Best solar panels in the UK

Our experts have assessed a broad range of solar panels to help you decide the best option for you. They’ve examined the cost of solar panels, their efficiency, reliability, and low-light performances to offer provider recommendations. Project Solar’s Evolution Titan 445 panel is our Best Overall choice – it ticks all the boxes, combining a high power output with a lifetime warranty. 

There is an array of options on the market, so they’ve also looked at other top brands to find the best budget solar panel, the best sustainable choice, the best for small spaces and the most efficient solar panel.

• Cost: The upfront cost you’ll pay for your solar panel system and its installation, as well as any costs towards maintenance.
• Power output: How much energy your panels will supply to your home when in optimum conditions.
• Efficiency: How well the panels can convert solar power into useable energy.
• Reliability: How trustworthy the panels, and the provider, are.
• Warranty: Both the performance warranty and the product warranty will determine for how many years your solar panels will perform their best. 
• Temperature coefficient: How much the panel’s efficiency will decrease as the temperature increases.
• Maximum wind load: The maximum amount of wind and other extreme weather conditions your panels can withstand.
• Smart and sustainable credentials: How invested the provider and company is in improving sustainability in the production and recycling of panels.
• Quality of materials: How strong and effective the materials are that have been used to construct the panels.
• Company reputation: The company’s reputation and customer reviews.

There are a range of factors that will determine the best solar panels for your home and energy consumption needs, but the first step is to consider how much power you will need your solar panels to generate. You can work out your household’s average daily energy consumption by looking at your latest energy bill, which will tell you how much energy your solar panels will need to produce in order to meet your consumption needs. This will vary, but a solar panel on average generates around 2kWh of energy each day.

Once you know the size of the solar panel system you will need, you can start asking yourself questions such as: do I have enough roof space for the solar panels I want? Is my roof often in the shade? What are the most important factors to me when choosing a solar panel? 

• Power output: 445W
• Efficiency: 21.4%
• Warranty: lifetime warranty
• Temperature coefficient: −0.35%/°C
• Price expectation: around £4,000 for a 4.5kW system, excluding installation and labour costs

Company overview

Award-winning Project Solar is the largest and most accredited solar panel installation company in the UK. It has installed over 45,000 solar panel systems and stands out by offering great services and market-leading energy products. 

What really gives Project Solar the edge, though, are its product warranties. 

Project Solar offers a lifetime warranty

According to our research, most companies offer a 15-year product warranty as standard, even though solar panels have a lifespan of more than 25 years. Project Solar offers some of the longest warranties on the market; its Evolution Titan 445 solar panel even comes with a lifetime warranty. 

The Evolution Titan 445 also comes with an above-average efficiency of 21.4%, which is achieved using its innovative structure and a high-density layout, meaning power output is high even with a small surface area. For homeowners concerned about the aesthetic of their solar panels, the Evolution Titan 445 has a sleek ultra-black design. 

Project Solar also claims that thanks to its bifacial design, this solar panel delivers optimal performance even in low light conditions, a concern for many UK homeowners due to the country’s lack of sunny weather. Bifacial panels use solar panel cells that can generate energy from both the front and the reverse surfaces, maximising light capture and therefore energy production.

Project Solar, unlike other manufacturers, offers bespoke quotes for a solar panel system as opposed to prices per panel. This means you need to request free quotes from the company directly to determine the exact price of your system. However, according to our research, the Evolution Titan 445 panels cost around £400 per panel.

Read our full Project Solar review.

• Power output: 425W
• Efficiency: 21.3%
• Warranty: 25-year product warranty; 30-year power output warranty
• Temperature coefficient: −0.30%/°C
• Price expectation: around £1,770 for a 4.5kW system, excluding installation and labour costs

Company overview

Jinko Solar, headquartered in Shanghai, China, is a major solar module manufacturer. Its products are available in more than 160 countries worldwide, and it is known for its innovations in the photovoltaic industry. 

Why is the Jinko Solar Tiger panel our choice for the most sustainable option?

While all solar panels are technically a sustainable choice, as they reduce or completely eliminate your household’s reliance on non-renewable energy, some panels are better for the environment than others. Jinko Solar commits to the RE100 and EP100 initiatives, meaning it has pledged to use 100% renewable energy for global operations by 2025. These commitments prove that the company is dedicated to sustainability. Jinko Solar is also a Bloomberg Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer.

There are other pros to choosing a Jinko Solar Tiger panel, too. It has an above-average efficiency of 21.27%, a high power output of 425W, and it can withstand adverse environmental conditions, thanks to its high resistance to salt mist and ammonia. This solar panel also has a low degradation rate; over a 30-year period, the panel has an annual degradation of just 0.44% compared to most other panels, which can degrade by up to 2% in the first year alone, generally having a higher degradation rate from year two.

Solar panels have a relatively long lifespan, which is why Jinko Solar’s 25-year product warranty is another attractive benefit; the panel also comes with a 30-year power output warranty. According to our research, the average price of this solar panel is around £177.

• Power output: 415W
• Efficiency: 22.2%
• Warranty: 25-year warranty
• Temperature coefficient: −0.34%/°C
• Price expectation: a 4.5kW system will cost around £4,000, excluding installation and labour costs

Company overview

SunPower Corporation, founded in 1985 by Richard Swanson, is an American company specialising in solar energy systems and battery energy storage products, mainly for residential customers. It originally developed and manufactured photovoltaic (PV) panels, SunPower spun off this part of its business as Maxeon Solar Technologies in 2020 and now sells Maxeon and SunPower products in more than 100 countries. 

Why is the SunPower panel the most efficient option?

Throughout our research, the SunPower Maxeon 5 AC 415W solar panel stood out among competitors thanks to its high efficiency of 22.2%, which means you need fewer panels to power your home. 

As well as its high efficiency, the Maxeon 5 has a low annual degradation rate of just 0.25%. one of the best on the market. 

The panel also comes with a 25-year warranty, with the option to extend it to 40 years. As SunPower has estimated it to have a 40-year useful life, this means your warranty is likely to last the whole of the panel’s lifespan.

The downside is the SunPower Maxeon 5 is one of the most expensive solar panels on the market. Although prices are not published on the company’s website, our research suggests you could pay around £400 per panel. However, its high power output and efficiency mean you’ll need to invest in fewer panels to achieve the same output as other brands. 

• Power output: 550W
• Efficiency: 21.3%
• Warranty: 12-year product warranty and 25-year linear power output warranty
• Temperature coefficient: −0.35%/°C
• Price expectation: a 4.5kW system will cost around £1,640, excluding installation and labour costs

Company overview

JA Solar designs, develops and manufactures solar panels in Shanghai, China. Founded in 2005, the company has 12 manufacturing bases and its panels are available in over 135 countries and regions including the UK. 

Why does JA Solar’s panel have the best power output?

Throughout our research, we found that the JA Solar JAM72S30 solar panels boast an impressive 550W maximum power output, much higher than most domestic solar panels. 

Although the JAM72S30 does not have the highest efficiency on the market at 21.3%, it has a degradation rate of just 0.55% per year across its 25-year linear power output warranty, compared to some panels which lose 2% in the first year alone. 

However, JA Solar offers a standard 12-year product warranty on the JAM72S30, which is low considering solar panels have a lifespan about twice as long. It’s also below the 15-year warranty average we found during our research, so this might not be the best panel for peace of mind. 

The JAM72S30 panels are available from some suppliers at around £164 per panel. As they offer one of the highest power outputs for domestic solar panels, we think they’re worth considering if you can look past the shorter warranty period.

Read our full JA Solar review.

• Power output: 405W
• Efficiency: 20.7%
• Warranty: 15-year product warranty and 25-year performance warranty
• Temperature coefficient: −0.36%/°C
• Price expectation: a 4.5kW system will cost around £1,700 excluding installation and labour costs

Company overview

Founded in 2001, Suntech has over 20 years of experience in solar panel manufacturing, and its panels are in use in 100 countries and regions worldwide.

Why is Suntech’s Ultra V Mini our best solar panel for a budget?

The Suntech Ultra V Mini has a 20.7% efficiency thanks to its advanced cell technology; to put that into context, solar panels with an efficiency over 20% are considered good. Its power output is also commendable at 405W, which is above the average solar panel’s efficiency of between 200W and 400W. Its excellent low light performance is also noteworthy, which means the panel still has a decent power output in weak light conditions such as cloudy weather, early mornings and at sunset.   

When choosing a solar panel, degradation is something to consider. Unfortunately, Suntech’s Ultra V Mini has a 2% power degradation for the first year and 0.55 % for every subsequent year, among the highest discovered in our research. 

Suntech’s Ultra V Mini is our best budget option, coming in at £170 per solar panel. comes with a 15-year product warranty, which is average compared to competitors.

• Power output: 450W
• Efficiency: Up to 23.6%
• Warranty: 15-year product warranty, 30-year performance warranty
• Temperature coefficient: -0.26%/°C

Company overview

AIKO Solar was established in 1996 and today provides monocrystalline panels alongside battery storage systems. AIKO’s all-black panels can be mounted onto any type of roof, and their lack of grid lines means they have a sleek, seamless look.

Why are AIKO All-Black panels so good for small spaces?

AIKO All-Black panels have a stylish black design and no grid lines, meaning they’ll look good on all roof types. The second-generation NEOSTAR panels now feature partial shading optimisation, too, so if your roof isn’t always in full daylight – which might be the case if you live in semi-detached housing or in a city with lots of buildings around yours – the panels will work even harder to ensure its efficiency isn’t compromised. 

The panels have a very high efficiency of up to 23.6% and a 30-year linear performance warranty that provides even more peace of mind. The degradation rates are similarly impressive, at 1% in the first year and just 0.35% between years two and 30. With a power output of 450W, these panels seem to tick every box – however, pricing information is not widely available and we were unable to confirm the price per panel until we contacted customer services.

Now you know the best solar panels for you, you can start thinking about where to get solar panels from and what the installation process might be like. We’ve broken down this key information here.

Who can I buy solar panels from?

There are over 2,000 solar panel providers nationwide, so it can be difficult to know which one to choose. We’ve reviewed several of the best solar installers in the UK and considered factors such as the reliability, cost, certifications and accreditations – always choose an MCS-accredited installer – and installation warranties of each. And yes, it is possible to install your own solar panels, but considering the risks you’d be taking in installation quality along with your own health and safety, we would never recommend it.

To secure the best deal on solar panels:

• Compare quotes from multiple reputable providers to ensure competitive pricing;
• Consider the efficiency, warranty, and technological specifications of different panels;
• Opt for a comprehensive assessment from providers to determine the best system size and configuration for your needs;
• Take advantage of government incentives such as grants, schemes, tax credits and rebates that can significantly reduce the upfront cost; and
• Check reviews and ratings to choose a reliable installer with proven expertise.
• Always ask each installer how long the process of installation will be when you get your quote.

Discover how much solar panels would cost for your home by answering a few quick questions

Our selection of the best solar panels was derived from extensive research to guarantee high quality and adherence to superior industry standards. Our team consulted industry experts, analysed numerous online reviews, and studied solar panels’ technical data documents to make our choices. 

Cost

Are the best solar panels expensive?

The total cost of a solar panel system − and how much money you’ll save on your electricity bill − will vary based on:

• The size of your roof
• Your home’s location in the UK
• The number and power output of the panels you need to meet your energy needs

You should expect to pay a little more for the best solar panels, as the return on your investment will be worthwhile if you’re opting for panels that will last for years without quick degradation rates or waning efficiency. Keep in mind that while installing solar panels is definitely a pricey choice, cost isn’t necessarily the most important factor when choosing the right panels, and elements we’ve laid out above (including warranties, reliability and power output) should also be considered.

Power output

The panel’s power output indicates how much energy will be supplied to your home in optimum conditions. A panel delivering more power will mean less reliance on grid-supplied electricity, and it may be the case that you can eliminate this reliance completely. The power output of panels is measured by Pmax, which represents a panel’s maximum power output under optimal conditions. 

Panel efficiency

Solar panel efficiency essentially describes how well the panel is able to capture and convert solar energy. Efficiency is measured via the percentage of daylight converted into usable electricity. Typically, domestic panels achieve 16-20% efficiency, above 20% considered high quality. Solar panels necessarily suffer from a small amount of degradation over their lifespan: this degradation rate is usually between 1 and 2% in the first year, and gets lower in subsequent years.

Reliability

We assessed reliability through customer reviews, expert analysis, and benchmarks from entities, including PV Evolution Labs (PVEL). PVEL is an independent reliability and performance testing laboratory generating trustworthy solar panel data. 

Product warranty

Manufacturers offer warranties that indicate the durability and quality of their panels. This is a critical factor in our evaluations, highlighting the manufacturer’s confidence and providing homeowner security.

Performance warranty

Solar panels naturally degrade over time. Typically, there is a 1-2 % efficiency loss after the first year, followed by an annual degradation of about 0.2-0.7 %. A performance warranty guarantees that the panels perform as expected. 

Maximum wind load 

In the UK, panels are exposed to many different weather types, including strong winds, so it’s crucial they can withstand extreme conditions. Manufacturers rate panels’ wind resistance in pascals (Pa), and a higher number indicates a more robust model. Most panels are certified to endure up to 2,400 Pa (approximately 140 mph).

Smart and sustainable credentials

Considering the choice to install solar panels is most often made to reduce reliability on non-renewable energy sources, it makes sense to research the manufacturer’s environmental stance and ethics. Not all companies will use recycled materials in their production process, though most solar brands have announced initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint during production. Ideally, look out for companies that don’t use lead or fluoride in their solar panel production. When it comes to smart credentials, most panels can connect to smart meters and monitoring apps, which is also ideal for selling energy to the National Grid and diverting energy to other appliances.

Quality of materials

The efficiency, durability, cost, and environmental impact of solar panels are influenced by their construction materials. Silicon, known for its semiconducting properties, is the most common material in the production of solar panels, with monocrystalline cells offering higher efficiency at a higher cost, and polycrystalline cells providing lower efficiency at a lower price. The choice of assembly materials, such as glass, frame, and backing, ensures the panels’ sturdiness and longevity. Thin-film solar panels, which are less common for domestic systems, use a material that can be damaging to the environment, another reason why monocrystalline PV panels are the best option.

Company reputation 

As with any purchase, it’s a good idea to consider the company’s reputation. We’ve combed through a lot of product and company reviews in our research, and have only included companies who are known for their reliable products and good customer service.