Welcome to the solar reviews centre

Reading reviews is a very important part of researching a potential solar power or battery storage purchase. If you’re installing a system in Australia, then the experiences of other Australians who have made the switch to solar are particularly relevant.

I’ve collected tens of thousands of reviews of companies and components over more than a decade, creating the largest solar reviews database in Australia. Whether you’re looking for opinions on installers or brands of solar panels, inverters, batteries or EV chargers, you’ll find them on SolarQuotes. Learn more about how the ratings and reviews are collected here.

Learn more about how we calculate the rankings here. NOTE: the ratings calculations below are based on the last 6 months.

Installers

Top 5 Solar Installers

Below you’ll find the top 5 solar installation businesses in Australia participating in the SolarQuotes network, as rated by their customers. We take special care to ensure only genuine customers of installers can leave ratings and reviews.

View All Top-Rated InstallersBrowse Recommended Installers By CitySearch All Installer ReviewsLearn more about our installer reviews

  1. Installer Image

    RESINC Solar

    5.0 Based on 555 ratings (last 6 months)

    I've been really happy with my experience working with Resinc. They've been incredibly professional throughout the entire process, consistently keeping me in the loop and making sure I knew what to expect at every stage. Communication has been clear and timely, which made the whole experience smooth and stress-free. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the results and would definitely recommend them.

    Michael 5.0

  2. Brightworks Solar Pty Ltd 5.0 68 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. SAE Group Pty Ltd 4.7 77 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Goliath Solar and Electrical 5.0 58 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. Green 4.9 51 ratings (last 6 months)
Panels

Top 5 Solar Panel Brands

With so much choice in panels available, it can be challenging to determine which may be best for you. Below is a list of the brands offering the best solar panels according to Australians who have had the panels installed for at least a year.

View All Solar Panel Reviews

  1. Panel Brand Image

    LONGi Solar

    5.0 Based on 488 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    LONGi is one of the world's largest solar panel manufacturers.  For a while they were the largest, but it looks like Jinko has them beat at the moment, but they still managed to hold the number one position for a very Longi time.

    The Chinese company became a solar giant by producing panels with a good combination of affordability and reliability. Their panels come with 12, 15, or 25 year product warranties and 25 year performance warranties.  Almost all going on Australian roofs have 25 year produce and performance warranties.

    Because they're reliable and good value for money, LONGi panels are among those SolarQuotes recommends. I'd be fine with having them installed on my mother's roof. In fact, our blogger, Anthony, did put them on his mum's roof.

    Company History

    LONGi Solar was founded in 2000. It may be hard to believe, but the company wasn't named after Australian solar legend Jack "Longy" Long. Instead, it was named after Jiang Longji, a university president who died in 1966. The name choice makes it look like the young company was trying to curry favour with the Chinese government, but LONGi's founders insist it was just because he was a really cool dude.

    Initially, LONGi produced silicon for electronics. In 2005, they began producing silicon for solar, and in 2006, they had enough capacity to make around 1,000 tonnes a year. They then began climbing their way up the solar supply chain, starting with cutting the silicon ingots they made into wafers used for solar cells. In 2014 they purchased a solar panel manufacturing company.  This completed their transformation into an enormous, vertically integrated company, involved in all major steps of solar panel production. They have continued expanding at a rapid rate and, in 2021, also moved into producing equipment for hydrogen production.

    Production

    In 2023 LONGi shipped a massive 67.5 gigawatts of solar panels. That's enough to generate electrical consumption equal to half of Australia's electricity consumption.  Not bad for a single company.  Their figure for 2024 is likely to be similar.  This will make it one of the few years there hasn't been a large increase in their panel production.

    Longi silicon wafer production in 2023 was 125.4GW.  This is much more than is required for their own use and the excess is sold to other companies.  At the moment, it looks like their 2024 wafer production may be lower, but final figures aren't yet in.

    Monosilicon Only

    Two types of silicon are used to make solar cell -- polysilicon and monosilicon. LONGi only makes and uses monosilicon. While more expensive than polysilicon, its makes for more efficient solar cells and has been gradually gaining market share. Almost 100% of panels going on Australian roofs these days are monosilicon.

    Production Locations

    LONGi's headquarters are in Xi'an, a city of 13 million that's famous for flatbread in lamb soup and terracotta dudes. It's located in Shaanxi province, which has goddamned beautiful mountains that often can't be seen because of goddamn awful air pollution. The bulk of LONGi's silicon production occurs in this province.

    Most of LONGi's production is in China but they also have factories in Malaysia and Vietnam. For years now they've been talking about opening facilities in India, but that project has been really slow to get off the ground. They've also built a $900 million plant in Ohio in the United States, able to produce up to 5 gigawatts of panels a year.

    LONGi Hi-Mo X6 Panels

    Longi panels used for residential solar are most likely to be their Hi-Mo X6 panels.  These come in three slightly different versions called Explorer, Scientist, and Guardian panels.  All have fairly high efficiency and performance warranties that promise a low rate of degradation.

    If you want to check out panel information on the Longi website, make sure the page is set to Australia, because they don't offer the same panels or the same warranties in every country.  The last time I used their site, it thought Adelaide was in India.

    Efficiency

    Solar panel efficiency is the percentage of sunlight energy they convert into electrical energy.  All else equal, the higher the panel efficiency, the more energy they'll generate for a given amount of roof space.  Currently, I'm happy panels over 22% high efficiency.  As the Hi-Mo X6 panels offered in Australia have efficiencies that range from 21.3% to 23.3%, many of them count as high efficiency panels.

    Heat Tolerance 

    As solar panels get hotter, their output declines.  For typical modern panels it will drop by around 0.29% for 1°C the panel goes over 25 degrees.  So a panel at 45°C would produce 5.8% less power than it would at 25°C.  The Longi Hi-Mo X6 panels available in Australia fall by 0.28% to 0.29%.  This makes some of them a little better than average.

    Hail Resistance

    Longi Hi-Mo X6 panels are certified to resist 25mm hail striking the panel at 23m/s.  This means the panel can withstand multiple impacts without suffering more than a 5% decline in output.  This level of resistance is standard and sufficient for panels to survive impacts from normal sized hailstones.

    Avoid Shading

    Their installation manual for HiMo 6 panels recommends avoiding shade and says "LONGI suggests the module surface should not be shaded in any case."  As it's not clear if the panels can be installed where they will suffer temporary shade during the day, I've asked Longi to clarify this.

    Right By The Beach Is Bad

    Their installation manual says Longi panels can be installed 50m or more from the beach.  It also recommends anti-corrosion treatment wherever they may be exposed to sea mist. 

    A 10° Tilt Is Recommended

    While it's not a requirement, it is recommended the panels be installed at a tilt of at least 10° to allow rain to effectively clean them.

    Performance Warranty

    In Australia, Hi-Mo X6 panels have a 25 year performance warranty that promises their output will decline by no more than 1.5% in the first year and no more than 0.4% in each subsequent year.  This means they'll have at least 88.9% of their original capacity after 25 years.  While this is a very low rate of allowed deterioration, it isn't exceptional for modern solar panels.

    Product Warranty

    In Australia, Longi Hi-Mo X6 panels have a 25 year product warranty that protects against defects in materials and manufacture.  Longi refers to this as a 25 year warranty for materials and processing. 

    Making A Warranty Claim

    The odds are good you'll never need to make a warranty claim on LONGi panels, particularly if you get ones with a 25 year product warranty. But if a problem does occur, the first person you should contact is the installer who provided them. If they're no longer around, you can contact LONGi Solar's Australian office directly:

    LONGi Australia General Enquires: 02 8484 5805.

    If you prefer to send an email, LONGi says they'll reply within 24 hours. Their email address is: [email protected].

    100% Renewable Production By 2028

    In 2020 LONGi committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2028. At that time their energy use was 42% renewable. In 2022 it was up to 47%. Obviously, they'll need to pick up the pace to hit the target, but with the amount of solar being installed in China, I have no trouble believing they'll meet their goal.

    LONGi Hydrogen

    LONGi has moved into producing equipment for hydrogen production, but only on a small scale at the moment. Their approach is to make electrolysers that have low efficiency but are cheap to make. This makes a lot of sense for a solar company working to ensure the world has plenty of low cost electricity during the day.

    Financial Security

    A long warranty isn't useful if the company it came from is no longer around to back it up. I expect a large company like LONGi will still be around well into the future, but it's not possible to be certain it won't disappear and render its warranties worthless.

    The good news is there is plenty of evidence LONGi is currently financially secure -- or at least secure for a solar panel manufacturer. As of July 2023 they had been in PV-Tech's PV ModuleTech bankability report's highest category for three and a half years. This means they're one of the solar companies considered least likely to suffer bankruptcy or financial problems.

    Unfortunately, it's always possible for a company's financial position to rapidly deteriorate. Many manufacturers are likely to face problems over the next couple of years thanks to falling panel prices. But I have a feeling LONGi will be around long-term. I don't have any specific evidence to back this up, it's just a feeling I have in my gut. Specifically, my longi-intestine.

    A Recommendation

    Because we consider them reliable and well-supported in Australia, SolarQuotes is happy to recommend using LONGi Solar panels. If you put them on your roof -- or your mum's roof -- you are very unlikely to need to make a warranty claim, especially if you use ones with a 25 year product warranty.

  2. Jinko Solar 4.9 343 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Trina 4.9 125 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Aiko Solar 4.9 115 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. Risen 4.9 65 ratings (last 6 months)
Inverters

Top 5 Solar Inverter Brands

An inverter is a critical component of a solar power system and the one likely to wear out the fastest, so it’s important to choose a quality, well-backed brand. Below are the top 5 solar inverter brands based on ratings from Australian purchasers.

View All Solar Inverter Reviews

  1. Inverter Brand Image

    Sungrow

    4.9 Based on 416 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    Sungrow Customer Service: 1800 786 476

    Sungrow Power Supply Co Ltd is a Chinese company that was established in 1997 and operates in several different energy-related niches, including wind power conversion, inverter production for photovoltaic systems and energy storage.

    The company says more than 340 GW of Sungrow inverter capacity had been installed worldwide as as at the beginning of 2023. To give a sense of how rapidly the firm's manufacturing capacity has grown in just the last couple of years, 154GW of capacity had been deployed by the end of 2020.

    Walking the clean energy talk, Sungrow has also committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity for its operations by 2028.

    Sungrow In Australia

    Sungrow has been present in the Australian solar inverter market since 2012. Its Australian operations are based in North Sydney, NSW. So, should you need technical assistance or in case you have any questions about their warranty policies, you can contact Sungrow easily by calling or shooting them an email.

    Australian customers can choose from a pretty solid range of solutions, including single-phase and three-phase inverters in the SG series. Sungrow's inverter range also includes hybrid models available in the SH series.

    To view specifications and approximate pricing of various Sungrow power conversion products available in Australia, check out the SolarQuotes solar inverter comparison table. For hybrids models, see the hybrid inverter comparison table

    Sungrow Hybrid Inverter Cybersecurity Flaw

    While Sungrow has enjoyed signficant success in Australia, it hasn't always been sunshine and puppies for the company. In early January 2020, an engineer based in Brisbane revealed he had identified a series of security flaws in Sungrow's hybrid inverter, model SH5K-20. In March 2020, Sungrow announced they had shipped a firmware update that fixed the flaws.

    Sungrow Warranty Notes

    Sungrow generally offers a standard product warranty period of five years from the date of installation and no more than six years from the manufacturing date of a solar inverter - so that's something worth checking.

    However, in April 2020, the company announced it was offering 10 years’ warranty for some inverter models purchased from 1st April 2020 and installed in Australia. Eligible Sungrow inverter models can be identified here.

    If you have problems with your Sungrow inverter, your first port of call is the original  installer. Despite what some might say, if the installation company is still in business then they are the ones liable for the repair/replacement of a faulty inverter assuming it is still within its warranty period. If your original installer is no longer in business or is uncontactable, you'll need to lodge a warranty claim with Sungrow.

    In order to do so, Sungrow advise you must arrange an installer to test the solar inverter to determine if it is faulty. Sungrow can help you find someone in your area if you call them on the number listed above. If a fault is confirmed, Sungrow will work with the installer to arrange a replacement inverter. Notably - you are not compensated for the out of pocket cost of the initial testing.

    My Recommendation

    Given the quality of the company's products and support along with generally positive feedback from installers and customers over years (you can read Sungrow customer reviews below), Sungrow is currenly listed as a SolarQuotes recommended solar inverter brand

    In the 2024 SQ Installers' Choice Awards, Sungrow took out the top spot for best value inverter for the fourth year, and second place in best after-sales support.  For 2025 we simplified the award question and simply asked installers, "If installing a system on your own house today, which brand's inverters would you use?"  Sungrow took second place.

    If you're an owner of one of the company's products, we invite you to share your experience with others. You can add your Sungrow solar inverter review by clicking the "leave a review" button at the top of this page.

  2. Goodwe 4.9 404 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Fronius 4.9 346 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. GE 5.0 136 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. Huawei 5.0 100 ratings (last 6 months)
Batteries

Top 5 Solar Battery Brands

A home battery is a significant investment and new-generation energy storage technology is still rapidly evolving. Below are the best-rated brands of solar batteries, as voted by Australians who have had these batteries installed.

View All Solar Battery Reviews

  1. Inverter Brand Image

    Sigenergy

    4.9 Based on 105 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    Sigenergy is a newcomer to the solar energy storage market - and the company's flagship SigenStor battery is an intriguing solution.

    Australian Office Contact Details

    Address: Suite 02, Level 7, 191 Clarence Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
    Tel. (Sales): 0400 108 934 
    Tel. (Support): 0452 417 654 
    Email (Sales): [email protected] 
    Email (Support): [email protected]
    Australian website

    Company Info

    Sigenergy was founded in early 2022 by ex-Huawei solar division president Tony Xu. While the firm has only been around for a couple of years, it boasts 600+ employees; 70% of who are R&D personnel.  The company has an 8,000 square metre facility in China housing its global headquarters and all those R&D folks.

    Sigenergy's battery manufacturing plant is a 20,000 square metre factory located in the Lin-gang New Area in Shanghai, which has an annual production capacity of 6 GWh. In an effort to "green" its operations, Sigenergy has installed a 3,000 square metre (capacity not noted) solar system on the factory's rooftop.

    SigenStor Solar Battery Highlights

    Sigenergy introduced the SigenStor to the Australian market in 2023. The company claims the SigenStor is the first "five-in-one" energy storage system. It combines:

    • a PV hybrid inverter
    • battery pack
    • battery PCS (Power Conversion System)
    • Optional EV DC charger module - V2X "ready" (bidirectional charging)
    • EMS (Energy Management System)

    The batteries are available as single phase models in 5kW, 6kW, 8kW and 10kW AC ratings, with 2, 3 or 4 MPPT inputs. In three-phase, it's available in 5kW, 10kW, 15kW, and 25kW AC ratings, with 2, 3 or 4 MPPT solar inputs. There are 5kWh and 8kWh battery packs available, which are stackable to six units high (up to 48kWh capacity). Additionally, further parallel capacity can be added.

    The SigenStor offers blackout protection, with a very quick switchover time -  5-millisecond switching to backup mode. When grid power is restored, the system transitions back within 0 milliseconds. When installed as a battery hybrid (requiring a fee-based firmware upgrade), a gateway is available for full home backup.

    On the EV charging front, it's capable for DC EV fast charging at 12.5kW or 25kW capacity. AC EV charging can be carried out at 7kW, 11kW (3-phase) or 22kW (3-phase) with dynamic control.

    AI is also integrated into the SigenStor, which polls the battery every ten seconds. The app can be instructed using AI-powered chat. And just on the app, it offers very detailed monitoring - providing information as granular as individual cell voltages and temperatures.

    As for VPP support, SigenStor has been integrated with several VPP platforms in Australia, with more to come.

    The SigenStor has an IP66 rating; so it's suited to outdoor installation. It has an operating temperature range of -20°C to 55°C according to the datasheet and the warranty document confirms it can't be operated outside of -20°C to 55°C ambient temperature.

    SigenStor Safety Features

    In addition to using LFP (lithium-iron phosphate) battery cells - a very stable Li-ion chemistry - the SigenStor has five layers of protection:

    • Multiple advanced temperature sensors monitored by AI.
    • Internal fire suppression system - aerosol based, claimed to extinguish fires within 4 seconds.
    • Decompression valve.
    • Aerogel-insulated pads between cells to prevent spread of heat.
    • High-temperature-resistant insulation. 

    The above really only scratches the surface - for a deep-dive into this battery, check out SQ's Anthony's post on SigenStor. You can also see estimated pricing and compare specs with other home energy storage solutions on SQ's solar battery comparison table.

    Warranty Information 

    The SigenStor has a 10-year product warranty on the battery and energy controller, 5 years on the gateway, and 2 years on the power sensor and communications modules. Sigenergy warrants that the battery system will retain either 70% of usable capacity at year 10 or for a minimum energy throughput of 15.85MWh for the 5kWh module or 23.77MWh for the 8kWh; whichever comes first.

    Installer Approved

    While the SigenStore battery is only new to the Australian market, or any market for that matter, it still managed to take 2nd place in the 2025 Installers' Choice Awards.  We asked installers, "If installing a system on your own house today, what brand's batteries would you use?"  and Sigenergy took 2nd place in a literal vote of confidence.

    Conclusion

    We've been impressed by what we've seen and heard so far about the SigenStor and Sigenergy; and it's currently an SQ-recommended battery. If you have installed one, please leave a rating and review.

  2. SunGrow 4.9 108 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Tesla Powerwall 3 4.9 82 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Tesla Powerwall 2 4.7 74 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. Alpha-ESS 4.5 40 ratings (last 6 months)
Batteries

Top 5 EV Charger Brands

Choosing the right EV charger is essential for efficient and reliable electric vehicle charging at home. Below, you’ll find the top 5 EV charger brands as rated by Australians who have experience using these chargers.

View All EV Charger Reviews

  1. EV Charger Brand Image

    Tesla

    4.9 Based on 35 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    Tesla’s Wall Connector EV charger is good quality and great value at $800 for the hardware. It will charge any brand of recent EV in Australia.

    But there’s a big problem. It’s dumb. Unlike most other home EV chargers, it can’t be set up to only charge off excess solar without a Tesla Powerwall.

    So, if you want a reliable, cheap, dumb charger for any EV – it’s a great choice. If you want smarts, look elsewhere.

    (Tesla car owners can make it smart without buying a Powerwall by using the ChargeHQ app, which controls the charging by talking to the Tesla car, not the Tesla charger – but that has an ongoing monthly subscription fee).

  2. Sigenergy 4.9 18 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Fronius 4.7 19 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Zappi 4.7 18 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. GoodWe 4.9 7 ratings (last 6 months)

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