Best Solar Panels 2023
Which one is right for your home?
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Solar Panels
Solar panels and their accessories unlock the boundless energy in the sunshine and transform it into useful energy. Making a move to equip your home with solar energy solutions has never been easier. Solar tax credits and rebates designed to reward solar power adopters are readily available as the renewable energy market continues to explode. It’s no wonder that so many are choosing home solar panels to power their households.
With the expanding market comes an ever-increasing number of companies vying for your business. The competition is heating up, and that’s good news for consumers. Competition drives innovation while keeping prices in check. However, the increasing number of solar panel manufacturers and the long lists of available options can confuse those trying to determine the best energy solution for their homes.
To help, we’ve taken a hard look at the top solar panel makers and their product lineups to compile our list of the top five in the business. We’ve listed them here, along with crucial information to consider when deciding which provider has the best solar panels for your home.
What are the best Solar Panels in 2023?
Based on factors such as efficiency, durability, product warranty, price point and temperature coefficient, we determined the following as the top solar panels for home use:
- SunPower (Maxeon): Most Efficient
- Silfab: Best All-Around
- Panasonic: Best Temperature Coefficient
- Canadian Solar: Most Affordable
- Trina Solar: Best Value
- Qcells: Consumer Favorite
- Mission Solar: Best American-Made
- REC Solar: Most Reliable
- Windy Nation: Best for Backup Power
What Should You Look for When Shopping for Residential Solar Panels?
When looking for the best solar panels, here are a few tips to ensure you’re picking the right products.
1. Consider Solar Panel Efficiency
The efficiency of your solar panels is going to be one of the key drivers of how much you save on monthly utility bills and how quickly you recoup your investment. Each solar panel is rated for a particular efficiency level; the industry standard is between 17 to 20%, so anything in that range is going to be pretty decent. We’ll note that SunPower’s panels, with 22.7% efficiency, represent the highest rating we’ve come across.
2. Compare Solar Panel Cost
Something else to keep in mind is that the most efficient solar panels are not always the most affordable. In some cases, opting for a slightly less efficient product will actually provide superior value. You’ll also want to think about the cost of solar installation and additional parts such as inverters and battery banks when setting your solar budget.
3. Check Warranty Information
We also recommend comparing a panel’s warranty against the industry standard. Hopefully, any solar panels you buy will come with a warranty of 10 years at a minimum. If you can find something with a 25-year product warranty, that’s ideal.
4. Think About Your Home Energy Needs
In assessing your solar needs, think about things like your roof’s exposure to the sun, the available roof space, and the amount of energy your household consumes on a monthly basis. These factors are all important in determining the number of solar panels you need, as well as the type of solar panels.