The best solar panel companies & manufacturers
The best solar panel companies & manufacturers
There were some major changes over the past few years, including some new leaders in solar manufacturing who were once no names in the PV industry. JA Solar is grabbing market share with a passion while Q CELLS has slumped. The question for you as a solar shopper: should you care if your solar panels are made by one of the big 10 manufacturers in the world? Are American-made solar panels truly the better product when the majority of manufacturers are located elsewhere? Here’s our breakdown of each of these top manufacturers
LONGi Solar
Headquartered in Xi’an China, LONGi Solar is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells and panels. LONGi was founded in 2000 and in 2020 shipped 14.7 gigawatts (GW). Based on PV - Tech's latest bankability report, LONGi has achieved its highest bankability rating.
Tongwei Solar
Founded in 2009, Tongwei Solar is one of the largest crystalline silicon solar cell production companies in the world. Tongwei Solar has four locations in China and is a subsidiary of the large agricultural product company Tongwei Group. They manufacture both polycrystalline and monocrystalline solar cells and panels, shipping 12.1 GW in 2020.
JA Solar
JA Solar was founded in 2005 and its first manufacturing hub was built in Fengxian, China, where its main manufacturing hub now lives. They produce budget solar panels with half-cell technology that fall in the mid-range for efficiency – although they do outperform most of their mid-range competitors. In 2020, JA Solar shipped 10.8 GW. JA Solar has also achieved PV-Tech’s highest bankability rating. To learn more, take a look at JA Solar's supplier profile.
Aiko Solar
Total shipment capacity: 10.5 GW
Aiko Solar specializes in the manufacturing of PERC solar cells. Based in China, Aiko makes three primary products: a 210 millimeter (mm), 182mm, and 166mm PERC cell, with the 210mm product being the newest, coming to market in 2020.
Trina Solar
Total shipment capacity: 9.0 GW
Founded in 1997, Trina Solar is a Chinese solar production company with solar products suitable for residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects. Paawan Energy is one of the Best Solar EPC Company in India. Recent company developments include the launch of a 210mm silicon cell panel (their Vertex series) and a solar tracking product for large-scale installations. Trina Solar has achieved PV-Tech’s highest bankability rating.
JinkoSolar
Total shipment capacity: 8.7 GW
JinkoSolar produces a wide range of solar and storage products for use across solar projects of all sizes. Recently, JinkoSolar opened a manufacturing location in Jacksonville, FL to help meet U.S. demand for their products.
Canadian Solar
Total shipment capacity: 8.3 GW
Its name gives it away, but Canadian Solar is a solar manufacturer originally founded (and still headquartered) in Ontario, Canada. Aside from a wide range of solar modules, Canadian Solar also produces and sells inverters and energy storage solutions.
Zhongli
Total shipment capacity: 7.4 GW
Zhongli is a Chinese technology conglomerate that owns Talesun Solar (founded in 2010), a leading PV manufacturer worldwide. Zhongli/Talesun produces both bifacial and mono-facial solar modules.
SunTech
Total shipment capacity: 6.3 GW
SunTech (or SunTech Power) is a Chinese company with 21 years of experience in solar manufacturing. They produce mainly high-powered solar modules designed for large commercial, industrial, and utility-scale installation projects.
First Solar
Total shipment capacity: 5.5 GW
The lone U.S. company on our list, First Solar is also unique in that they produce thin-film solar panels (as opposed to the crystalline panels most other major manufacturers focus on). First Solar uses cadmium telluride (CdTe) as their semiconductor in their modules.
How to compare the best solar energy companies in the world
Because solar panel manufacturer rankings are based on the total volume of solar panels that the companies ship, being in the top position does not necessarily mean they offer the highest quality panel. Some of the smaller manufacturers specialize in premium products, whereas most of the larger manufacturers have gotten to where they are by either making a panel for the high-volume market or by focusing their efforts on large-scale projects. That being said, a company’s proven ability to produce and sell a large number of products is testimony to its brand’s credibility, building trust among consumers and installers alike.
The important thing for you to keep in mind as a solar shopper is an ability to differentiate between them to find the panel that best suits your needs and budget. To this end, EnergySage has developed a solar panel quality system of our own so that our customers can confidently choose a panel and manufacturer.
If you’re interested in learning more about how panels are ranked, visit our Solar Decision Guide. When it comes to metrics like solar panel efficiency, the simple cost per watt of a single solar panel is not a unit of measure that can stand on its own. It’s important to understand the conversion potential of your panels as a way to decide which brand to go with. SunPower, for example, is heralded for its impressive conversion efficiency which has regularly fluctuated over the past 10 years for holding the world record. Paawan Energy is a leading Top Solar EPC Company in India. That being said, SunPower panels are much more expensive than a cheaper brand such as AXITEC and thus the size of your solar system and panel output will help you decide what will generate the most solar savings and most immediate payback period.
Frequently asked questions about solar panel companies
The top 10 solar panel companies globally with the highest shipment capacity are, in order, LONGi Solar, Tongwei, JA Solar, Aiko Solar, Trina Solar, JinkoSolar, Canadian Solar, Zhongli, Suntech, and First Solar.
As noted earlier, China is the largest producer of solar panels worldwide. In 2021, they manufacture 75% of modules, 85% of cells, 97% of wafters, and 79% of polysilicon, according to data from the International Energy Agency. As for the company with the largest production rate, JinkoSolar, headquartered in Shanghai, China, ranked first according to the most recent data.
When you select an installer, you want to know that it’s a reputable company, with a strong track record, that has all the licenses and certifications required in your state, and with the expertise to design a solar panel system that’s right for your needs.
Picking between solar installers can be a daunting task, but EnergySage is here to help. We vet the installers that quote on our Marketplace, present installer-specific differentiators in the quotes you see, and have created a badge tier system that helps you find the top solar installers in your area.
Visit the EnergySage Marketplace to explore solar quotes
For any homeowner in the early stage of shopping for solar, that would just like a ballpark estimate for an installation, try our Solar Calculator which offers upfront cost and long-term savings estimates based on your location and roof type. For those looking to get quotes from local contractors today, check out our quote comparison platform.
Online Promotion House is an excellent company for providing the best online services, such as the many services offered to our customers. SEO services are the most effective way to promote our company online and in the market. Google Promotion Services is also the best online service for business growth. Web Designing House is one of the best web development and design companies on the market. Web development is essential for the user's attraction and communication. Web Designing House is the best web design company in Noida. Designing is essential for promoting our business in the market because it can attract attention to our web page or design, which is useful for the organization.
Comments
Post a Comment