsheet glued on the the back of the panel to protect the solar cells. A flimsy backsheet with any air bubbles or signs of coming unstuck is a sign of a crappy panel.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Bypass Diodes<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your panel is mono or multi crystalline then these are a must. They are diodes that cost a few cents each and are put across neighboring of cells inside the solar panel. If you don\u2019t have bypass diodes then a small shadow on a tiny part of your solar panel can stop the entire panel from making electricity.<\/p>\n

10. Temperature coefficient.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is especially important in sunny Australia!<\/p>\n

The temperature coefficient<\/a> is a number that describes how well the panel handles hot temperatures \u2013 where hot is defined as greater that 25 degrees Celsius.<\/p>\n

The units of this number are \u201c% per \u00b0C\u201d<\/p>\n

The lower this number, the better.<\/p>\n

The higher this number, the more your power will degrade on hot days, when the sun is at full force! And you thought hat the more sun you had on your roof the more power you would get. Not if this number is too high\u2026<\/p>\n

A high temperature coefficient is a sign of a crappy panel. A reasonable number is about 0.5%. The best solar panels\u00a0get this down to 0.3% and that is the sign of an excellent panel. Over 0.7% is a warning sign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are a bewildering array of solar panel brands out there. How do you sort the wheat from the solar chaff?<\/p>\n

My advice is go thru the spec sheet for each panel and judge them on the following top 10 solar panel selection criteria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[112,70],"class_list":["post-391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-panels-2","tag-buyers-guide","tag-temperature","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAre you getting the Best Solar Panels? 10 Things To Check<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to choose the best solar panels by reading the specification properly, and avoid the cheap and nasty ones that won't do the job.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/the-top-10-things-to-check-on-every-solar-panel-specification\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are you getting the best Solar Panels? 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I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it\u2019s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last \"real job\" was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I\u2019ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/","https:\/\/x.com\/FinnPeacock"],"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2FF2s-6j","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2561,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-inverter-sizing-dont-violate-the-new-cec-guidelines\/","url_meta":{"origin":391,"position":0},"title":"Solar Inverter Sizing: Don’t violate the new CEC guidelines!","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"May 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It is common practice, when designing a solar system, to 'undersize' the solar inverter, by connecting more panels than the inverter appears to be rated for. This can freak out some solar customers when they see, for example 3.25kW of panels proposed to be connected to a 3kW inverter in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Inverters"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Inverters","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-inverters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"solar inverter and panels","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/inverter-sizing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/inverter-sizing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/inverter-sizing.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":73192,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/trina-vertex-440w-mb2886\/","url_meta":{"origin":391,"position":1},"title":"Trina Solar’s Powerful 440W Vertex S+ Lands In Australia","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"April 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Rooftop solar panels keep getting more powerful and Trina's Vertex S+ range continues to push the envelope. In 2022, the Trina Solar Vertex S+ followed on from the Vertex S that became available here in Australia in 2021. The major differences between the two product families: The S has P-type\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trina Vertex S+ 440W solar panels","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trina-vertex-440w.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trina-vertex-440w.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trina-vertex-440w.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trina-vertex-440w.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/trina-vertex-440w.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1033,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/understanding-solar-panel-specifications-part-2-power-tolerance-efficiency\/","url_meta":{"origin":391,"position":2},"title":"Understanding Solar Panel Specifications Part #2: Power, Tolerance & Efficiency","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"February 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In Part\u00a0#1\u00a0I went into great detail about why the \"Max Power\" quoted on your solar panel specification sheet and the real max power you will actually get from that panel are very different numbers. I showed you how to calculate a more accurate max power by using some little known\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"the 4 most important solar panel specifications","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/solar-panel-spec2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":79177,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-panel-power-tolerances\/","url_meta":{"origin":391,"position":3},"title":"Solar Panel Power Tolerance: What’s Hidden In The Fine Print?","author":"Kim Wainwright","date":"October 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm here to help you navigate the positives and negatives of solar panel power tolerances until you can tolerate no more. Is this just another obscure term in solar technology, or is it worth paying attention to? Let me explain... 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Solar panels are accompanied by two types of warranty. The first - and most important - is the product warranty covering workmanship and materials, the second on performance degradation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Risen energy solar panels warranty","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/risen-panel-warranty.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/risen-panel-warranty.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/risen-panel-warranty.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/risen-panel-warranty.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/risen-panel-warranty.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49197,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/best-solar-panels-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":391,"position":5},"title":"Best Solar Panels In Australia? 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