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15 Mar 2024

Solar panel brand reviews

Solar panel owners tell us about the solar pv panels they've bought from JA Solar, LG, Panasonic, REC, Sharp and Sunpower.

Sarah IngramsPrincipal researcher & writer

In this article

Does the brand of solar panel matter?
The most popular solar panel brands
Which are the best solar panels brands?
JA Solar solar panels
Sunpower solar panels
LG solar panels
Panasonic solar panels
Sharp solar panels

Solar panels can cut your electricity bills as well as your carbon footprint. They are a long-term investment as they'll be on your roof for 20 years or more, so choosing the best solar panels brand for you and the right solar pv (photovoltaic) system for your home is important.

To help you pick a solar panel brand we reveal the most popular ones among Which? members, and what owners think of them.

Our independent research included a survey of 1,116 Which? members who have solar panels on their home in June 2021, and an in-depth study with 27 owners about buying, using and maintaining their solar panels.

Which? members can log in to see what owners of each brand think of them. If you're not a member, join Which? to get access to the results or our independent research.

Then find out how much do solar panels cost and are solar panels are worth it.

Does the brand of solar panel matter?

Solar panel brands vary in terms of their:

product range
maximum power output
efficiency
warranties (for the product, power output and service)
what owners think of them.

We've outlined the differences below. The quality of the installation and other equipment (such as the inverter) also contribute to how good the solar panel system is overall.

Find out more about solar panel installation.

The most popular solar panel brands

The Which? members we surveyed owned solar pv panels from more than 23 different brands. The most commonly owned and currently available are:

Sharp (7%)
LG (3%)
Sunpower (3%)

Canadian Solar, Hyundai, JA Solar, Panasonic, REC, Solarworld and Suntech were also popular.

To help you choose, we've rounded up key features of solar panels from the biggest brands. Plus, we created an online forum in 2021, where 27 solar panel owners gave us an in-depth view of buying, using and maintaining their solar pv systems.

Which are the best solar panels brands?

Here's how the most popular solar panel brands in our survey compared for warranty, maximum power output and efficiency, when we last checked.

	Product warranty	Power output warranty	Service warranty	Maximum power output and efficiency*
JA Solar	12 years	25 years	Not specified	350W at 20.8%
LG**	25 years	90.08% at 25 years	25 years	380W at 22%
Panasonic**	25 years	86.2% at 25 years	Not specified	340W at 20.4%
REC	20 years	92% at 25 years	15 years	405W at 21.9%
Sharp	15 years	80.7% at 25 years	Not specified	370W at 20.1%
Sunpower	25 years	25 years	25 years	400W at 22.6%

*Specification information is based on the most efficient domestic monofacial (i.e. one-sided) solar panel we could find online for each brand in June 2021.

**LG said that it planned to stop making solar panels in June 2022. Panasonic announced that it was planning to stop making solar pv panels by the end of the fiscal year 2022, though it continues to sell third-party made modules under its brand.

Which? members can log in to see what owners of each brand think of them in the section below. If you're not a member, join Which? to get access to the results or our independent research.

JA Solar solar panels

JA Solar makes a range of solar pv panels for homes and commercial buildings, including smart solar panels and panels which can generate electricity from both sides (bifacial). It's based in Shanghai, China.

Sunpower solar panels

Sunpower has been making solar panels for 35 years and says its solar panels have high efficiency and are more reliable than other options. Among the six popular brands on this page, it's one of only two to offer 25-year product and service warranties.

LG solar panels

LG might be best-known for its TVs, but it also brought its 50 years of electrical technology experience to solar panels. Its solar panel range included high-efficiency panels, matt black panels and solar panels which generate electricity on both sides (bifacial). It was one of few to offer both 25-year product and service warranties on some of its solar panels.

However, LG announced that it would cease manufacturing solar panels at the end of June 2022. The company said it will maintain support for existing solar panel customers “for a period of time after the business’s closure”.

Panasonic solar panels

Panasonic's choice of solar panels included smaller and slimmer panels for small or complicated roofs, matt-black panels and higher efficiency panels. It has been making solar pv panels since 1975, under the Sanyo brand until 2012.

In 2021 Panasonic announced that it was planning to stop making solar pv panels by the end of the fiscal year 2022, although it will continue to sell third-party-made modules under its brand.

Sharp solar panels

Sharp sells solar panels for homes, businesses, farms, factories and fields. It says its 60 years of experience means that its solar panels can withstand harsh conditions without their performance suffering. You can choose matt black panels if you'd prefer not to see the traditional silver squares.

REC solar panels

The Renewable Energy Corporation (REC)'s range of solar panels includes a choice of finishes (with silver lines or matt-black), panels that can generate electricity even when partly shaded, and a lead-free panel.

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