When deciding on the very best solar panels, UK householders have extra decisions than ever earlier than. Sometimes, the choices might be overwhelming. In this text, we’ll check out the highest panels from main business manufacturers and show you how to select the appropriate match on your home.
Choosing the very best solar panels for home use is a vital determination. It’s a big funding and likewise has an impression on the infrastructure of your own home. What’s extra, your solar panels will probably sit in your roof for as much as 30 years. Investing in solar panels within the UK generally is a giant upfront outlay, however over their lifespan, you’ll be capable to make that cash again after which some, all whereas residing extra sustainably.
Best Solar Panel Brands
- Best Overall: Project Solar Evolution Ultramax
- Best for Small Roofs: Panasonic HIT N 245W
- Most Efficient: SunPower Maxeon 3
- Best Low-Profile Panels: Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235
- Best Output: LG NeON R
1. Best Overall: Project Solar Evolution Ultramax
Price: Enquire for bespoke quotes
Output: 345W
Warranty: Lifetime product and efficiency guarantee; as much as 30-year peak power guarantee
Project Solar UK got here onto the solar energy scene about 10 years in the past and has rapidly develop into one of many largest companies within the UK. The firm each designs and installs its solar panel methods, and every sale will get a devoted undertaking supervisor who ensures the set up occurs inside seven to 10 days — and that it’s executed to excessive requirements.
Project Solar UK has been aggressive at wooing prospects from long-standing manufacturers, providing perks together with lifetime warranties on its solar panels and £7,500 in money to prospects who efficiently refer a good friend that converts to set up. Its Evolution Ultramax 345MB-66 solar panels are a number of the finest in the marketplace.
Prices range based mostly on the dimensions of your roof and placement.
Project Solar Evolution Ultramax Pros and Cons
| Project Solar Evolution Ultramax Pros | Project Solar Evolution Ultramax Cons |
| Industry-leading guarantee | Relatively new model |
| 85% power output assure after 30 years | Maximum output isn’t as excessive as different manufacturers |
Project Solar Evolution Ultramax Technical Specs
Project Solar’s monocrystalline solar modules make use of a high-efficiency cell expertise referred to as passivated emitter and rear contact, or PERC. It guarantees to enhance cell voltage and present and generate as much as 10% extra power per sq. metre in comparison with normal solar panel modules. Interestingly, it additionally guarantees higher low-light efficiency that will help you generate extra energy in darker months of the yr.
In addition to Project Solar’s PERC cell expertise, the Evolution Ultramax options an ultra-reflective backing sheet that helps enhance the absorption of daylight. Meanwhile, an array of 5 wiring configurations alongside the again helps lower pure energy loss.
The Evolution Ultramax guarantees 19.34% most effectivity, which is about the usual for solar panels on this class. But, impressively, Project Solar’s peak power guarantee ensures these panels will output a minimum of 80% of their authentic output functionality after 30 years.
Project Solar UK Add-Ons
Project Solar UK gives various choices to reinforce your solar panel system. Its vary of Blackline mounting brackets gives each sturdiness and a discreet look. You also can improve to a Tigo Optimizer, which helps you harvest energy extra effectively from panels in shady areas of your roof and get extra out of your system. This is right in case you have a extra complicated roof or if it’s partially shaded by timber.
Project Solar additionally gives gadgets for monitoring your solar panel system’s energy efficiency, zone heating controls on your radiators, an EV charger that pulls power out of your solar panels and a variety of sensible home energy-saving gadgets.
Our Opinion of Project Solar UK
A lifetime guarantee is a really engaging function when investing in one thing as pricey and everlasting as solar panels on your home. And with a promise of 80% efficiency after 30 years, Project Solar UK’s solar panels appear a protected funding you possibly can rely on. If you’re residing in your eternally home and don’t plan to maneuver, the Evolution Ultramax 345MB-66 could possibly be the very best solar panel within the UK for you.
If, nonetheless, you possibly can anticipate having to maneuver throughout the subsequent decade — if you’re in your first home, otherwise you anticipate your loved ones rising — a inexpensive possibility with a shorter guarantee could possibly be preferable.
2. Best for Small Roofs: Panasonic HIT N 245W
Price: From £250-295
Output: 245W
Warranty: 25 years
Most folks know Panasonic as a longstanding model within the electronics business, but it surely has been growing solar panel expertise for over 40 years. Thanks to this, Panasonic has many kinds of solar panels to go well with all kinds of wants, and the HIT N 245W mannequin is a solar panel that may take inexperienced energy to the plenty.
In the previous, solar panels for houses within the UK had been solely real looking choices for bigger suburban and rural houses. But the Panasonic HIT N 245W’s compact design — just below 160 cm in size and fewer than 80 cm broad — can adapt to roofs of many sizes and shapes. Its flexibility for panorama or portrait orientation makes it among the finest choices for householders in city environments. It’s additionally light-weight at simply 15 kg and gives a 19.4% most effectivity.
It’s additionally value contemplating the Panasonic HIT N 295W. It’s ever-so-slightly smaller than the 245 at 150 cm lengthy and gives extra power at 295 watts. The draw back is it’s extra sq. in form, so there’s much less flexibility by way of set up design.
Panasonic HIT N 245W Pros and Cons
| Panasonic HIT N 245W Pros | Panasonic HIT N 245W Cons |
| Flexible design choices for any roof form | At the decrease finish by way of power |
| Industry-leading guarantee | Not cost-effective in case you have a bigger roof |
HIT N 245W Technical Specs
Panasonic’s HIT solar cell expertise realizes 18% extra power than different kinds of monocrystalline panels (particularly, mono-PERC panels). This means you want fewer modules to attain the energy efficiency you want — another excuse it’s nice for small homes or houses with difficult roofs.
Another nice function is the drainage traces constructed into the body. These assist channel water and hold it from accumulating.
Each panel weighs simply 15kg and gives a 19.4% module effectivity, with a cell conversion effectivity ranking of twenty-two%, making it probably the most environment friendly solar panels in the marketplace.
Panasonic Add-Ons
Panasonic lately unveiled its EverVolt 2.0 battery storage system, which is designed to completely combine with its solar panels. Solar batteries retailer extra energy your panels produce in the course of the day to be used at evening or throughout unhealthy climate. For these in search of broader sustainability targets or just need to keep away from peak energy charges, Panasonic’s built-in solar power system generally is a nice funding.
Our Opinion of Panasonic
If you reside in an city space, have a small home, outbuilding or simply have a home with a posh roof construction, the HIT N 245W modules could also be the very best solar panels within the UK. The flexibility of their set up choices, the energy potential per sq. metre, their strong construct high quality, sluggish degradation and 25-year guarantee make these panels arduous to beat.
But they’re costly. If you will have a bigger home, this won’t be the very best solar panel for you. We advocate contemplating investing in a number of the bigger solar panels listed on this information as a substitute.
If you match the standards listed above, the HIT N 245W or HIT Compact 295W is precisely what you want.
3. Most Efficient: SunPower Maxeon 3
Price: From £350
Output: Max 400W
Warranty: 25 years
SunPower launched in 1985 and rapidly turned one of many extra revered solar panel producers, with greater than 1,000 solar expertise patents underneath its belt. Offering panels for each industrial and residential prospects, SunPower solar panels had generated greater than 18,000,000 MWh of solar energy as of 2019.
SunPower has carved out a distinct segment for growing the highest-efficiency solar panels in the marketplace, launching the present reigning champ, the Maxeon 3, in 2019. SunPower’s Maxeon vary has additionally frequently proven a number of the lowest degradation charges within the business. With 25-year warranties on its modules and a strong construct, SunPower’s high-quality panels are offered with an expectation of lasting 40 years.
SunPower Maxeon 3 Pros and Cons
| SunPower Maxeon 3 Pros | SunPower Maxeon 3 Cons |
| Market-leading effectivity | Panels have to be put in by a SunPower-certified firm |
| 40 years of helpful product life | Some of the costliest methods in the marketplace |
| Industry-leading guarantee |
SunPower Maxeon 3 Technical Specs
SunPower’s revolutionary design for the Maxeon 3 vary of solar panels contains no grid traces. The all-black modules have back-contact conductivity, which permits them to soak up extra daylight. SunPower’s Maxeon 3 panels additionally degrade at a fee of simply 0.25% per yr for twenty-four years, which means after that time frame, they will nonetheless attain effectivity ranges of 92%.
SunPower Add-Ons
SunPower has launched an alternating present (AC) solar panel model referred to as the Maxeon 5. This panel contains built-in microinverters that convert the generated electrical energy from direct present (DC) to AC. You then have the choice to both use this AC energy in your home or export it to the nationwide grid.
Our Opinion of SunPower
SunPower’s Maxeon 3 panels are an awesome alternative for householders with restricted roof area. But whereas there isn’t a doubting SunPower’s spectacular specs and metrics, there are different manufacturers on this listing that supply higher worth if you happen to’re on a decent price range. Yes, that 25-year guarantee is spectacular, however an increasing number of solar panel manufacturers are matching this guarantee size. If you will have a big home with an equally giant roof, you may need to take into account a less-expensive system.
4. Best Low-Profile Panels: Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235
Price: From £300
Output: Max 235W
Warranty: 25 years
Sharp has been buying and selling for almost 110 years and is understood for making very environment friendly solar PV panels that stand the take a look at of time. While different firms on our listing of the very best solar panels within the UK could have overtaken Sharp for effectivity, the model’s choices stay high-end favourites for a lot of householders and perennial best-sellers.
The Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 is without doubt one of the top-selling solar panels on the planet, due to its ultra-sleek look. Its rail-free mounting system sits flush together with your roof, virtually mixing in utterly. For these in search of residential solar panels with a low profile, the Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 is a superb possibility.
Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 Pros and Cons
| Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 Pros | Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 Cons |
| Discreet, rail-free mounting | Expensive |
| Heritage model with nice buyer assist | Not probably the most highly effective possibility in the marketplace, with 14.4% effectivity |
| Industry-leading guarantee |
Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 Technical Specs
As properly as its modern, rail-free mounting system, the Sharp Sunsnap ND-F2Q235 gives 14.4% effectivity with 235-watt manufacturing in its 60-cell panel design.
Sharp Add-Ons
Sharp doesn’t immediately provide any add-ons for its solar panels. However, when quoting you on your system, your native installer can probably recommend a variety of enhancements, from sensible immersion tank heaters to electrical automotive chargers.
Our Opinion of Sharp
Sharp is one other long-standing model within the solar and client electronics markets, and this popularity coupled with its 25-year guarantee makes it a protected wager. You know what you’re getting with Sharp, and its discreet, rail-free mounting system is ideal for anybody in an city space – and people residing in a listed home or in a neighbourhood with strict home aesthetic necessities.
However, at 235W of most power output and 14.4% effectivity, it’s one of many least highly effective and environment friendly choices on our listing. You will get worth out of it, but when a discreet solar panel set up isn’t important for you, it’s value contemplating different choices.
5. Best Output: LG NeON R
Price: From £265 (excl. VAT)
Output: Up to 440W
Warranty: 25 years
The NeON R LG440QAC-A6 is LG’s flagship, high-performance, high-efficiency solar panel. Its 66-cell design generates almost 4% extra electrical energy than rivals’ modules. This is as a result of panel’s design: The wiring is built-in onto the again of the panel, so there’s no incidental shading of the cells at sure occasions of day. As a outcome, you’ll want to put in fewer panels to satisfy your energy wants. LG additionally improved the cells within the R mannequin to generate extra energy at greater temperatures.
At 25 years, LG’s guarantee is among the many longest you’ll discover. Plus, enhancements to the construct high quality and silicon used within the panels are supposed to sluggish the degradation course of. In truth, LG claims that after the 25-year guarantee expires, NeON R solar panels ought to nonetheless generate 92% of their power capability. It’s value declaring that this decrease fee of degradation, mixed with the elevated power output, provides as much as a big quantity of additional energy that you just’ll be getting over the lengthy lifetime of the NeON R.
If the R isn’t for you — it’s expensive — there are different panels in LG’s NeON sequence that supply equally excessive power output and effectivity. The NeON H, as an illustration, gives most of the similar options because the R for a bit much less cash.
With greater than 5 many years within the electronics and semiconductor industries, LG is without doubt one of the high solar panels manufacturers you possibly can spend money on.
LG NeON R Pros and Cons
| LG NeON R Pros | LG NeON R Cons |
| Superb construct high quality from a trusted model | Expensive |
| Industry-leading guarantee | |
| Lightweight design | |
| One of probably the most environment friendly solar panels you should buy |
LG NeON R Technical Specs
LG’s NeON R LG440QAC-A6 has a sturdy design that features 2.8-mm tempered glass with an anti-reflection (AR) coating, plus a body constructed from anodised aluminium. Its 66-cell photovoltaic configuration is designed for higher effectivity, and it gives probably the most strong power outputs in the marketplace at 440W. LG additionally gives one of many longest warranties at 25 years, and as soon as this era is up, LG guarantees that your solar panels will nonetheless produce at 92.5% output.
LG NeON R Add-Ons
LG doesn’t at present provide any add-ons to its solar panels. However, most native sellers and solar energy suppliers will provide a variety of add-ons when constructing your system. These usually embrace choices for indoor zone heating, electrical automotive chargers and different sensible gadgets that draw energy out of your LG solar panels.
Our Opinion of LG
LG is without doubt one of the most trusted manufacturers in client electronics, and its energy options preserve the model’s normal of high quality and reliability. We like that its solar panels are manufactured in an environmentally sustainable approach. LG has been eliminating dangerous substances from its manufacturing course of and has a dedication to lowering greenhouse gases generated throughout manufacturing.
LG’s solar panels are environment friendly in most climate circumstances. The firm has refined its cell expertise to enhance power outputs per sq. metre whereas reducing system prices and providing a number of the longest warranties in the marketplace. Plus, they’re a number of the finest solar panels within the UK in case you have restricted roof area.
Even although they’re on the costlier finish, LG solar panels signify the very best worth for cash if you take all of these items into consideration. Some of the newer manufacturers within the business is perhaps providing related specs at decrease costs and far shorter warranties. Remember, it is a long-term funding in your home. It’s value stretching your price range for the very best solar panels you possibly can afford.
Best Add-Ons for Your Solar Panels
There is a rising variety of smaller companies on the market growing equipment you should use to get enhanced efficiency out of your solar panels in different areas of your home life. For occasion, if you happen to drive an electrical automotive, the Zappi V2 Car Charger can divert energy out of your solar panels into your automotive’s battery. Or the Solar iBoost can divert extra solar energy to your immersion tank to warmth your scorching water.
There are voltage optimisers that assist scale back the power consumption of your electrical home equipment and methods to divert energy to a battery system within the occasion of a power reduce.
Depending on which renewable energy firm you go together with, you’ll even have totally different mounting choices on your panels. Some folks mount panels on a rack system, whereas most select a flat-roof mount for a decrease profile.
Best UK Solar Panels: Verdict and Recommendation
When selecting the very best solar panels within the UK, we had been centered on discovering the best worth on your cash. There are loads of low cost solar panels on the market. You may spend lower than you’d on a number of the choices on this listing, however solar panels are such a big and long-term funding, you need to get it proper.
As properly as value, we additionally took into consideration power output and panel effectivity, in addition to construct high quality and the degradation of cell efficiency over time. We appeared for solar panels that supply an extended guarantee however will nonetheless have a excessive efficiency on the finish of the guarantee interval.
LG’s NeON R panels ticked many packing containers. With an extended guarantee, large 440-W power output, above-20% module effectivity and robust efficiency fee after 25 years, these panels are hands-down the very best solar panels within the UK. And LG is an organization that’s nonetheless going to be round on the finish of your system’s guarantee.
Of course, everybody has totally different home energy wants and totally different priorities for his or her solar panel system. This is why we ranked runners-up in keeping with the very best guarantee, finest effectivity, finest for small roofs and lowest-profile design.
All of the solar panels on this listing will serve you properly. Whichever you select, ensure you get a number of quotes from totally different suppliers earlier than making a alternative. Prices can range, and it’s finest to be absolutely knowledgeable of your choices.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?
The complete value of a solar panel system will range based mostly on the dimensions of your roof, your location, the variety of panels it’s good to meet your energy wants, and lots of different elements. Is your roof south-facing? Is your own home multi-level or partially lined by shade? There are many variables that may make your system easy to assemble, or very complicated.
Other exterior elements like provide chains, native availability, authorities incentives and native electrical energy charges may also have an effect on the price of solar panels. How a lot you get again out of your system additionally will depend on these elements, plus whether or not you fiscal your solar system or pay money. By paying money, you might be spending much less per watt of energy generated since you’ll don’t have any dealer charges to cowl. When investing in one of many costlier solar panel methods, this may make an actual distinction.
Your native installer can provide you a free quote in your bespoke system, however for a ballpark determine, a solar panel system to assist the typical household of three folks would value round £6,000.
Frequently Asked Questions: Best Solar Panels UK
Here are some frequent questions on solar panels within the UK:
How many solar panels are wanted to power a typical home?
There are many elements that make it arduous to outline a “typical” home, comparable to geographic location, however as a rule of thumb, it takes about 4 solar panels to assist the annual electrical energy wants of 1 particular person. So, if there are three folks in your family, anticipate to wish about 12 panels. Of course, in case your roof is shaded or any variety of different elements are at play, this could possibly be barely roughly.
What are the disadvantages of solar energy?
While it has myriad benefits, there are some downsides to solar energy. First and foremost is the climate. We can’t management the climate, and solar panels are wholly depending on the solar. If you reside someplace like California or Spain, this isn’t a lot of a problem for you. But within the UK, darkish winter months and lengthy durations of rain scale back how a lot energy you create.
What’s extra, storing the solar energy you generate is troublesome. While there are certainly battery storage methods that you may purchase to retailer your solar energy, these are fairly pricey and gained’t be an possibility for everybody.
Do solar panels void my roof guarantee?
When you put in solar panels in your roof, your roof guarantee will certainly be voided for the part of your roof that’s housing the panels. However, your solar energy installer ought to offer you a brand new guarantee overlaying this part of your roof. It’s vital to ask about this if you search a free quote on your native provider. Likewise, you also needs to verify the main points of your present roof guarantee earlier than making any determination.
