What to look for when buying panels

by Joe Elias
(Sheldon, Queensland, Australia)

The old saying - "you get what you pay for" definitely applies to solar panels.

Anyone buying smaller panels below 230 watts is getting lower efficient products that convert sunlight (DC Power) at a lesser rate than their larger counterparts.

Accordingly you will pay more per watt for the larger panels, but they are better value and often produce more than they specify.

Compare specification between products.

If the panel is made in a country that has cheap labour, it does not translate to cheaper products when comparing like for like. Korea has a range of solar manufacturers that target higher quality which matches and sometimes exceed the quality of those made in other nations such as Germany, Italy, Norway, Canada and others.