Solar technology has made leaps and bounds toward higher efficiency. Just five years ago, the average solar panel efficiency in quotes through EnergySage was 19%. In , the average efficiency is about 21.4%, which translates to 10% more electricity produced per panel.
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Within those averages, you'll find solar panels with a range of efficiency ratings. It might not surprise you that you'll usually pay more for solar panels with greater efficiency. SunPower, one of the better-known solar panel brands, offers the most efficient and most expensive solar panels for homes at 22.8% efficiency. Other brands like REC, Panasonic, Maxeon, Jinko Solar, and Q CELLS aren't too far off with above 22% efficiency.
We'll help you decide if the highest-efficiency solar panels are worth it for you, and offer some advice on how to keep your panels producing electricity as efficiently as possible.
A solar panel's efficiency measures its ability to convert sunlight into usable electricity. If the sun shines on a solar panel with a 20% efficiency rating, 20% of the sun's energy will convert to solar energy in ideal conditions. Given the same amount of sunlight shining simultaneously on two equal-sized solar panels with different efficiency ratings, the more efficient panel will produce more power than the less efficient panel.
Solar panels are made of up multiple silicon solar cells, which, combined, determine a panel's overall efficiency rating. The structure and type of silicon crystal (generally monocrystalline or polycrystalline), electrical configuration, and surrounding components of the solar cells all influence that number.
Today, about 95% of solar panels quoted on EnergySage are between 19.7% and 21.6% efficient. Higher-efficiency panels are typically more expensive, but they can be worth it depending on your energy needs and the configuration of your roof.
SunPower offers the most efficient solar panels for homes today at 22.8% efficiency. They come with the highest price tag but can be worth it if your roof has limited space or a lot of shading. Otherwise, you may be better off choosing one of the other highly efficient, but more affordable solar panels on our list.
*Based on an EnergySage Marketplace average cost per watt of $2.75/W.
**Based on EIA electricity data from April .
In the example above, after considering your upfront costs and your 25-year electric bill savings, you'd save $1,423 more overall with the SunPower system over 25 years.
We've gone over the basics of monocrystalline versus polycrystalline panels and the impact each material design has on efficiency, but there's more than just the structure of your panel that determines how well they can turn sunlight into electricity.
Remember, solar panel efficiency isn't the only significant factor to consider in your solar panel decision. On the EnergySage Marketplace, you can compare solar panels based on multiple factors, including, efficiency, power output, warranty, and price to go solar with confidence. Sign up for free today to connect with your own Energy Advisor, who can help you find the best solar panels for your home.
A solar panel&#;s efficiency rating tells you how good solar panels are at turning sunlight into usable electricity. The higher the efficiency rating, the more electricity that panel can generate.
Today, most home solar panels have efficiency ratings between 19% and 21%. But as solar technology improves, more and more solar manufacturers are reaching 22% or higher efficiencies. For comparison, data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows the average solar panel was only 14.1% efficient in . Solar panel efficiency has changed over time, and we&#;ve come a long way!
22% efficiency might not seem that impressive - but most things don&#;t operate as close to 100% as you think. According to Penn State University, gasoline car engines are about 25% efficient, and power plants are just 36% efficient.
Maxeon offers the highest efficiency solar panels of , with maximum efficiency ratings of 22.8%. That&#;s impressive! REC, whose Alpha Pure-RX models can reach 22.6% efficiency, is not far behind.
Here are the top five highest efficiency home solar panels:
Solar panel model
Efficiency rating
SunPower Maxeon Residential AC 440 W
22.8%
REC Group Alpha Pure-RX 470 W
22.6%
Jinko Eagle G6 440 W
22.53%
Heliene 108 HC M10 TPC SL
22.49%
Yingli Panda 3.0 Pro
22.28%
Maxeon&#;s SunPower Residential AC 440 W residential model takes first place as the most efficient residential home solar panel. Maxeon has been using the same technology it patented in , keeping it a top maker of high-efficiency solar panels for years.
The combination of Maxeon&#;s patented interdigitated back contact technology, high-quality silicon, and an integrated microinverter on the back of each Maxeon AC panel has allowed the company to reach efficiencies of 22.8%.
Although Maxeon manufactures the solar panels, they are only available through SunPower dealers. But, other high-quality Maxeon models can be purchased through non-SunPower companies.
Read more about what our solar experts have to say in our full Maxeon solar panel review.
The REC Alpha Pure-RX 470-watt panel has an impressive efficiency rating of 22.6%. In , REC started using half-cut technology to improve the efficiency and performance of its panels. Ten years later, the company still uses it and is seeing fantastic results.
One Alpha PURE-RX model takes up 22.4 square feet, making it slightly larger than the size of a standard residential solar panel. The increased footprint makes the panel more powerful, so fewer need to be installed to produce enough power to run a home.
Use our expert review of REC to learn more about other high-efficiency panels the brand offers.
Jinko Solar&#;s new Eagle G6 440-watt solar panel is 22.53% efficient, making it the third most efficient solar panel for homeowners. Like many solar manufacturers, Jinko Solar adopted n-type TOPCon solar cells for the Eagle G6.
TOPCon technology reduces heat losses from recombination that occurs within solar cells. But the specifics of how electrons bounce around inside solar cells don&#;t matter to homeowners; what does matter is that TOPCon cells allow solar panels to generate more electricity out of the sunlight they capture.
Jinko is another huge name in the solar industry, and it&#;s spent a lot of time on research and development to reach such impressive results. Some of Jinko&#;s models, like the Tiger NEO Mono 60 HC, are 22.71% efficient. These models, however, aren&#;t available in the United States.
Read more: Expert review of Jinko Solar
Heliene isn&#;t as popular as some other brands, but its 22.49% efficiency panels are not to be ignored. Another panel that uses TOPCon cells, Heliene&#;s 108HC TPC SL All Black Module, exceeds the performance of many panels on the market today.
Despite having less brand-name recognition than companies like Panasonic, Heiliene is a Tier 1 company producing powerful, quality solar panels.
Yingli Solar has been in the industry since , manufacturing solar panels for home, commercial, and utility projects. Yingli&#;s panels come at an affordable price, especially for their performance.
The Panda 3.0 Pro module series also uses TOPCon solar cells and a multi-busbar design to boost efficiency ratings to an impressive 22.28%.
High-efficiency solar panels tend to come with a higher price tag and can add a premium of over $2,000 to the total cost of your system. That means a 7 kilowatt (kW) solar system using premium efficiency panels might cost around $23,100, while the same system using standard efficiency panels might be closer to $19,900.
But, the cost of highly efficient solar panels is getting lower, thanks to brands like Canadian Solar and LONGi. These companies are making great-quality panels with excellent efficiency ratings for a fraction of the cost of premium brands like SunPower. As these brands develop more products, efficiencies could rise while solar panel costs remain the same.
How much will a solar system cost for your home?How efficiently a solar panel generates electricity is influenced by several factors, like the type of solar panel, the angle and direction in which it&#;s installed, and climate and weather conditions.
There are three main types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. However, almost every home solar installation uses monocrystalline panels because they&#;re the most efficient and look good!
Because monocrystalline solar panels are the most common, it&#;s important to understand the different technologies used in them that have made them even more efficient! Some of the most popular solar cells used today are Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC), Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon), Heterojunction (HJT), and bifacial cells.
In the United States, solar panels generate the most electricity on south-facing roofs because the sun spends the most time in the southern sky. Solar panels installed facing west or east will still generate electricity, but they will be less than those installed towards the south.
The angle at which solar panels are installed can also make a difference. The ideal solar panel angle is based on the latitude of your home, so it varies by location. Solar panels are generally installed anywhere between a 20 and 45-degree angle for maximum solar energy generation.
The weather can impact how solar panels generate electricity. For example, solar panels that are covered with snow can&#;t generate electricity!
But, believe it or not, solar panels produce electricity more efficiently in colder temperatures! As the surface of a solar panel gets hotter, the efficiency drops slightly.
Cloud cover and shade can also cause solar panels to produce less energy. In general, though, these types of weather and climate conditions are taken into account by your solar installer when they design your system, so your panels will still generate the power you need!
How many solar panels do you need where you live?There are three steps you can take to keep your panels operating at their best:
Monitor your system&#;s performance: With solar monitoring software, you or your installer can keep tabs on your solar system&#;s performance. When an issue arises, you can address it right away!
Install panels on optimal roof space: Not everyone likes the look of solar panels. In fact, some homeowners opt to install them on the back of their house &#; but there might be better directions for solar panels than the back of your roof! If you want the most efficient system possible, ensure you get them where they&#;ll get maximum sun.
Keep them clean: Solar panels covered with dust or debris can&#;t generate electricity effectively. Make sure your solar panels are clear, and consider professional solar panel maintenance every year if your roof accumulates significant amounts of debris.
The efficiency rating isn&#;t the tell-tale sign of a good solar panel. You&#;ll also want to check out the power output, which outlines how much power the solar panel can actually produce.
Another thing to consider is the solar warranties. Most solar panels today have a performance warranty of 25 years and a product warranty of 12 to 15 years. Anything less than that is a red flag.
The right panels for you also depend on the type of solar system you're installing. For example, if you're looking to go off-grid, you might want to spend a little more for premium efficiency to get the maximum amount of power possible.
Our solar experts also recommend getting panels from reliable manufacturers. Solar panels are a decades-long investment, and although solar panel failure is extremely rare, make sure you get panels from a manufacturer that will be around to honor the warranty. According to our Solar Industry Survey, the most common brands offered by installers were between Qcells and REC group.
What matters more than anything else when going solar is choosing the right solar installation company. At SolarReviews, we firmly believe that choosing the right solar installer is the key to getting the best solar system possible.
Good solar companies will have positive consumer reviews, won&#;t try to push you to get solar if you&#;re not ready, have been in business for at least five years, and employ certified, well-trained crews.
So, how do you find the best company near you? We can help. Using our solar calculator, you can discover how many solar panels you need and how much solar can save you on your electricity bills. Plus, we can get you in touch with trusted local solar companies in your area. Don&#;t worry - we never connect you
Looking for trusted solar installers near you?We reviewed solar panels offered by 28 brands and identified their most efficient residential solar panels. Residential solar panels were classified as panels that contained up to 66 cells or 132 half-cells.
If the company only had panels that exceeded this size limit, we used panels that the company classified as &#;residential&#;. Similarly, we did not include models with bifacial cells unless they were the only type of cell offered by the brand, such as REC Group&#;s panels.
Here is a complete list of the solar panels reviewed and their efficiency ratings:
Solar panel brand
Panel model
Efficiency rating
Maxeon
SunPower/Maxeon 6 AC 440 W
22.8%
REC Group
REC Alpha Pure 410 W
22.6%
Jinko Solar
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Eagle 54 G6R 440W
22.53%
Heliene
108HC M10 TPC SL 440 W
22.49%
Yingli
Panda 3.0 Pro 430 W
22.28%
REC Group
REC Alpha Pure 410 W
22.2%
Panasonic
EverVolt EVPV410H
22.2%
Silfab
Silfab Prime NTC 430 W
22.1%
SEG Solar
SEG Yukon N-Series 430 W
22.02%
VSUN (Vietnam Sunergy)
VSUN430N-108BMH
22.02%
JA Solar
Deep Blue 3.0 PRO 440 W
22.0%
Qcells
Q.TRON BLK M-G2+ 440 W
22.0%
LONGi
Hi-MO 5m 425 W
21.8%
Phono Solar
Twinplus X Series 420 W
21.51%
Axitec
AXIblackpremium XXL HC 420 W
21.5%
Sunspark
SST7F54M(H) 415 W
21.30%
Trina
Vertex S DEO9C.05 405 W
21.1%
ZNShine
ZXM6-NH132 Series 420W
21.03%
United Renewable Energy Co., Ltd.
Peach FBK410MFG 410 W
21%
SolarEver
HC 108 410W
20.97%
Aptos
DNA-108-BF10-410
410 W
20.96%
Hyundai
XG BK Series - Black Max 280 W
20.86%
Waaree
Arkra Series 415 W
20.78%
Boviet
Gamma Series 415 W
20.7%
Certainteed
Solstice 440 W
20.5%
Solaria
PowerX 400 W
20.5%
Freedom Forever
400 W module
20.48
Mission Solar
MSE PERC 66
19.9%
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