Best Solar Panels for Your Home for October 2023 – CNET
Best Solar Panels for Your Home for October 2023 - CNET
In this article:
- Highest score: Which is the best overall solar panel?
- Why are people getting solar panels now?
- Best solar panels of 2023
- Other solar panel brands we evaluated
- Compare the best solar panels of 2023
- Do you need the best solar panels?
- How much do solar panels cost?
- Factors to consider when choosing solar panels
- What should I consider when choosing a solar installer?
- How we chose and ranked solar panels
- Solar panel FAQ
Highest score: Which is the best overall solar panel?
SunPower Maxeon and REC panels top CNET’s list of best solar panels for 2023. Both brands of solar panels are highly efficient and come with strong production guarantees over a 25-year span. They’re both available from multiple major solar companies.
If you’re shopping for solar panels — to reduce your energy bill, green up your electricity consumption or even go off grid — you may not need the best solar panels to achieve your goals. I’ve spent hours reading solar panel spec sheets and devising a scoring methodology that measures what’s important to solar customers (more on that below). While differences among solar panels exists, most experts have told me that finding the best installer is likely more important than getting the very best equipment. The best solar panels for you are the ones that fit your energy goals and budget.
Why are people getting solar panels now?
Against the backdrop of the price volatility of the last year or so, some people are adopting solar panels to lock in predictable energy prices for the next two decades and more. While solar panels cost a lot up front, they can lock in energy savings for years to come.
Solar panel installation is booming. In 2022, residential solar installations increased by 40% compared to 2021. This trend is likely to continue, thanks to 30% tax incentives for solar and other renewable energy technologies. On the other hand, with interest rates high, financing solar is more expensive. That makes leasing solar panels more attractive, though buying in cash — if you can swing it — is likely to save you more money over time.
Can solar panels save you money?
Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and we’ll instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings.
That’s all occurring within the context of a warming planet driven by the burning of fossil fuels. Climate scientists say we need to reduce warming emissions rapidly to avoid the worst effects of climate change and sustainability is another reason some homeowners are installing solar.
Best solar panels of 2023
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Maxeon spun off as a business from SunPower in 2020, but its panels are still largely installed by SunPower and its subsidiary, Blue Raven. Maxeon also co-leads the field for solar panel efficiency (Its high mark for efficiency, at 22.8%, is a big part of the reason it scores highly overall.)
Maxeon’s panels range in size from 360 to 440 watts and have temperature coefficients of -0.29% or -0.34%, according to their published specifications. Many Maxeon panels have production warranties that guarantee 92% of their rated output after 25 years, another high mark for the industry. If the look of solar panels is something you have strong feelings about, Maxeon does make some models that have the all-black look that some people find more pleasing.
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Solar panels are less expensive than their list price because of a 30% federal tax credit. But they’re still expensive.
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Solar panels are less expensive than their list price because of a 30% federal tax credit. But they’re still expensive.
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Solar panels are less expensive than their list price because of a 30% federal tax credit. But they’re still expensive.
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Solar panels are less expensive than their list price because of a 30% federal tax credit. But they’re still expensive.
” overridecredit=”Master/Getty Images” offer=”{"id":"8f6b8a1d-ead2-4441-be0b-06421488afe8","slug":"rec","label":"REC","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product","typeLabel":"Tech Product","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"8f6b8a1d-ead2-4441-be0b-06421488afe8","name":"REC","slug":"rec","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1692967701154,"displayDate":"Fri Aug 25 2023 05:48:21 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__20c6b887-4900-4508-a297-fe9c80014414″ position=”2″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” filtershortcodetypes=”” totalfilteritems=”0″ pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” showdetails=”true” tocheadlineitem=”[object Object]” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Solar panels from REC have maximum efficiency ratings from 20.3% to 22.3% and a temperature coefficient of -0.34%, though one model, the REC Alpha Pure, checks in at -0.24%. After 25 years, REC guarantees its panels will be producing 86% or 92% of their rated power, depending on the model. Even REC’s panels that aren’t all black are mostly black, offering the sleeker look some people appreciate. It ties SunPower Maxeon for our best overall solar panel.
REC panels are one of the options offered by Palmetto and other companies.
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Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity. If you’re thinking about getting solar panels of your own, you’ll want to understand just how that electricity works.
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Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity. If you’re thinking about getting solar panels of your own, you’ll want to understand just how that electricity works.
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Panasonic solar panels come in sizes up to 410 watts and have efficiency ratings up to 22.2%. All of Panasonic’s solar panels come with a 25-year production warranty that says the panels won’t fall below 92% of their rated capacity. (Solar panels do get less efficient over time, but it’s generally not enough to be a problem.) That mark matches REC and SunPower but beats every other panel we looked at.
Panasonic panels have a temperature coefficient of -.24% or -0.26%, although one model comes in at -0.34%. Panasonic does offer panels that come with an all-black look. Installers of Panasonic solar panels can be found around the US.
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” overridecredit=”Westend61/Getty Images” offer=”{"id":"6cf40bce-2610-4491-bfc5-2ce65cbeb5b9","slug":"canadian-solar","label":"Canadian Solar","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product","typeLabel":"Tech Product","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"6cf40bce-2610-4491-bfc5-2ce65cbeb5b9","name":"Canadian Solar","slug":"canadian-solar","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1692967736633,"displayDate":"Fri Aug 25 2023 05:48:56 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__7832d0ed-c93d-475e-9990-60c3af2a6b91″ position=”4″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” filtershortcodetypes=”” totalfilteritems=”0″ pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” showdetails=”true” tocheadlineitem=”[object Object]” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
Canadian Solar ties Maxeon for the most efficient solar panels out there. Its HiHero model has a maximum efficiency rating of 22.8%. We ranked Canadian Solar’s high-performing panels just a bit below the two above, mostly because it guarantees slightly lower levels of production after 25 years in its production warranties — about 85% to 89%. This is still pretty high for the industry. Canadian Solar’s temperature coefficients top out at -0.26%.
You can get all-black Canadian Solar panels from ADT Solar and others.
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Worker checking installation of solar panels on roof of new home, Netherlands
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Worker checking installation of solar panels on roof of new home, Netherlands
” overridecredit=”Mischa Keijser/Getty Images” offer=”{"id":"c87734e5-0d33-4789-afae-1aaf4b9700fd","slug":"znshine-solar","label":"ZNShine Solar","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"","imgWidth":null,"imgHeight":null,"objectType":"content_product","typeLabel":"Tech Product","imgUrl":null,"icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small"}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"c87734e5-0d33-4789-afae-1aaf4b9700fd","name":"ZNShine Solar","slug":"znshine-solar","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1692967749866,"displayDate":"Fri Aug 25 2023 05:49:09 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)"}” usepricing=”true” data-key=”cnetlisticle__bfd31557-7758-41c5-8f56-7cd61e288094″ position=”5″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” filtershortcodetypes=”” totalfilteritems=”0″ pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” showdetails=”true” tocheadlineitem=”[object Object]” class=”c-shortcodeListicle g-border-thin-light-top g-inner-spacing-bottom-medium g-inner-spacing-left-large g-inner-spacing-right-large g-inner-spacing-bottom-xlarge g-outer-spacing-bottom-large g-border-thin-light-bottom g-border-thin-light-right g-border-thin-light-left”>
ZNShine panels scored high enough to squeeze into our top five, in part because some of its panels come with a 30-year production warranty, five years more than the industry standard. While some companies offer an option for 30 years, ZNShine and a few other companies are starting to make 30 years standard. Of those companies, ZNShine’s panels come out on top.
Some of the company’s models come with a warranty that guarantees 82.5% of their rated warranty after 30 years (that’s about 85% after 25 years). While its efficiency trends down at a pretty standard rate, it’ll be interesting to see if other companies start stretching their warranties to 30 years as well.
ZNShine panels also have high efficiency ratings (most come in over 21%) and temperature coefficients clustered around -0.35%. It offers mostly black panels, but no all-black versions as of yet.
