Updated On

January 23, 2024

Why You Can Trust Us

Today’s Homeowner exists to help you maintain or improve your home safely and effectively. We uphold strict editorial standards and carefully vet the advice and resources referenced in our articles. Click below to learn more about our review process and how we earn money.

Learn More

    Converting your home to renewable energy by installing a rooftop solar panel array is a major financial commitment for most homeowners. Anything you can do to lower the cost goes a long way to making it easier to take the leap and start paying your utility company less money each  month. But how do you know which cheap solar panels are a good deal and which are too cheap to be worth it?

    I’ve spent countless hours reviewing solar panels and solar panel tech, so I know what makes a panel worth the money. In this guide, I’m going to cover the seven cheapest solar panels that I feel represent good value for the money. I’ll try to give you several options where I can and explain the tradeoffs you have to make if you decide to go for a lower-cost panel.

    Highest Quality Panels

    4.4

    Installs high-quality Maxeon panels

    Outstanding customer support

    Best-in-class warranty lasts 40 years

    GET QUOTE
    Best Damage Protection

    3.7

    Affordable prices

    Excellent selection of panels and services

    Locations in 22 states

    GET QUOTE
    Best Solar Financing
    blue raven logo

    4.3

    No payments needed for 18 months

    Provides in-house financing

    Offers top brands like LG and Trina

    GET QUOTE
    Best Customer Service

    3.9

    Highly rated customer service

    Provides  24/7 panel monitoring

    Solid A+ rating with the BBB

    GET QUOTE

    What Are the Top-Rated Cheap Solar Panels?

    Just because a manufacturer makes affordable panels doesn’t mean its products are low quality. Here are my picks for the top-rated cheap solar panel manufacturers:

    Qcells: Best Overall

    What Should You Look for When Choosing Low-Cost Solar Panels?

    Purchasing low-cost solar panels requires a bit more attention to detail than buying high-quality panels since there are more low-quality options you need to avoid if you want a good system. Here are the four main things to look for when shopping for cheap solar panels:

    Cost per watt: It’s easy to get distracted by the total price of a solar system, but the number you should focus on is the cost per watt. Comparing panels on a cost-per-watt basis gives you the cleanest comparison and is the truest representation of a panel’s underlying cost.

    Efficiency rating: The next-most-important thing to look at is the efficiency rating. This one is easy — the higher the rating, the better the panel is at converting sunlight to electricity. Panels with higher efficiency ratings are usually more expensive.

    Warranty: One area where low-cost panels often fall short compared to premium options is the warranty. The industry standard is 25 years’ worth of protection for both the panels themselves and their power output. I recommend looking for panels with 25-year warranties.

    Degradation: All solar panels lose efficiency over time, but some cheap panels lose it more quickly than others. Around 0.72% per year is the average across the solar industry.


    Compare the Top-Rated Cheap Solar Panel Manufacturers

    There are tons of manufacturers that make affordable solar panels, which makes it difficult to figure out which companies are worth your time and which make lower-quality panels. Overall, you can’t go wrong with Qcells or LONGi. Both companies make high-quality, affordable panels for home solar use.

    Before we dive in, I should mention that some brands — notably Panasonic, LG, and Tesla — no longer make their own panels. You might see these brands in other articles that have outdated information.

    The table below provides a high-level look at my picks for the top seven cheap solar panel manufacturers.

    Panel ManufacturerOur ScoreWarrantyPower Output RangeEfficiency Range
    Qcells4.8 / 5.025 years360W – 415W19.6% – 21.2%
    LONGi4.6 / 5.012 years285W – 455W17.4% – 21.5%
    JinkoSolar4.6 / 5.012 years205W – 550W19.1% – 22.0%
    Canadian Solar4.4 / 5.012 years225W – 465W15.9% – 21.0%
    Silfab Solar4.3 / 5.025 years330W – 500W19.2% – 21.4%
    Trina Solar4.0 / 5.025 years260W – 550W16.2% – 21.1%
    REC3.9 / 5.025 years240W – 450W16.5% – 22.2%

    [Insert info into Roundup Accordion Widget & connect elements to Brands Database, as shown here.]

    Best Product Warranty

    QCells

    4.5

    Our Rating

    QCells is known for being one of the more affordable residential solar panel brands, so it’s a great choice for homeowners looking to switch to solar on a budget. The company is a tier 1 manufacturer that focuses on making high-quality, low-cost monocrystalline panels. Qcells is operated by the South Korean company Hanwha.

    Qcells is the de facto standard for low-cost home solar panels. The company manages to produce high-performance photovoltaic (PV) panels at an incredible price point, taking advantage of its affordable manufacturing setup in South Korea.

    Qcells’s panels provide an excellent balance between cost and performance. The company produces solar PV panels that cover a range of efficiency ratings between 19.6% and 21.2%, giving you a variety of price points and performance levels to choose from.

    The company’s panels are also known for being extremely durable and are capable of withstanding higher-than-average wind speeds, snow loads, and high temperatures. Qcells stands behind its products with a 25-year equipment and performance warranty, which guarantees that your panels’ efficiency won’t drop below 86% of their initial value.

    Review Scores

    Even though Qcells is my pick for the best overall cheap solar panel manufacturer, there are some things I don’t love about it.

    The company doesn’t make polycrystalline solar panels, which are more affordable than monocrystalline solar panels. Polycrystalline panels are less efficient than monocrystalline panels, but that’s a tradeoff many homeowners are willing to make to save some money.

    I also would like the performance guarantee to be better. Qcells guarantees that its panels retain at least 86% of their initial efficiency, which is good, but still pales in comparison to the 92% guarantee offered by premium brands like Maxeon from SunPower.

    Very affordable
    Good performance ratings
    More durable than most panels
    Doesn’t offer polycrystalline panels

    Here’s a quick look at the two residential solar panel options Qcells offers to residential customers:

    • Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G10: This is the most affordable solar panel Qcells makes. It comes with an efficiency rating of 20.6% and costs about $2.60 per watt, on average.
    • Q.PEAK DUO BLK ML-G10+: The ML-G10+ panels are a bit more expensive and slightly more efficient than the G10s. They have an efficiency rating of 20.9% instead of 20.6% and cost between 5% and 10% more than the G10s.

    Qcells’s warranty is excellent, offering 25 years’ worth of protection for equipment and performance. Its performance guarantee, in particular, is very good and guarantees that your panels will retain 86% of their initial efficiency. For comparison, 80% is the norm throughout the industry.

    Many solar installation companies throughout the country install Qcells panels, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a local installer that offers Qcells’ products. Notably, Tesla started installing Qcells panels instead of its own Tesla brand solar panels as of 2022.

    Most Reliable

    LONGi

    4.2

    Our Rating

    LONGi doesn’t sell the cheapest solar panels, nor does it offer the highest-performance panels, but the efficiency you get from LONGi is unbeatable in its price range. LONGi’s range of affordable panels have impressive efficiency ratings and come in a variety of wattages, which makes it easy to customize your system to meet your home’s energy needs.

    LONGi’s Hi-Mo series of panels have impressive specs, especially given their prices. The efficiency ratings on the Hi-MO 4 through Hi-MO 6 series of panels fall between 20.9% and 22.6%, making them some of the most efficient panels on the market.

    LONGi doesn’t skimp on high-tech features to keep its costs down. Its Hi-MO 4 panels come with anti-LID (light induced degradation) and anti-PID (potential induced degradation) features, giving them a better-than-average first-year degradation of under 2% and a steady degradation of just 0.45% per year from the second year onward.

    A less important point is that LONGi’s panels look good on your roof. Many budget solar panels are ugly and bulky, while LONGi’s panels come in sleek black designs that help them look good while they save you money on your electricity bill.

    Review Scores

    One downside to choosing a LONGi panel is that its warranty isn’t great for its more affordable panels. LONGi only covers its cheapest Hi-MO 4 panels for 12 years, which is well below the average coverage length of 25 years. It does offer slightly longer 15-year warranties on its higher-end panels, but those are more expensive.

    Excellent efficiency ratings for the price
    Low yearly degradation rates
    Aesthetically-pleasing design
    Warranty is lacking
    Not the cheapest option

    LONGi’s Hi-MO 4 is its cheapest residential solar panel, but the company also offers two higher-performance models for people who don’t mind paying a bit more for better performance.

    • Hi-MO 4: This budget-friendly panel has a 20.9% efficiency rating, a 0.45% per year degradation rate and comes with a 12-year product warranty and 30-year performance guarantee.
    • Hi-MO 5: The Hi-Mo 5 is LONGi’s mid-range panel, with a slightly higher efficiency rating of 21.5% and a proportionally higher price. It still comes with a 12-year product warranty and a 30-year guarantee for energy production.
    • Hi-MO 6: This is LONGi’s premium option. This panel boasts an impressive maximum efficiency rating of 22.6% and comes with a 15-year product warranty and a 25-year power output guarantee.

    LONGi’s product warranties aren’t great. The Hi-MO 4 and 5 come with 12-year equipment warranties, while the higher-quality Hi-MO 6 models come with a 15-year product warranty. Both warranty terms fall short of the industry average of 25 years.

    Many local solar companies install LONGi panels, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty finding an installer near you that carries the company’s products.

    Most Affordable

    Jinko Solar

    3.8

    Our Rating

    JinkoSolar is a Chinese company that makes some of the most affordable solar panels on the market today. The company has been around for more than 15 years and has a reputation for selling surprisingly efficient panels at very reasonable prices.

    JinkoSolar’s panels cost just $2.25 per watt for its more affordable models, which is significantly less than the overall average cost per watt of $2.66. Not all of JinkoSolar’s panels are affordable, so I’m going to focus most of what I say here on the company’s Eagle family of models.

    Despite their lower-than-average cost, JinkoSolar’s solar panels have respectable efficiency ratings that fall between 19.8% and 21.1%, with the more affordable models obviously falling near the bottom of this range.

    The company guarantees that its panels won’t have less than 80.7% of their original efficiency after 25 years, which is a hair above the industry average guarantee of 80%.

    Review Scores

    The biggest drawback to JinkoSolar’s affordable solar panels is that they aren’t very efficient. Compared with the affordable options from companies like Qcells and LONGi, JinkoSolar’s panels are significantly less efficient. Even though they’re also more affordable, the lower efficiency ratings will cost you some savings over the course of your system’s lifetime.

    JinkoSolar’s warranty is another downside. The company’s budget solar panels come with 12-year warranties, which is less than half of the 25 years you get from most companies.

    Most affordable panels on the market
    Average 25-year degradation guarantee
    Respectable efficiency
    Won’t save you as much money on utility bills
    12-year warranty isn’t great

    JinkoSolar’s Eagle Continental model is the most affordable panel it carries, but I’ll also briefly cover two of its more expensive options to offer points of comparison.

    • Eagle Continental: This panel is my recommendation for the most affordable solar panel for homeowners on a budget. Its 19.8% efficiency rating is good, but not great, but its cost per watt, coming in at $2.25, is hard to beat.
    • Eagle G4: The Eagle G4 is a big step up from the Continental. It has a higher price tag but comes with a 20.96% efficiency rating.
    • Eagle G5: This is JinkoSolar’s highest-efficiency panel available in the United States. It has an efficiency rating of 21.1% and costs quite a bit more than the Continental.

    JinkoSolar’s 12-year product warranty is one of its glaring weak points, in my opinion. The company’s power degradation policy guarantees that its panels won’t drop below 80.7% after 25 years, which is right in line with the industry-wide average.

    Like Qcells and LONGi, JinkoSolar panels are installed by local solar providers throughout the country, so you don’t have to buy them directly through the company.

    Best Value

    Canadian Solar

    4.0

    Our Rating

    Canadian Solar is well known and well respected throughout the solar industry. The company makes tons of different panels, including some more affordable options.

    The main reason I chose Canadian Solar is for its extensive selection of low-cost options. The company’s HiKu line of solar panels tops out at 19.4% efficiency and costs an average of $2.70 per watt, giving it a good balance between price and performance.

    Another great thing about Canadian Solar is that it offers higher capacity panels at more affordable prices than most other manufacturers. You can get absolutely massive 465-watt panels from Canadian Solar at a reasonable price, which makes the company a great option for people with smaller roofs.

    Review Scores

    Unfortunately, Canadian Solar’s budget options aren’t very efficient. The most affordable HiKu line of panels is comprised of polycrystalline designs, which are inherently less efficient than monocrystalline designs. This isn’t a huge deal if you live somewhere with abundant sunshine, but it can pose a problem for people who live in less sunny places.

    Canadian Solar’s warranty is also only 12 years, which doesn’t instill a lot of confidence that the company has faith in its panels’ longevity.

    Tons of low-cost options
    Higher power options are more space efficient
    Great price-to-power ratios
    Only come with a 12-year warranty
    Polycrystalline panels aren’t very efficient

    Canadian Solar has the best selection of cheap solar panels of any manufacturer on this list. Here’s a quick look at some of its more attractive low-cost panels.

    • TOPHiKu6: The TOPHiKu6 panels have the second-highest efficiency rating of Canadian Solar’s panel options. These are all black, but they do have visible grid lines.
    • HiKu6: The HiKu6 panels are all black and come in options with and without visible grid lines, so many homeowners prefer these over the TOPHiKu6 for aesthetic reasons. The efficiency rating is a bit lower.
    • HiHero: The HiHero panels have the highest efficiency rating of the bunch, so they’re best for homeowners looking to maximize production.

    Canadian Solar’s warranty covers equipment for just 12 years on its less expensive models. Some of the company’s premium options come with a 25-year equipment warranty, but they cost significantly more than the budget HiKu family of models.

    Canadian Solar’s products are carried by a wide range of installers throughout the United States. You shouldn’t have any trouble locating a Canadian Solar dealer near you.

    Best Performance Warranty

    Silfab Solar

    4.1

    Our Rating

    If you’re tired of hearing me talk about subpar warranties and want a low-cost panel that has robust coverage, Silfab Solar is worth your attention. The company offers the best warranty for cheap solar panels I’ve seen, so it’s the obvious choice if you’re after peace of mind.

    All of Silfab Solar’s solar panels — yes, even the affordable ones — come with a 25-year warranty for equipment. The company’s panels also come with a 30-year efficiency guarantee that assures its customers their panels won’t lose more than 2.9% in the first year and 0.5% per year thereafter. Silfab Solar’s efficiency remains around 85% after 25 years, which is a marked improvement over most panels on this list.

    Even though Silfab Solar’s warranty is its main distinguishing factor, its panels perform well too. Silfab’s SIL-370 HC, which is its budget option, has an efficiency rating of 20.2%, which is more than respectable for an affordable panel.

    Review Scores

    Now for the bad news. Silfab Solar’s panels are a bit more expensive than most of the solar panels featured in this article. While that doesn’t automatically mean they won’t fit your budget, it does mean you should expect to pay a little more if you want to take advantage of the company’s solid warranty and above-average efficiency.

    Best warranty at this price point
    Good efficiency ratings
    Excellent durability and longevity
    A bit on the expensive side for a budget panel
    Less widely available than other manufacturers

    Silfab Solar has two panels that I consider to be its affordable options:

    • Prime SIL-370 HC: This is Silfab’s most affordable solar panel. It has a power output of 370 watts and an efficiency rating of 20.2%.
    • Prime SIL-400 HC+: If you spend just a little more, you can get the SIL-400 HC+ panel, which has a power output of 400 watts — as you could probably have guessed — and the same 20.2% efficiency rating.

    Silfab’s warranty is excellent, covering equipment for 25 years and performance for 30 years. It also has better-than-average degradation, maintaining 85.1% of its initial efficiency at the 25-year mark.

    Tons of solar installers across the United States carry Silfab panels, although you might have to work a little bit harder to find them than a more popular brand like Canadian Solar or Qcells, depending on where you live.

    Consumer Favorite

    Trina Solar

    4.0

    Our Rating

    Trina Solar is another mainstay of the solar industry. Trina has been around for 26 years and has a solid reputation for being one of the most trusted names in the business. The company makes several different solar panel models, with the Honey M module being my pick for homeowners on a budget.

    Trina Solar’s Honey M panels have an efficiency rating of 20.7%, which isn’t as high as some other budget panels, but makes it especially well-suited for sunny states like California and Arizona, where there is enough annual sunshine to get away with a less efficient panel. The benefit of going with a lower efficiency rating is that they’re significantly cheaper than their high-efficiency counterparts.

    Another reason I like Trina is that it has a 25-year equipment warranty, which is standard for the solar industry but a bit harder to find for cheaper panels. The company also offers a linear 0.5% per year degradation guarantee for 30 years.

    Review Scores

    Unfortunately, lower-efficiency panels will cost you some long-term savings even if you live in a sunny region. While that’s not a big deal if your home gets more than 300 days of sunshine per year, it’s a major disadvantage in less sunny places.

    Like many of the other more affordable panels on this list, the degradation rate of the Trina Honey panels isn’t ideal. After 25 years, you’re looking at 84.8% of the starting efficiency remaining, which pales in comparison to what you’d expect from a premium brand like Maxeon — 92% remaining. This is expected in a more affordable panel, but it’s still worth noting.

    Very affordable
    Great in sun-soaked states
    Solid warranty
    Subpar temperature ratings
    Lower efficiency

    Here are the Trina Solar products I recommend if you’re looking for a low-cost solar panel:

    • Honey M: These panels have a lower maximum efficiency rating of 20.7%, which makes them ideal for homes that get a lot of sunshine but might lead to reduced savings in less sunny environments. You can get Honey M panels with power ratings between 360W and 380W.

    Trina carries several more panels, but none are what I consider low-cost options.

    Trina’s solar warranty covers equipment for 25 years and performance for 30 years, which is average coverage by solar industry standards.

    You can find Trina Solar panels basically anywhere in the country. The brand is one of the most popular in the United States and is widely available.

    Most Durable

    REC

    4.2

    Our Rating

    REC is another big name in the solar industry, although it’s mostly known for its higher-quality offerings. The thing that sets REC apart from other manufacturers is that its panels can take a beating, making the company an excellent choice if you live somewhere with extreme weather.

    REC’s budget panels are more resilient and durable than most panels on the market at any price point. The company’s stress test reports show that its panels can take a whopping 146 pounds per square foot of load, which is massive. Besides the obvious benefits of having durable panels, you also get the advantage of a better-than-average warranty since REC is confident in its panels’ ability to hold up to wear and tear.

    REC is also good for people who want a little bit of room to customize their solar energy systems. The company’s budget model — the N-Peak 2 — comes in a range of sizes between 350W and 375W and several different efficiency ratings between 19.1% and 20.5%.

    Review Scores

    REC panels are not that affordable, all things considered. The cost per watt for its N-Peak 2 model is around $2.92, which is approaching mid-range pricing territory. If you’re on a very tight budget, even the most affordable panel configuration from REC might be out of your comfort zone.

    Durable
    Great Warranty
    Good efficiency ratings
    Several options to choose from
    Expensive for a budget panel

    The only model REC makes that belongs in a discussion about affordable solar panels is the REC N-Peak 2.

    • REC N-Peak 2: N-Peak is the name of a family of panels REC makes that gives you some flexibility to choose the power output and efficiency rating you want. The cheapest option is a 350-watt panel with 19.1% efficiency, while the top-of-the-line version has a 375-watt output and 20.5% efficiency rating.

    REC’s warranty is standard, covering manufacturing defects for 25 years and performance for 30 years.

    REC is widely available throughout the country from local installers in every state. You shouldn’t have much difficulty finding a local installer that will perform an REC solar panel installation.


    Compare the Top-Rated Cheap Solar Panels

    Now that you have a better idea of which manufacturers make the most affordable panels, I want to give you a brief look at the specific panels I recommend. My top pick is the Qcells BLK-G10. This panel is Qcells’ budget option and has impressive performance statistics for such an affordable panel.

    The following table compares the specific model I recommend from each of the top manufacturers I discussed in the previous sections.

    Panel ModelPower OutputEfficiency RatingTemperature Coefficient (per degree C over 25)Power ToleranceEfficiency After 25 Years
    Qcells Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G10350W–370W20.6%-0.34%0/+5%85.5%
    LONGi Hi-MO 4445W–455WUp to 20.9%-0.34%0/+5%84.8%
    JinkoSolar Eagle Continental390WUp to 19.4%-0.36%0/+3%83.1%
    Canadian Solar HiKu6445W–555WUp to 21.5%-0.34%0/+10%84.8%
    Silfab Prime SL-370 HC370WUp to 20.2%-0.36%0/+10%82.6%
    TrinaSolar Honey M360W–380WUp to 20.7%-0.34%0/+5%84.8%
    REC N-Peak 2360W–375WUp to 20.5%-0.34%0/+5%84.8%

    What Affects the Cost of a Cheap Solar Panel System?

    Before I wrap up this guide, I want to briefly talk about the factors that affect the cost of a cheap solar panel system in general.

    • Efficiency: The main way manufacturers keep costs down on cheap solar panels is by using less sophisticated solar cells. This usually means that affordable panels are less efficient than expensive ones. The tradeoff for you is that less efficient panels don’t convert sunlight to usable energy as readily as more efficient panels, which means your system will produce less electricity and save you less money in the long run.
    • Warranty: Another way manufacturers keep costs down is by building cheap panels with lower-quality parts, which leads to more failures. To compensate for the increased failure rates, manufacturers often offer shorter warranties for cheaper panels. If you have a problem outside the warranty period, you’re responsible for paying for any repairs you need yourself.
    • Performance: This is slightly different than efficiency and deals with how your panels perform in adverse conditions like hot weather and how they maintain their performance over time. Less expensive panels typically lose more efficiency when it gets hot, which makes them less suitable in warmer climates. Similarly, affordable panels also degrade more quickly, meaning they produce less energy over time than more expensive panels.

    Check out the video below to see why solar panel warranties are so important:

    Solar Panel Warranties Explained | What You Need To Know About Your Solar Panel Warranty | Teho


    So, Are Cheap Solar Panels Worth It for Your Home?

    Overall, cheap solar panels are worth it if you can’t afford to pay for premium panels. Switching to solar will always save you money, but cheaper panels will typically save you less money than more expensive ones due to their lower efficiency and higher failure rates. If you have to choose between cheap solar panels and no solar panels, I strongly encourage you to go with the cheap panels.

    I recommend you get as many quotes as you can from local installers before you make your final decision, regardless of which manufacturer or panel you wind up choosing. You can use the tool below to get started looking for local installers.

    Get a Solar Quote in 30 Seconds
    On average, homeowners save $5,000–$20,000 with solar panels

    Here are some of the questions I get asked most often about cheap solar panels.

    FAQs About Cheap Solar Panels

    What is the cheapest type of solar panel?

    The cheapest type of solar panel is a polycrystalline photovoltaic solar cell panel. This type of panel is less efficient and less expensive than the more common monocrystalline design, making it a good choice for homeowners looking for a budget-friendly panel.


    Do cheap solar panels work?

    Yes, but not as well as more expensive solar panels. Cheap solar panels usually have lower efficiency ratings than more expensive panels, which means they produce less electricity for the same amount of sunlight. Cheap solar panels also tend to degrade more rapidly than more premium options, which means you wind up saving less money over time.


    What are the benefits of using cheap solar panels?

    The main benefit of choosing affordable solar panels is that the upfront cost of your solar system will be much lower. This makes it possible for more people to afford a cash purchase or solar loan, which will save them more money in the long run than settling for a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA).


    Is DIY solar a good way to get cheap solar panels?

    Yes and no. Solar panel kits are much more affordable than having a professional installation company install a solar array for you. However, affordability upfront isn’t the only factor. Trying to take your home off-grid is a huge task that most people, frankly, aren’t up to. Solar panel prices are also higher when you buy them directly from the manufacturer since you won’t get the same wholesale discounts that installers get.

    While you save money on installation costs, there are many ways DIY solar may wind up being more expensive. You lose access to the better financing options solar installers provide and you don’t get any perks, like an output warranty or workmanship warranty.


    Methodology: How We Reviewed Cheap Solar Panels

    Solar panels not only make your home more environmentally friendly, but they also make your home more energy efficient. The review experts at Today’s Homeowner want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the best decision for your home. We strive for transparent and accurate information, which is why we base our ratings on publicly available information and customer feedback.

    A solar panel brand can earn a maximum of 100 points across five categories converted to a five-star scale. We researched dozens of solar panels to develop the following formula:

    • Tier (25 points): Solar panel tiers represent the quality of a solar panel. Tier 1 solar modules are considered the best solar panels due to their reliability and warranty coverage, which is why solar panels with Tier 1 status perform the best in this category.
    • Cost per watt (20 points): The cost of solar panels is one of the most important factors, as the price can range from $2.50 per watt to well over $3 per watt. Many homeowners consider the price of solar panels when doing their research, which is why we always include this data point in our methods. Solar panel brands that cost $2.50 or less perform best in this category, while the more expensive panels cost $3 per att or more.
    • Efficiency range (20 points): Efficiency is one of the most important factors to consider when looking for solar panels for your home. Efficiency is how much energy a solar panel can convert from the sun into usable energy for your home. The higher the efficiency, the better the panel, which is why solar panels with an efficiency of 22% or more score the best in this category.
    • Panel options (20 points): It's important to have the best solar panel for your home, but it's equally important to have a variety of panel options so you can choose the one that best suits your energy and budget needs. There are three types of panels, including monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. A solar panel brand will perform best in this category if it has all three types.
    • Warranty period (10 points): A solar panel is only as good as the warranty behind it. A warranty on your solar panel can save you thousands of dollars in the event of an unexpected failure. The best solar panels have a 25-year warranty, but some go even further and have a 30-year performance guarantee.

    We monitor company data on an ongoing basis to keep rankings and information up to date.

    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Dan Simms

    Dan Simms

    Contributor

    Dan Simms worked in real estate management for five years before using his experience to help property owners maintain their own homes. He got his master’s degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, and he now enjoys sharing his knowledge about homeownership and DIY projects with others on Today’s Homeowner. When he’s not writing, he’s usually outdoors with his wife and his dog, enjoying mountain biking, skiing, and hiking.

    Learn More

    photo of Lora Novak

    Lora Novak

    Senior Editor

    Lora Novak meticulously proofreads and edits all commercial content for Today’s Homeowner to guarantee that it contains the most up-to-date information. Lora brings over 12 years of writing, editing, and digital marketing expertise. She’s worked on thousands of articles related to heating, air conditioning, ventilation, roofing, plumbing, lawn/garden, pest control, insurance, and other general homeownership topics.

    Learn More

    Connect With Solar Experts in Your City