According to the latest government data, over 1.4 million homes in the UK have installed solar panels.
With a wide range of choice out there, this grand total is made up from many different solar panel manufacturers. It’s true that most solar panels across the world are made in China, but there are plenty of British and European-based companies involved in the process too.
Choosing the right solar panel manufacturer, as well as the right sized system, can seem daunting. That’s where we want to help. This guide looks at 10 of the top manufacturers whose panels you can install on your UK home. We’ll take a look at their products, specifications and what sets them apart.
Factors to consider when choosing solar panels
Before we look at the manufacturers, it’s important to understand the various factors at play that can affect their performance, longevity and overall value, before you commit your money.
It may be the case that you’re limited in choice because of the installer you’re going with who might have a small range of panels in their catalogue. That’s fine, but it’s still important to have an understanding of the main factors and specifications to make sure you’re getting the best PV panels for you.
- Power output – Measured in watts (W), power output indicates how much electricity a panel can produce under standard test conditions. Factors like peak sunlight hours and panel orientation have an impact in the real world. Most residential solar panels range from 300W to 500W per panel. These are connected up, either in series or parallel, to give you your total solar panel system size. Higher wattage panels generally take up a little less roof space for the same total system output.
- Efficiency – This refers to how effectively a solar panel converts sunlight into usable electricity. Surprisingly, it’s not actually that high. Most residential solar panels have efficiencies somewhere between 15% and 22%. The best performing panels on the market can hit 24% efficiency. These higher efficiency panels are more expensive but can be worth the investment if space is at a premium. Learn more on how efficient are solar panels.
- Build quality – The durability of solar panels is key for long-term performance and reliability. Consider the manufacturer’s track record and reputation for producing good quality products. This links into the type of solar panels. For example, monocrystalline cells are more efficient and perform better than polycrystalline cells, but are more expensive. There are now various types of monocrystalline cells.
- Warranty – A good warranty provides assurance about the panel’s performance and longevity. A longer warranty means higher manufacturer confidence. Most manufacturers offer two types of warranties: product warranty (for defects) and performance warranty (guaranteeing a certain level of output over time).
- Price – Panel and installation costs will undoubtedly be a major factor. Whilst it’s tempting to focus solely on the upfront cost, it’s important to consider the long-term value and potential energy savings over the life of the system. On average, you’re currently looking around £700+ per panel or around £1,800 per kW of solar capacity.
Top solar panel manufacturers
SunPower
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline silicon
- Power output per panel: 355W – 475W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.8%
- Warranty: Up to 40 years
SunPower is renowned for producing some of the most efficient solar panels on the market. Their panels use Maxeon cell technology, providing excellence performance and long term use. The SunPower Maxeon panels come with a massive 40 year warranty, showing extreme confidence in their product. The Maxeon 6 panel for example, guarantees a performance of 92% after 25 years, which is top quality.
SunPower panels work well in low-light conditions and use high quality materials, such as n-type silicon and anti-reflective glass. Ultimately, this means they can convert more sunlight into energy across the day and year. And with a large wattage per panel, these produce an excellent amount of energy. The Maxeon panels are also available with factory-integrated microinverter for even greater efficiency.
Their sleek design, coming in all black or with white, makes them a popular choice for homeowners concerned about aesthetics. SunPower also make use of recycled panels for greater sustainability.
REA Solar
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: Up to 500W
- Efficiency: Up to 22%
- Warranty: 25 year warranty
Founded in Australia but with a footprint across the globe, REA Solar has been making inroads in the UK market with its range of reliable and efficient solar panels.
Their panels offer solid performance thanks to the use of advanced solar technology, including the use of a Fusion module. This combines high efficiency N-type solar cells and thin film cells (known as hybrid solar) into a dual glass module to increase performance and overall energy yield.
The Fusion panels are also double sided, known as bifacial, giving them a much larger surface area to generate even more power and increase efficiency. Each panel can be paired with a microinverter, making them a great choice for low light conditions and potential shading issues.
As well as residential solar, REA also serve commercial solar clients and have paired up with technology partners, such as Enphase, Hyundai and Tesla, to develop all-round solar and battery storage solutions.
UKSOL
- Type of solar panel: Polycrystalline and monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: 410W – 700W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.6%
- Warranty: 30 year performance warranty
UKSOL is a British family-owned solar panel producer specialising in the design and manufacturing of residential and commercial solar panels. The company has made a name for itself by offering good quality solar PV panels at competitive prices. They also have a strong focus on sustainability, pledging to reduce their emissions and procure materials ethically. This is a refreshing approach.
They provide both polycrystalline and monocrystalline options, catering to different needs and budgets. Whilst their panels may not have the highest efficiencies on the market, they offer reliable performance and durability, with an excellent 30 year performance guarantee. value for money.
The company prides itself on its UK-based customer service and support. If you’re interested in UKSOL panels, you can receive a quote from one of their approved installers.
Aiko
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline N-type cells
- Power output per panel: 430W – 700W
- Efficiency: Up to 25%
- Warranty: Up to 30 year performance warranty
Aiko Solar is one of the biggest solar panel manufacturers in the world. Based in Shanghai, they specialise in the research and development of photovoltaic products. Aiko produce a range of different solar panels, with their residential range housed under the NEOSTAR series.
The Aiko panels are known for their excellent performance in low-light conditions and partial shade conditions, making them well-suited to the UK climate, pure black design and extreme efficiency. The 3rd generation NEOSTAR dual-glass has a leading efficiency of up to 25%, which is thanks to their use of All Back Contact (ABC) technology. This means all of the electrical contacts are at the back of the solar cell, so that no sunlight is blocked from coming through.
They also boast a low temperature coefficient, meaning they maintain better performance as temperatures rise.
JA Solar
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: 440W – 640W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.9%
- Warranty: 25 year warranty
JA Solar is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar products. Their panels have gained popularity in the UK market, in part thanks to their relationship with Octopus Energy.
JA Solar offers panels that deliver high efficiency at a competitive price point. Their flagship solar PV module is the DeepBlue 4.0 series. These panels perform well in low-light conditions and have a low temperature coefficient, meaning good performance in the variable weather conditions we often face here in the UK.
The JA Solar panels come with a 25 year performance warranty, but just a 12 year product warranty. The degradation rates mean the panels lose about 0.4% efficiency each year.
REC Group
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: 390W – 470W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.6%
- Warranty: 25 year performance warranty
REC is a solar panel manufacturer based in Norway but with a presence in the UK market too. Their panels are known for being high quality and with high power outputs. REC manufactures two main types of solar panels – their premium Alpha range and the TwinPeak 5.
REC’s Alpha panels use Heterojunction technology (HJT), which promises at least 92% of nameplate performance after 25 years – this is very good. The Alpha panels have an excellent efficiency rating above 22%.
Their TwinPeak uses mono-PERC technology, has an efficiency of 20.8% and promises 86% minimum power in year 25, which is still pretty good. Both types of panels come with a 20 year product warranty.
Panasonic
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline N-type cells
- Power output per panel: 400W – 410W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.2%
- Warranty: 25 year product warranty
Panasonic are a leading electronics brand who produce solar panels known for their efficiency, quality and reliability.
Their Evervolt series is designed to maximise sunlight capture and retain efficiency over time to make sure you make the most out of your investment. A power output of 92% of the original is guaranteed in year 25.
The Panasonic Evervolt solar panels use heterojunction technology with gapcell connections to minimise electron loss and maximise conversion efficiency. With 410W, these panels have a great power output. These panels also have a good temperature coefficient, meaning they perform very well under intense sun conditions.
Sharp
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: 410W – 440W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.5%
- Warranty: 30 year performance warranty
Sharp is a well-established name in electronics. They’ve also got a long history in solar and have delivered more than 50 million PV panels across the globe. They actually started developing solar cells back in 1959.
Sharp solar panels are known for their reliability and consistent performance. They have a range of residential panels to suit different needs and budgets, from mid-range options to high-efficiency premium models. Their panels are noted for their good build quality and come with a product guarantee of 25 years and long performance guarantee of 30 years – this promises at least 87.5% performance by year 30.
Viridian Solar
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: 340W – 405W
- Efficiency: Up to 21.5%
- Warranty: 25-year performance warranty
Viridian Solar is a UK-based company that has made a name for itself with its innovative roof-integrated solar systems. Their Clearline fusion system is designed to be installed in place of roof tiles, creating an attractive, low-profile look that many homeowners prefer. This is great for new builds and retrofit scenarios.
Although their panels may not have the highest power output compared to some competitors, they offer a solid efficiency rating and come with a performance warranty of 25 years. This is lower compared to some though, guaranteeing 90% of the nameplate performance after 10 years and 80% after 25 years. The product warranty is 15 years.
Viridian Solar panels are known for their durability and ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. They have the highest fire rating and wind resistance.
Yingli Solar
- Type of solar panel: Monocrystalline
- Power output per panel: 380W – 435W
- Efficiency: Up to 22.5%
- Warranty: 25-year performance warranty
Yingli Solar are a Chinese company with a long history in solar energy. They produce two main ranges of solar panels – YLM and Panda. Both use monocrystalline silicon technology.
The Yingli Panda solar panels use n-type monocrystalline silicon cells, as well as bifacial power generation, which is said to generate up to 30% more energy.
Yingli offer a 12 year product warranty for their panels, with a performance guarantee of 85.5% in year 25 for their Panda panels. These panels don’t have the best heat resistance levels compared to some of the other models.
What size solar panel system do I need?
When it comes to residential solar panel systems, there isn’t really a one size fits all scenario. And you wouldn’t particularly want this to be honest. With the upfront cost of solar panels (which we’ll discuss shortly), you’ll want to make sure you’re getting good value for your money and a bespoke solution for your home’s energy needs – not somebody else’s.
The right size system for your home largely depends on your energy consumption. To find out how much energy your home is using, take a look at your energy bill and the annual estimates. There are other factors too like budget and roof space, but energy needs (for now and in the future) are the most important when sizing up a system.
Solar panel system sizes can be broadly divided into small, medium and large.
Small systems (2-3kW)
A 2-3kW solar panel system is suitable for smaller than average households with lower energy consumption. This usually translates to homes with 1-3 bedrooms and 1-2 people.
This sized system has an average daily production of 6.85kWh of electricity. Whilst this can cover a lot of your energy needs on a good day, it won’t meet all of your requirements.
A 2-3kW system may save you between £200 to £500 on your annual energy bills.
Medium systems (3-4kW)
A medium sized system is the most popular choice for many UK homes. This set up generally consists of 9 to 12 PV panels that produce 9.3kWh on an average day, or around 3,400kWh across the year.
This is a good size for an average UK household consuming 6-10kWh per day and should be enough to cover the majority of your energy needs, whilst still drawing energy from the national grid on a fairly consistent basis.
It’s important to note that production varies significantly throughout the year. In summer, the system may produce excess energy, while winter production can drop to 10-15% of annual output. Spring and autumn each account for about 20-25% of yearly production.
Large systems (5+ kW)
Solar panel systems that are 5kW+ are ideal for larger households or those with higher energy consumption.
On average, a large system will produce 11.6kWh electricity per day or 4,250kWh per year. This does vary by location, but a large system can cater for homes with 4 to 5 people.
Although they cost more initially, a large solar panel system has the potential to save you well over £650 on your annual energy bills. You are also likely to earn from Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which pays you for sending excess electricity to the grid.
On this point, as solar panel systems increase in size, battery storage becomes more attractive. These clever energy storage systems help you harness more of the solar energy you generate, saving in costs and making everything more efficient. For example, a 5-7kWh battery can help increase your solar energy use by up to 80%. Learn more on how much you could save with battery storage.
When deciding on the right system size, the goal is to find a system that balances your energy needs, budget and long-term savings potential. The key is finding the sweet spot that works best for your specific situation.
Solar panel prices UK
For most UK households, a fully installed solar panel system of 2-4kW ranges between £5,000 and £9,000. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average cost for a 3.5kW solar panel system is around £7,000.
The size of the system is a main factor in determining cost:
- A small 2-3kW system generally costs between £5,000 and £6,000.
- Medium-sized systems of 3-4kW, ideal for 3-bedroom homes, range from £6,000 to £9,000.
- Larger systems of 5-7kW can cost between £9,000 and £11,000.
Breaking this down a bit further, you can expect to pay around £1,800 per kW of solar capacity or approximately £700+ per panel for a complete system.
Understanding the long-term value is vital. Solar panels can significantly reduce electricity bills and, with the SEG, potentially earn money by selling excess energy back to the grid. As energy prices continue to rise, the savings from solar panels are likely to increase over time.
Alongside taking into account the top solar panel manufacturers, it’s always advisable to get multiple quotes from different installers before making your decision. The cheapest option isn’t always the best value in the long run.
