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Most Efficient Solar Panels in Australia for 2024

Choosing the right solar panel for your home or business in 2024 means understanding which panels deliver the highest efficiency in Australia’s unique climate. Efficiency is key—it determines how much energy your system can produce within a limited space, impacting your savings and the return on your investment. In this guide, we’ll highlight the most efficient solar panels available this year, comparing their performance, durability, and suitability for Australian conditions. Whether upgrading or starting fresh, these top choices will help you get the most out of your solar power setup.

Key Takeaways:

  • Top Quality and Affordable Solar Panel Options: From high-performance panels like the 1KOMMA5° and REC Alpha Pure to budget-friendly options like Trina Solar and Canadian Solar, homeowners in Australia have premium and value choices that fit various needs and budgets.

  • High-Efficiency Solar Panels Built for Australia: The best solar panels for 2024 have over 400W power ratings, advanced efficiency (21-22%), and weather-resistant. These panels can handle Australia’s diverse climate conditions and consistently perform in heat and low light.

  • Extensive Warranties for Long-Term Investment: Many recommended solar panels come with robust warranties, ranging from 25 years on product and performance to 40 years.

  • Ethical and Sustainable Options: Brands like 1KOMMA5° emphasize low-carbon manufacturing and responsible production practices, allowing Australian homeowners to invest in eco-friendly energy solutions.

Choosing the Best Solar Panel Brand for Your Home

Putting a smart solar system on your roof is extremely important for safety; otherwise, you end up in a hot mess.

We list some recommended panels based on our 14 years of industry experience to avoid this. Some of these industry-leading brands have pioneered new technology, safety and performance in the solar landscape.

It is important to know who to trust and which information is correct. We’ve compiled a list of the best ”Premium” and “Value” panel brands in the Australian market.

The Top Premium and Best-Value Solar Panels in 2024

Here is our shortlist of the top 4 premium solar panels in Australia in 2024. This list is based on 1KOMMA5° experience in the solar industry, our position as the largest installer of premium solar systems in Australia, and general feedback from the solar industry.

The Top 4 Premium Solar Panels in Australia are:

  1. 1KOMMA5 420W All-Black Panels

  2. REC Alpha Pure Series

  3. Sunpower Maxeon 6 Series

  4. QCells QPeak DUO Series

The Top 5 Best-Value Solar Panels in Australia are:

  1. Trina Solar

  2. QCells

  3. REC Solar

  4. JinkoSolar

  5. Canadian Solar

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Qualities of a High-Efficiency Solar Panels in Australia for 2024

The best premium solar panels in Australia feature:

  • Over 400W rating, and an efficiency rating of around 21-22%

  • A 25-year product warranty

  • Great local service from an Australian-based office

  • Fully automated production with comprehensive quality control at the factory

  • A panel that has proven reliability, and performance in all weather conditions (importantly, both on hot days and on cloudy days with low light)

1. 1KOMMA5° Solar Panels

The 1KOMMA5° solar panel features premium performance, a lower carbon footprint and ethical production.

Solar panels just got greener! Featuring German-made polysilicon, the new 1KOMMA5° solar panel is a premium solar panel designed for Australia’s tough environment. It has exceptional performance in the heat, as well as in low light. We bring the lowest prices and cleanest energy possible to our customers in Sydney and Melbourne.

The new 1KOMMA5 panel features:

  • German design and quality

  • Backed by Porsche

  • German-made polysilicon

  • All-black design

  • 25-year product & 30-year performance warranty

  • 420W power rating

Why Choose 1KOMMA5° Panel for Your Home?

1KOMMA5° Solar Modules

For over 14 years, 1KOMMA5° has seen solar panel brands come and go in the Australian market. Far too many to count. Even panels from many so-called reputable brands have not stood the test of time. Issues include low-quality manufacturing, forced labour, and supply chain issues. We’ve seen it all.

At the 1KOMMA5° group, we must ensure our customers get what they pay for. In response, we developed our own panel. This allows us to take control of the manufacturing process to strike the right balance between quality, affordability, ethics, and sustainability.

The 1KOMMA5° solar panel has taken Europe by storm, and it’s a thrill for 1KOMMA5° to bring this product to Australia. With the might and security of 1KOMMA5° warranting our panel (one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies), and with installation by our crews – you can be confident that your investment will be safe and well-supported in the years and decades to come.

2. REC Alpha Pure Series

Scandinavian quality with a 25-year warranty. Founded in Norway in 1996, REC Group is recognised for producing high-quality solar panels with long warranties and excellent reliability.

REC Alpha Pure panels feature REC’s innovative design, with high panel efficiency & power output thanks to top-quality monocrystalline cells. This enables you to get more out of the space available on your roof – helping to lower your energy bills and shorten the payback time through increased yield and lower costs.

Choosing a top-of-the-range panel such as the REC Alpha Pure panel is an investment in superior standards of design, manufacture, support and customer service. This high-quality results from REC Solar’s strong commitment to developing a module that delivers reliable, high output for decades.

REC solar products are rigorously tested beyond industry standards, and those standards apply equally when selecting materials for their solar modules. When you choose REC Solar, you’ll have peace of mind that you are buying the best.

The best news of all is the price. REC Alpha Pure panels are extremely well-priced for such a quality panel. REC Solar is striving for industry-leading efficiency. However, critically, they incorporate this new technology into their production line to ensure all customers have access to the best technology available. It’s not much use if a company releases a new high-efficiency panel (with a lot of publicity) but only makes 1000 of them and/or charges an absolute fortune for them.

3. SunPower Maxeon 6 Series

SunPower has recognition as a global leader in top-quality solar panels since 2007. They’ve had many successful releases over the decades, predominantly in the United States. In Australia, SunPower is known for absolute quality, and it is perhaps the best on the market. However, their panels have always come at a high price point.

The top-of-the-range Maxeon panel is no exception. It is a top-quality panel that comes with an astonishing 40-year warranty. That’s enough to outlast the competition (and perhaps a few of us) by decades.

4. Q Cells QPeak DUO Series

1KOMMA5° previously installed Q Cells panels when they were based in Germany. We are excited to once again have Q Cells panels in stock, with the premium QPeak Duo panel as our premium offering.

With a higher efficiency rate than the previous series, the Q.PEAK DUO G10+ panel is the first 400W module from Q Cells for Australia’s residential market. It takes high performance to a new level.

The G10+ module utilizes Q CELLS’ zero gap Q.ANTUM DUO Z technology to boost solar panel efficiency up to 21.4%. The module is backed by a 25-year product and performance warranty that guarantees at least 86% of nominal power up to 25 years.

Innovative All-Weather Technology helps to provide increased yields, regardless of the weather, with excellent low-light and temperature behaviour.

In Australia, there are many solar battery brands available, but based on our experience, we only recommend the two best ones based on their performance, warranty and price.

REC Performance

The Top 5 Best-Value Solar Panels in Australia

We have typically seen all big Chinese manufacturers offer a top-quality panel designed specifically for the Australian market. These panels are normally quite similar in price and output, and even most of the technical specs will be the same.

Trina Solar Vertex S+

Trina Solar has once again been voted number #1 by Australian Solar Installers as making the best-value solar panel in Australia. In 2024, this is the Trina Vertex S+ module.

Trina is the largest vertically integrated solar manufacturer. That means they manufacture all the critical components, from ingots to completed modules. Trina performs large-scale solar research and development worldwide. She has teams of scientists working on energy-efficient product research in many of the world’s leading universities—for example, the Australian National University and the University of Queensland.

Trina Solar Panels were selected for Australia’s largest rooftop installation – an enormous 1.22MW array (5,004 panels) – for the University of Queensland. This facility provides a significant proportion of the campus’ power and is also used as a testing ground for ongoing research.

Trina Solar Panels are positioned at the premium of the available Chinese panels. Many industry experts consider the Trina Vertex S+ panel the best-value solar panel made by a Chinese Manufacturer.

Trina solar panels are designed and manufactured to the highest quality standards, and the products have proven themselves in the field and third-party testing against other leading manufacturers. This, combined with its high performance under low light conditions, allows for consistently high output and the ability to maximise system performance.

Trina Vertex Technical Details

Overall, Trina has an exceptional track record and has long led advancements in solar technology. This new 430W module is setting a new standard in Australia for high performance at a great price point.

The technical highlights of this high-performance panel include:

  • Doulbe-glass + innovative non-destructive cutting for improved mechanical resistance and strength. They are less prone to micro-cracks and scratches on the back during installation.

  • Trina Vertex panels have a guaranteed power tolerance of +5W, meaning the flash test output may be as high as 435W. However, this additional output is only beneficial if you install a system with panel-level output, such as an Enphase Micro Inverter solution.

  • Trina Vertex S+ panels will maintain a minimum of 87.5% power output after 30 years. They also have a 22% module efficiency with high-density interconnect technology.

2. QCells

QCells was voted by Australian installers to be among the top 5 companies that provide good-value solar panels. This is an outstanding achievement as the ‘budget’ QCells Q.Boost panel is a step up in price compared to Trina and Jinko.

Q.BOOST is a high-tech solar module designed with Q.ANTUM DUO Z Technology and a zero-gap cell layout (similar to the top-of-the-range panels) to boost solar panel efficiency by over 21 %.

3. REC Solar TwinPeak 5

On a standard-sized residential system, a REC Solar System with premium TwinPeak 5 panels costs around $1000 more than a standard solar system (with generic Chinese solar panels). This makes the REC panel one of the best value options on the Australian market, considering its high level of performance, reliability, and output in shaded conditions.

As a Certified REC Installer, REC Systems installed by 1KOMMA5° feature an extended 25-year product warranty and a 25-year power output guarantee.

REC TwinPeak 5 features REC’s innovative design with the high panel efficiency and power output of monocrystalline cells. This helps lower energy bills and shorten the payback time through increased yield and lower costs.

REC TwinPeak 5 panels are packed with the same advanced REC TwinPeak technologies that have won REC multiple awards. This p-type mono variant offers higher power output per square meter of panels installed.

4. JinkoSolar

JinkoSolar is one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers and has a long history of supplying good quality solar panels to the Australian market at a great price.

The new generation of solar panel technology has been featured in the N-type cells in the Tiger series. Following previous years, Jinko is again firmly in the mix for offering a good value panel for Australian households.

5. Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar is like Trina and Jinko. They are a global leader that makes high-quality panels at a great price for the Australian market.

Importantly, all Canadian panels that hit the Australian market are made in Asia. However, the company still has strong ties to Canada.

What About Solar Panels Made in Australia?

Trina Solar Panels Sydney

Tindo Solar is currently the only large Australian solar panel manufacturer and one of the only large manufacturers that has yet to move to Asia.

Tindo Solar is well-regarded by the Australian Solar Industry. It will likely play an essential role in solar energy in Australia, depending on the stability of supply chains as the world emerges from the Covid crisis.

Tindo’s home is in South Australia, and its production volume is relatively limited. Because of this, Tindo Solar panels can be a little tricky to source here on the East Coast.

What's the Best German-Made Solar Panel?

German companies are renowned for their high manufacturing standards, and this was particularly true in the solar industry a few years ago.

Buying a panel from a company such as QCells or Solar World was a reliable way of ensuring you were buying a quality system without delving into the mysterious world of Chinese solar manufacturing to try and differentiate one panel from the next.

Unfortunately, the leading German manufacturers are now making their panels in Asia or do not have a local office here in Australia.

The 1KOMMA5° Group has taken matters into our own hands by manufacturing our panels using German Polysilicon and then assembling our panels in China to industry-leading quality standards. This allows us to manufacture a solar panel without forced child labour. We have significantly reduced the panel's CO2 footprint, with the panel paying back its energy footprint in well under one year.

Unlike the bad old days of the Australian solar industry, we aren’t here claiming we have a panel with a ‘German design’ and just making it in China. This is a serious step forward where we balance ethical supply chain management and industry-leading quality at an affordable price point.

Solar Panel Performance Isn't Always As It Seems

An independent study by CSIRO for Choice Magazine tested one panel from 15 of Australia's most common solar panels. During the test, they found that 12 out of the 15 panels performed under their claimed nominal power, some by as much as 10W.

Because only one panel was used in the test, drawing firm conclusions about specific brands is impossible. However, it certainly drew attention to the fact that there are some significant inconsistencies between a manufacturer’s claimed nominal power and real-world output.

For example, a 260W panel from one of the largest manufacturers in China scored a test result of 251W. This inconsistency highlights just how critical it is to have access to panel-level output and monitoring, Smart Solar Systems feature.

Solar Panels are Manufactured with a Power Tolerance

Each manufacturer is different. However, the better brands tend to have a +3% range. The only way to take advantage of this is to use a system such as Enphase that features panel-level output. Otherwise, you will output power at the rate of the worst-performing panel in your array. At best, this will be at the panels’ rating; at worst, it may be much less.

Output in low light conditions is also critical in Sydney due to our weather. We only get around 100 ‘perfect’ days a year. The rest have some rain on our cloud cover. The better panels (such as those listed below) perform well in the testing laboratory and output more power across the year in all weather conditions. Increased output in low light conditions can significantly affect your power bill over the years.

Manufacturer’s Financial Strength & Local Representation

Cheap solar panels are pumped out of China at a dime a dozen. They are often rebranded with a slick logo or simply shipped to countries like Australia and sold without a brand at all! Have you ever seen a quote for “20 x 300W solar panels”? We see it all the time. It is literally a no-name system!

6.6kW Solar System Installation in Box Hill

Cheap solar panels can often have no claimable warranty despite the marketing claim of a full 25-year Power Output Warranty.

Often, there will be a phone number no one answers or contact details for an office in China where no one speaks English. Furthermore, if it wasn’t brought into Australia through an official distributor, the warranty is lost if the manufacturer goes bust (or changes its name).

For the warranty to be of any value, the product must come through official distributors, and the manufacturer must have an office in Australia. The company must also be financially stable and committed to the Australian market.

It is such a problem that it’s estimated a huge 1 in 3 solar systems in Australia have no support!

This is why 1KOMMA5° supplies panels from the top handful of manufacturers and has a strict vetting process before we bring a new brand in for our technical team to begin testing.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Installing Solar Power

Are there any rebates available?

There are great government rebates/incentives still in place for eligible households. Basically, the larger the panel array, the more STCs your solar system generates as it is based on the expected output of the system over time.

When you buy a solar system, the purchase price is normally reduced by the value of the STCs created by your system. You simply fill out a form on the day of installation to confirm that the system has been installed, and that’s it. There is no additional paperwork that you need to do.

Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs)

Small-scale Technology Certificates (STC’s) – previously known as Renewable Energy Certificates or RECS – are created when a Renewable Energy System such as a Solar PV system is installed.

The number of STC’s depends on the predicted amount of energy generated and hence the larger the system the greater the rebate. In essence, one STC is created for every megawatt-hour of production capacity of the system.

This is further multiplied by the number of years the system is likely to generate energy (for home solar systems, this is usually 15 years, although the life of the solar panels themselves is considerably more than that).

This incentive program is being phased out until 2030, so each year the number of certificates your system is eligible for reduces.

STC Price

The system for trading and pricing STCs for small systems is managed by the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

STCs are bought by Liable Parties (usually electricity retailers) and must be surrendered at the end of each quarter. As the number of STCs that are required to be surrendered is a fixed amount each year, but the number of STCs created is variable, the price paid for STCs also varies and is determined by supply and demand.

The Federal Government legislated in 2010 a fixed price for STCs by implementing a Clearing House system where STCs can be bought and sold for $40. However, there is no requirement for Liable Parties to purchase from the Clearing House, so they are likely to only do so if there is a shortage of STCs or the market price exceeds $40. There is currently a surplus of STCs in the market which means the market price of STC’s below $40

How does the feed-in tariff work?

The Feed In Tariff is only something you need to worry about if you don’t have battery storage.

The price your chosen energy retailer pays for any excess electricity generated from your solar panels is recorded as a credit on your power bill.

In NSW, solar power is fed into your home as it is generated and your household will use it first before you draw power from the grid.

This means that for every kWh of solar power used in the home you are directly saving money you’d spend on your power bill. This reduction in your power bill is the main financial benefit of solar power.

Everything else will be bought up at an agreed rate by your electricity retailer.

At the moment, most feed-in tariffs are between 5 and 10 cents per kWh, with many being about 7 cents. They bounce up and down a lot, for example in previous years they have been up over 20 cents per kWh. Typically, they are always at least 5 cents per kWh.

What happens once I sign the paperwork?

Once you sign up for a 1KOMMA5° Installation, we immediately submit your grid application to the relevant energy distributor. For systems up to 5kWs, this is a formality. For larger systems it can take a few days or more. Once we receive approval, your installation will be managed by our installation coordinator, who will welcome you to 1KOMMA5° and book an installation date for you. This is generally booked within around two weeks and installation dates are available Monday to Friday, weather permitting.

We endeavour to have your system installed within 2-4 weeks unless you request us to hold for whatever reason. Due to our strict safety policy, we do not install solar systems when it rains. In the event of inclement weather, we will rebook your installation as soon as possible. We always work with your requests as we strongly recommend that someone be home on the day of installation.

Do you offer finance?

Green Loans can be an affordable way to pay for your solar power system and is only available for approved products. As a Clean Energy Council Accredited installer, all our systems qualify.

Green Loans can be used to finance 1KOMMA5° systems from $1,000 to $30,000 over a 2-7 year term. Once you have received a referral from 1KOMMA5°, online approval usually occurs within 1-2 business days. Green Loans have a competitive fixed interest rate that is as low as 7.99% p.a.* | Comparison rate 9.21% p.a.^ Establishment fee of $299 added to the loan amount. $2.70 per week account keeping fee included in repayments.

To be eligible to apply you must:

  • Be over 18 years old and an Australian resident or citizen

  • Own or be purchasing a home

  • Be employed, self-employed, a self-funded retiree; or is receiving the Government Age Pension

  • Have an Australian driver’s license or Passport

  • Provide two most recent payslips or 90 days of bank statements

There are a number of good, competitive Green Loan providers – ask us about the options available.

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Head over to the 1KOMMA5° blog for more helpful tips and other important guides on everything solar, from inverters, panels and batteries to how to make the most of your investment for years to come.

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