1. What are the grades of solar panels?
Solar panels are graded in three categories – Class I, Class II and Class III. In fact, this is not only the grading of solar panels, but also the grading of solar manufacturers.
2. What are the characteristics of Class I solar panels?
2.1 Grade 1 solar panels are classified as Grade 1 not only because they are the best quality solar panels, but also because Grade 1 solar panel manufacturers are more reputable, which makes people trust the solar panels they make more. So are Tier 1 solar panels still reliable? That’s for sure. Manufacturers that get the Tier 1 designation show that their products are supported by the general public and more financial investors find them reliable and invest in their projects.
2.2 Grade 1 solar panels are made from the highest grade of silicon. The higher the grade of silicon, the better the solar panel performance. And they are manufactured using advanced robots in the manufacturing process, which can reduce the behaviour of human error in manufacturing and guarantee the quality.
2.3 Manufacturers of Tier 1 solar panels are vertically integrated, with all major components in the solar panel supplied and manufactured by a single company. This also ensures the quality of the solar panels.
2.4 Tier 1 solar panels have high conversion efficiency, high light storage capacity, low reflective refraction and long service life. It is manufactured using high quality materials and is much more expensive. It is mainly used for PV panels and home solar systems that require high quality.
2.5 Tier 1 manufacturers usually offer a 25, or even 30, year warranty on the performance of their solar panels. Common tier 1 solar panels include JA Solar, Longi Solar, JinkoSolar, Trina Solar, etc.
3. What are the characteristics of Tier 2 solar panels?
3.1 The quality of secondary solar panels must be worse than the quality of primary solar panels, but some secondary solar manufacturers may be due to the manufacture of new solar products are not well known, has not yet occupied too much position in the solar industry, so that there are not too many financial institutions to invest in its projects, to give sufficient credibility to ensure that even if the quality of the better, but also not regarded as a primary manufacturer.
3.2 Most Tier 2 manufacturers use only some robots in their manufacturing process. The performance is cantered, the conversion efficiency and light storage efficiency are better, the service life is also very long, and the price is cheaper compared to the primary solar panels.
3.3 Most Tier 2 solar panels are less vertically integrated and do not provide better quality assurance.
4. What are the characteristics of tertiary solar panels?
4.1 Tier 3 solar panels have the worst performance and they usually use manual control of the manufacturing process.
4.2 Tertiary solar panels have weak conversion efficiency, light storage performance, high reflection discount, and shorter service life.
4.3 However tertiary solar panels also play a role in life. They occupy some positions in some solar power system that require less solar panels, such as outdoor lighting and mobile power. They are also the cheapest, which attracts some customers who do not pay attention to the performance of PV panels.
5. Guidelines for choosing quality solar panels
5.1 Define your needs and budget
People usually go for quality solar panels, but it also means higher price, you need to be clear about the quantity you need and budget money to go for solar panels.
5.2 Research the reputation of solar panels
You can choose some famous brands, such as JinkoSolar, Longi Solar and so on. However, we should also pay proper attention to some new products, maybe they have better performance and quality.
5.3 Focus on the parameters of solar panels and related certifications
When shopping for solar panels, it will be labelled with its efficiency, temperature coefficient, output power, etc., which can be used to judge the performance of solar panels according to these figures. There are also different certifications for solar panels in different regions, such as TUV certification, UL certification, Canadian CSA certification, and so on. Solar panels that pass these certifications usually have excellent performance.
5.4 Attention to after-sales service
The excellent performance of solar panels not only depends on the manufacturer’s manufacturing, the design of its installation location also plays a decisive role in its performance. The after-sales maintenance of the solar panels also needs to be taken into consideration to ensure the long-term performance of the panels.
5.5 Focus on Long-Term Benefits
For Tier 1 solar panels, they are slightly more expensive, but their longevity and efficiency are so high that with prolonged use, the benefits later in the life cycle will offset the upfront costs. And installing a solar system brings security to our green eco-environment.
6. Conclusion:
Class 1 solar is undoubtedly the best solar panel that will bring security and benefits to the operation of our solar system for a long time. For homeowners who have enough money for the initial installation, they tend to choose excellent solar panels, which will save money for future maintenance and other aspects.
For homeowners with less than adequate funds for the initial installation, you can choose secondary solar panels. It is only second in quality to the primary solar panels and also performs well over a long period of time.
We need to consider the above multiple perspectives when choosing solar panels in order to choose the best solar panel for you.
