The truth is that in terms of solar panels nothing really changed in 2021 so far. Although panels got larger in wattage and prices per watt went down, the efficiency did not improved significantly.
Are you looking for the Top 10 solar panels 2021 from the best quality solar panel manufacturers ? Hm … With hundreds of different solar panels on the market it is difficult for those not in the industry to identify quality panels which will perform over the expected 25 year life of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Here we highlight the best quality solar panel manufacturers using the latest solar cell innovations to develop the most efficient and reliable panels with the longest life and highest performance.
What is considered a Tier 1 Solar Panel in 2021?
A common term that sales companies and manufacturers use is the ‘Tier 1’ rating. The Tier rating was developed by Bloomberg New Energy Finance Corporation and is basically used to rate solar panel manufacturers in terms of financial stability. Unfortunately a Tier 1 ranking does not mean a panel offers the highest performance or quality. With most established panel manufacturers now rated as Tier 1, it is more important than ever to know how to distinguish a high quality and reliable panel by other means which we explain in more detail in our solar panel quality review.
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The LG Neon 2 Monocrystalline panels use high performance solar panel module
Top 10 Solar Panels in 2021
Below is our list of the best solar panel manufacturer’s based on quality, reliability, performance, and service, along with feedback from solar industry professionals. See our detailed solar panel quality review here. In summary SunPower, LG, REC, Panasonic and Q-Cells are generally regarded the best quality solar panel manufacturers offering the best service, longest warranties, highest efficiency and lowest degradation over the life of the panel. Check the Top 10 solar panels in our DIY Solar store:
There are several other highly regarded solar panel manufacturers popular in the Europe, US, Japan, and across the world which are either not available in our DIY Wind and Sun Store, we have limited supply or are very new in our module portfolio. Here is a short list of some other well regarded solar panel manufacturers.
- Panasonic
- Phono Solar
- LONGi Solar
- Seraphim
- Hyundai Solar
- Solaria
- Luxor Solar
- IBC Solar
- Silfab
- Talesun
Solar professionals feedback
In addition to continuous feedback from our solar installers in Europe, Australia, the USA and around the world, in 2021 we invite all solar industry professionals and installers to give your feedback (positive or negative) from experience with any modules. Feedback, reviews and surveys are handled by our partner in Australia Clean Energy Reviews as well as by 0Bills` operator.
Latest Solar Cell Technology 2020-2021
Here we highlight many of the latest solar panel and PV cell technologies offered by the leading manufacturers, plus we list some of the more popular panels available on the market using these innovative features.
Panels using the latest innovations in 2021
Most 2020 panel manufacturers offer a range of models including mono and poly crystalline (also known as multi-crystalline) varieties with various power ratings and warranty conditions. Solar panel efficiency has increased substantially over the last few years due to many advances in PV cell technology including:
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PERC – Passivated Emitter Rear Cell
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Bifacial – Dual sided panels and cells
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Multi Busbar – Multi ribbon and wire busbars
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Split panels – using half cut cells
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Dual Glass – Frameless double glass
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Shingled Cells – Overlapping cells
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IBC – Interdigitated Back Contact cells
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HJT – Heterojunction cells
The 5 main solar panel types using the latest solar PV cell technologies
These innovations in 2021 and more explained in detail below offer various efficiency improvements, shade tolerance and increased reliability, with several manufacturers now offering up to 30 year performance warranties.
With all the new panel varieties available it is worth doing some research before you invest in a solar installation. In our complete solar panel review article we explain how to select a reliable solar panel and further highlight the best quality manufacturers on the market.
Solar panel efficiency as per 2019 review
Solar panel efficiency is one of several important factors to consider and is dependent on both the PV cell type and layout determined by the panel size and design. Efficiency has increased considerably over recent years from around 15% to greater than 20%, as manufacturers implement the latest technologies explained in detail below. See more details in our complete review of the most efficient solar panels available on the market for 2021.