Solar Panels Introduction
Guide to Buying Solar > 1. Solar Panels Introduction
Solar panels are the most visible part of a solar system and are a surprisingly simple and reliable way to generate electricity. However, there is a lot of information about buying solar that you might find confusing, but don’t worry, you are in the right place. This article will help you understand how solar works and guide you through the steps to going solar. See the below links for further reading on solar panels.
Quick links to Solar Panel Information and Reviews
Solar Panel Basics
The biggest problem for people new to solar is understanding the different solar panels and which brands are the most reliable. This is made more difficult as they generally look very similar, with nothing obvious to distinguish between high and low-quality products. Unfortunately, many solar installers and customers only have the glossy brochure to go by, which can easily baffle people with clever marketing and slogans.
First, it’s important to know that we are talking about solar photovoltaics (PV) here, or solar electricity, not solar hot water. Solar panels generate electricity from sunlight, and several factors influence how well solar panels perform, which we explain in our “How Solar Panels Work” article. Solar panels generate DC electricity, but we use AC electricity in our homes. That’s where the second most important part of our Solar System comes in, the solar inverter. The inverter is the brain of the operation, and it converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).
How do solar panels work
While solar panel efficiency has increased substantially, the basic makeup of a solar panel, also known as a solar module, has not changed much over the last few decades. Solar panels are still composed of a series of solar cells linked together to form a basic circuit. The thin solar cells, made from silicon wafers, are very reliable and work on the basic photovoltaic principle and convert sunlight into DC electricity. Solar panels can be mounted on a rooftop using specialised mounting systems to form a solar array and generally last 20+ years, with many solar panel manufacturers offering 25-year warranties. Learn more about solar panel warranties.
Basic diagram showing a modern half-cut solar cell, a solar panel and a solar array made up of two rows or strings.
What are the best solar panels?
Selecting a quality solar panel and solar inverter brand from hundreds of different models and manufacturers can be difficult. Even for experienced people in the solar industry, it is hard to cut through the noise, let alone if you are new to solar. That is why we founded Clean Energy Reviews; we have been working in the solar industry for over ten years and have learned which brands are good and which to avoid. We have compiled industry knowledge about the best solar panel and inverter brands and have narrowed down the long list of solar panel and inverter brands to a select few using feedback from installers and solar professionals based on quality, efficiency, reliability, performance and return on investment. See our review of the Best Solar Panels for more information.
What is a Tier 1 solar panel?
It is worth mentioning the commonly used ‘Tier 1’ rating, which solar companies often say to promote their panels as the best. However, the Tier 1 rating can be misleading and does not guarantee a panel is free from defects or give any indication of how it will perform over the life of the system. Bloomberg New Energy Finance developed the rating to rate solar panel manufacturers in terms of financial stability; it generally has no link to the performance or quality of a panel.
Solar Inverter Basics
As explained earlier, solar inverters are required to convert DC electricity from solar panels into AC electricity, which can be used in our homes and businesses. The inverter is the most sophisticated part of any standard on-grid solar system. Unfortunately, it’s also the part most likely to have issues due to being typically installed outside under extreme weather conditions, including rain, humidity and high temperatures. This is why the choice of inverter is often the second most important decision when going solar after deciding which company you want to buy your solar system from. See the below links for further reading on solar inverters:
See our best solar inverters review.
See our Enphase microInverter review.
See our off-grid solar system review.
The First Steps to Buying Solar
Going solar can be confusing 🤯, overwhelming, and you may often get contradictory information. That’s why we started Clean Energy Reviews, and this is why we wrote the guide to buying solar. Something that gets mentioned a lot in our forum by people who have been researching solar for months is that they have ingested a huge amount of information and are still not sure where to start. This guide takes you through all the important information you need to know and the decisions you need to make one by one. Going solar might seem complicated, but it is relatively straightforward when you break it down.
Guide to Buying Solar
Work out if solar is right for you.
Try our handy Solar Calculator to find out almost everything you need to know about the particular system you need:
How many solar panels do you need (System size)
The estimated cost of a solar system
Estimated savings and the payback period
Should you get batteries with your solar
Our solar calculator will also show you if any solar rebates are available, depending on your system size. You can read more about what rebates are available in our Solar Rebates and Tariffs article.
Get some quotes and decide who to buy solar from
Once you’ve done some research and got an idea of what type of solar system you want, you can get a quote. It’s a good idea to ensure you have some background knowledge before you get your quotes. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with seemingly conflicting information once you start talking with salespeople.
Remember, you’re buying something that will hopefully be on your roof for decades to come, so consider the quality of your panels and inverter and, most importantly, the solar company - read reviews on companies you get quotes from before you buy.
Clean Energy Reviews has partnered with the biggest and best solar quote services in:
Australia (SolarQuotes) and the USA (SolarReviews)
We recommend you use these services to get quotes from reputable local solar companies.
Ask questions, review quotes and book an installation.
You’ll likely have many questions once you’ve got some quotes. Feel free to ask us and the community as much as you like in the solar forum. It may also be helpful to use the solar and battery calculator again to ensure you know what cost and savings to expect. You should now be able to decide on what quote to go with. Go ahead, lock in an install date and pay your deposit. The sooner you get solar, the sooner you will start to see the savings.
Ask about your solar quote in our forum.
Disclaimer
Our opinions are our own, based on years of personal experience, testing, researching and listening to the views and feedback from the many solar experts we engage with. We are, and always will be, foremost an independent review site. However, whilst we do our best to keep informed of all the solar products on the market, we will never have all the information, nor can we know what products best suit any individual's needs perfectly. Please use your judgment when buying solar.