One of the most important parts of choosing solar equipment is having confidence that the manufacturer will be around in 25-30 years to honor their warranties. This is known as bankability.
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While only 0.05% of solar panels fail, lost energy production is lost money, so it's worth sticking with solar panel and inverter brands best known for their reliability.
To identify the best solar panel and inverter brands for bankability, we looked to homeowners like you, and which equipment they selected over the last year. After all, nothing says trust like buying thousands of dollars in product.
So, we analyzed every sale made on the solar.com marketplace in the last 12 months to identify the best brands of solar panels and inverters heading into .
The people have spoken. REC and Q Cells were clearly the preferred brands of solar panels in and were selected in nearly 75% of sales on the solar.com marketplace.
Panasonic was a distant third place with 9.3% market share, followed by 11 brands that were selected less than 5% of the time.
Rank Brand Share of total sales on solar.com marketplace 1 REC 40.6% 2 Q Cells 32.8% 3 Panasonic 9.3% 4 SEG Solar 4.5% 5 Canadian Solar 3.8% 6 Solaria 3.5% 7 Silfab 1.5% 8 Aptos Solar 1.3% 9 Hyundai 0.7% 10 LONGi Solar 0.3% 11 VSUN 0.3% 12 Mission Solar Energy 0.2% 13 Ureco 0.1% 14 Jinko Solar 0.1%Now, there is something to be said about panel availability and supply chain disruptions in and . Simply put, installers weren't always able to stock certain brands, which limited choices for consumers.
But, there's also something to be said for being able to supply product in those conditions, which REC, Q Cells, and Panasonic were clearly able to do. Let's take a look at the three best solar panel brands of to see what makes them stand out to homeowners and installers.
Founded in Norway in , REC recently celebrated its 25th anniversary as a solar company. That's especially impressive given solar panels weren't put on roofs until .
REC has four series of premium residential solar panels, all with 25-year performance warranties and 25-year product warranties (if installed by an REC Certified Solar Professional installer).
Series Power Output (Watts) Efficiency Power after 25-years Alpha Pure-R 400-430 W 20.7% ' 22.3% 92% Alpha Pure 390-410 W 21.1% ' 22.2% 92% N-Peak 2 250-370 W 19.1% ' 20.3% 92% Twinpeak 4 355-370 W 19.4% ' 20.3% 86%While REC solar panels are a premium and highly bankable product, they are also competitively priced, making them the clear top choice for consumers and the best solar panel brand of .
Founded in in Germany, Q Cells is one of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world and a popular choice among homeowners.
Q Cells has two series of residential solar panels, each with 25-year product and performance warranties.
Series Power Output (Watts) Efficiency Power after 25-years Q.Peak Duo BLK ML-G10+ 385-405 W Up to 20.6% 86% Q.Peak Duo BLK-G10+ 350-370 W Up to 20.6% 86%
Q Cells' recently announced its $2.5 billion investment in a manufacturing complex in Georgia, due largely to incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act. It will be interesting to see how having a manufacturing presence in the United States affects its brand equity in the future.
Even without the US factory, Q Cells is one of the best solar panel brands of and a popular choice for American homeowners.
Panasonic began making solar panels in , making it the oldest solar manufacturer on the list.
Its EverVolt® Series is a popular choice due to high efficiency, low degradation, and bankable 25-year warranties.
Series Power Output Efficiency Power after 25-yearsEverVolt®
150-410 W 19.2% ' 22.2% 86% ' 92%It is worth noting that Panasonic shuttered its internal solar panel manufacturing division in and will continue selling Panasonic-brand panels through a third-party manufacturer. It will continue to honor the warranties on panels for existing customers.
According to a press release:
'While there are some changes happening 'behind the scenes,' everything about how installers and consumers experience Panasonic Solar is staying the same, including the 25-year warranty, commitment to product quality and high level of service people have come to expect from us.'
It will be interesting to see how the change in manufacturer affects one of the best solar panel brands of .
Related Reading: How To Choose Solar Panels for Your Home
Inverters are a crucial and often overlooked part of a home solar system. After all, solar panels produce DC electricity and your house runs on AC. Inverters are the forgotten middle child that makes the equation work.
Once again, the people have spoken. When it comes to the best inverter brands of , Enphase and SolarEdge are the clear favorites. These two brands alone were selected for over 98% of solar projects in the last year.
Founded in California in , Enphase is the clear leader in microinverter and performance monitoring technology. Unlike a single string inverter unit, individual microinverters are attached to each solar panel and convert electricity before it leaves the panel. Learn more about microinverters vs string inverters here.
Enphase microinverters were selected in over 75% of sales in the solar.com marketplace in the last 12 months, and 75% of those were from the IQ8 series.
IQ8's come with an industry-leading 25-year warranty and have proven to have a very low failure rate, making Enphase the best solar inverter brand of .
Also founded in , Israel-based SolarEdge is Enphase's toughest competition for the best solar inverter brand of .
SolarEdge's HD Wave Series string inverter is more cost-effective for homeowners without shade issues. And by attaching optimizers to each panel it can work like a microinverter system to combat shading and monitor each panel individually.
With a 12-year warranty that's extendable up to 25 years, SolarEdge is clearly the best brand for string inverters heading into .
Going solar is a long and major investment, so it's only natural to seek out the best equipment to maximize your savings.
In the last 12 months, REC, Q Cells, and Panasonic stood out as the best brands for solar panels, while Enphase and SolarEdge were the best brands for inverters.
Will this list change as more solar manufacturing moves to America? We can't wait to find out!
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Tamara JudeTamara Jude is a seasoned content writer with more than seven years of experience in research and content production. She specializes in the solar energy, home warranty, and windows categories. Her interest in home improvement began as a child, when she regularly completed home projects alongsid'
See full bioSolar inverters are the heart of a solar power system. They help convert incoming solar rays into usable energy. The right inverter can boost panel performance, improve energy production, and power your home more efficiently. Although the best solar companies will choose the ideal inverter for your system, it's important to understand how they work and the leading residential manufacturers.
Our guide explains how solar inverters operate and their impact on system performance. We've also provided recommendations for some of the best solar inverter brands available.
Solar inverters help convert solar energy into usable electricity for your home. Solar panels work by absorbing the sun's energy into their solar cells. These cells generate direct current (DC) energy. This type of energy doesn't work with your home because American homes use alternating current (AC) electricity. This is where solar inverters come into play. The inverter converts the incoming DC electricity into AC power, making it usable throughout your home.
Since inverters serve as a direct connection between your solar panels and home, they offer detailed insight into your energy production. Many solar monitoring systems use data from the inverters to monitor panel production, energy use, and performance issues. The inverter sends panel data via Wi-Fi and connects with a dedicated mobile app or web portal. Depending on the inverter type, you'll get readings for several panels or individual panel details.
Inverters also help convert energy between solar batteries and your home. DC power flows directly from solar panels to your battery, storing the power for later use. When it's time to power your home, the inverter converts the stored DC power to AC.
Note that solar inverters aren't the same as charger controllers, a different component is needed for solar battery storage. An inverter converts your energy, while a charge controller regulates electrical power for distribution to your solar batteries and solar energy system. Both devices are needed for battery performance.
All solar inverters function similarly but can differ in areas such as efficiency, cost, and energy monitoring capabilities. Here's an overview of each inverter type.
String inverters (or central inverters) connect several solar panels and convert energy for multiple panels or a full solar array (or a group of solar panels). This inverter type is cost-effective but less efficient than others. If there's an issue with the central inverter, it could shut down several panels at once, impacting your energy generation. String inverters are also prone to shading issues. If one panel experiences shading, the entire solar array is impacted, reducing production levels. Despite this issue, repairing string inverters is relatively cheap and easy to maintain.
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String inverters have a shorter life span, typically around five to 10 years, and offer lower power production. The string inverter's energy data also lumps all panel performance together, making it hard to determine individual panel issues.
Microinverters attach to the individual panels, providing maximum power output. These inverters cost more than other options due to their high efficiency and improved performance. You'll need one microinverter per panel, increasing your solar installation costs. Despite the higher price, microinverters offer better per-panel performance and don't have the shading issues of string inverters. If one microinverter goes down, it won't affect the other panels in your solar project. However, since they're located on the roof with your panels, they require more maintenance and have higher repair costs.
Microinverters have a long life span of at least 25 years. Since microinverters work with individual panels, you have more detailed system performance data.
Although not technically a different inverter type, this design helps boost inverter performance. Panel optimizers help maximize DC power generation and send that power to the centralized inverter. The inverter converts all the power optimizers' collected energy into AC and sends it to your home. This panel design can be very complicated and requires additional system-optimized power, increasing overall costs. This setup provides panel-level monitoring and additional optimization options.
Hybrid inverters, also called battery-ready inverters, offer the benefits of both grid-tied and off-grid panels by including backup battery power for added protection. Normally, grid-tied panels stop working immediately during a blackout. But hybrid inverters draw energy from your backup battery system to power your solar inverters.
Investing in an off-grid solar system requires special inverters to help keep your system constantly powered by panels and solar batteries. Just like smaller do-it-yourself (DIY) solar systems, off-grid systems aren't tied to any grid system and solely rely on a responsive and powerful backup battery system. These systems use Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) charge controllers to protect your batteries from overcharging and improve efficiency. Off-grid inverters help charge and discharge solar batteries to keep your home running. DIY systems aren't worth it for the average homeowner, but for those with strong electrical skills, DIY solar panels can be worth the investment.
Solar inverters differ in several ways, including efficiency, cost, and warranty coverage. We've detailed each comparison factor below.
String inverters are the cheapest and require fewer inverters for your system. Microinverters are more expensive but offer better results. Inverters qualify for solar incentives, meaning homeowners can use the federal solar tax credit to receive up to 30% off their total solar installation cost.
Efficiency plays a key role in inverter performance. Inventory efficiency represents how well the component converts DC to AC power. During this conversion process, some energy is lost. The higher the energy loss, the lower the efficiency rating. Look for solar inverters with high efficiency ratings between 96% and 99%.
Depending on the type, solar inverters will match either your system size or your panel size. The string inverters' maximum output capacity should match your system size. If you're using multiple string inverters, each inverter should match the connected panels' total wattage. When using microinverters, you'll match your panel size to the inverter's maximum output. This size pairing is the best way to avoid clipping, which happens when solar panels produce more power than the inverters can handle, reducing your usable electricity.
String inverters include five to 10 years of warranty coverage and require more frequent replacement. Quality microinverters typically include a 25-year warranty. Longer coverage means fewer equipment changes and protection for the duration of your solar panels' life span.
We recommend checking inverter warranties for mentions of labor costs, shipping expenses, and full protection details. Certain elements of an inverter, such as Wi-Fi communication equipment, may have a shorter warranty than the rest of the components. If the communication goes out, you must replace the device to resume system monitoring.
We've highlighted some of the best solar inverter brands for residential installations and what features make them stand out.
BrandInverter Type Power OutputPeak Efficiency RatingWarrantyTop Inverter ModelEnphase
Microinverter
0.24'0.366 kW
97.5%
25 years
Enphase IQ8
SolarEdge
Optimized string inverter
3'11.4 kW
99.0%
12 years
SolarEdge HD Wave
SMA
String inverter
3'11.4 kW
98.5%
10 years
SMA Sunny Boy
Founded in California in , Enphase has become one of the most popular inverter brands thanks to its advanced microinverter technology. The company offers a 25-year warranty with its inverters, one of the longest available. Enphase microinverters offer output power between 0.24'0.366 kilowatts (kW) and efficiency ratings of up to 97.5%. The company also carries the popular IQ Battery specifically for use with its microinverters.
Most popular inverter model: The Enphase IQ8 series
Headquartered in Israel, SolarEdge offers high-performance string inverters with some of the best efficiency ratings available. These inverters maximize panel performance but are more affordable than microinverters. They reach up to 99% efficiency, some of the solar industry's highest ratings. SolarEdge string inverters offer 3'11.4 kW power output and come with a 12-year warranty, but you can extend it up to 25 years for an additional cost.
Most popular inverter model: The SolarEdge HD Wave inverter series
Founded in , SMA Solar Technology has expanded into a leading worldwide inverter manufacturer. The company offers affordable string inverters for residential installations. Although its inverters don't include power optimizers, they do offer reliable performance with outputs ranging between 3'11.4 kW and maximum efficiency ratings of 98.5%. The warranty coverage is 10 years but is extendable for additional fees.
Most popular inverter model: SMA Sunny Boy series
Your solar panel provider may offer several options for solar inverters. We recommend keeping the following factors in mind when choosing your preferred inverter.
Look for reputable solar inverter manufacturers with high-quality products and long-term warranty coverage. Check online reviews for solar inverter brands and look for mentions of poor component quality, warranty replacement issues, or manufacturing defects.
The more inverters you install, the higher the overall cost. You'll also pay more for microinverters than string inverters.
Get full details about the warranty replacement process and customer support options. Depending on the solar provider's policies, you may place a warranty claim through them or directly with the inverter manufacturer. Get clear details on their policies and contact information for the manufacturer, if needed.
Your solar inverters should include options for monitoring and a dedicated app to track performance. Ensure your chosen inverter has Wi-Fi capabilities and a communication device to transmit panel data.
Choose solar inverters compatible with your overall panel design. Your solar installer will offer a selection of inverters that work with your system. Some providers may have their own in-house inverters for their systems.
Solar inverters are essential to both panel function and system performance. Your inverter choice impacts your energy production, system efficiency, and monitoring capabilities. Pairing quality inverters with the best solar panels will provide maximum energy efficiency and long-term savings.
We recommend getting quotes from at least three solar companies to compare their system components and inverter options.
Microinverters are the most efficient option since they handle power conversion on the individual panel level. They offer higher efficiency ratings, wasting very little energy during conversion.
String inverters are the most common inverters used in residential solar systems. These inverters connect to multiple solar panels and convert your home's DC energy to AC electricity. String converters work best in homes with little to no shading and simple solar panel designs.
Yes, you can replace a solar inverter if you have intermediate electrical and solar technology knowledge and expertise. Otherwise, you might damage your solar system, impact panel performance, or cause personal injury. We recommend contacting a professional solar installer to assist with inverter replacement.
String inverters can last five to 10 years before needing replacement. Microinverters offer longer life spans of 25 years or longer.
We are committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. After over a thousand hours of research on solar companies, interviews with experts, and common customer needs, we've created a detailed rating system for solar providers based on six factors:
Solar equipment, installation, and services (25%)
Warranty and performance guarantees (25%)
Brand reputation and certifications (15%)
Financing options (15%)
Experience (10%)
Availability (10%)
Total scores are divided by 20 for a final 5-point rating scale.
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