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Solar power is still a relatively new innovation, and it can be overwhelming trying to understand which solar panels are the best. It's important to recognize your priorities: if you're not overly concerned with maximum output and you want to stay on budget, you could choose something less efficient and still be happy with your solar storage system.
If you've decided to do it yourself, you may want to consider a company that also sells the compatible parts you will need when setting up your solar storage system. This way, you can know that all parts will work together. Another thing to consider as a DIYer is whether the company offers tech or permitting support. You may also want a company that can work with you to design a plan that would include helping you with the necessary permits and interconnection if you want to be hooked up to the electrical grid to receive rebates.
Sunday, February 9th
EcoDirect has a very friendly, transparent website - and we love it. When your solar panel company invites you to stop by and say "hello” if you're ever in the neighborhood, you know you're in the right place. We were thrilled to see so many positive reviews of EcoDirect's supportive and knowledgeable customer service representatives. We're happy to give EcoDirect our highest rating.
Go Green is an innovative company that started operations out of a garage and has since grown and expanded into a perfect niche market - people who want to have solar for their home but don't mind doing a little extra work to save money. Go Green offers incredible plans and services to take you off-grid without having the headache of going through permitting and interconnection. They guarantee you will receive a permit or give you your money back. This is all backed by great technical support, quality solar panels, and eliminating the middleman, with some people saving up to half the price of other companies. It's one of our top picks for good reason, and we happily recommend Go Green as an excellent choice for solar panels.
Santan Solar has established itself as a reliable company selling used and refurbished solar panels that have been retired from solar farms or commercial solar projects. They offer a one-year warranty for their used solar panels, and customers love working with them. We highly recommend this company when shopping for solar panels.
Renogy has been in business since 2010 and is highly praised by repeat customers as their go-to place to pick up solar panels. If you're a DIYer and love solar, this is probably a good fit for you. Renogy offers solar panels for portable use and for setting up an off-grid system. If you love their products and spend time outdoors, you could even become a brand ambassador too. Renogy offers great products at great prices, especially for the do-it-yourselfer.
Lowe's online store is a great place to compare prices of solar panels, and it is one of a handful of companies that offer free shipping or delivery - which can often equal hundreds of dollars of savings - with the most well-known brands in stock or ready to ship. You can even sign up for a consultation to get your panels installed here. Our only concerns were with customer service falling short when deliveries have been delayed or gone missing. In spite of this, we still believe Lowe's is an above-average pick, especially if you are interested in solar trends or free delivery.
Home Depot has curated a great selection of quality solar panels at good prices. The website is worth a visit to see examples of quality solar panels and prices. People generally have a good experience with the solar panels here, but be aware that shipping may take longer than expected - and you will most likely have to ship them, because in-store inventory is extremely limited. The positives and negatives balance each other out perfectly, so we give Home Depot an average rating.
A1 Solar Store has it all - solar panels, accessories, pallet deals, and even some solar panels made in the USA. We loved searching for and looking at solar panels on their really easy-to-navigate website. We were concerned, however, about customers reporting that they needed to upload their government ID and a photo to complete the sales process. We are also concerned that the company prefers wire transfers or Zelle as payment since it's like giving cash over before you receive the product. For these reasons, we found A1 Solar to be an average pick for solar panels, rather than a higher-rated choice.
Allpowers is all about portability, and they specialize in portable solar panels. They have good prices and lots of discounts and sales, but reviews are mixed with this company. We are concerned about reports that returns are difficult - including high return fees - and that some customers received very late shipments, while others received no shipment at all. These issues, and concerns over durability and quality over time, take Allpowers down a few stars. They aren't the worst option for solar panels, but they aren't the best either.
Walmart is known for its low prices, and solar panels are not an exception. At Walmart you can find a great price for over 200 types of solar panels. In this case, we feel that quantity doesn't make up for a lack of quality, and we're concerned with the quality control regarding Walmart's third-party vendor marketplace. We are also unhappy with the customer service response to delayed shipments, and for those reasons, we can't recommend Walmart for solar panel shopping unless finding the lowest price is your only priority.
Eco-worthy offers solar panels at average prices, but we've found that they are difficult to work with. Missing shipments, difficult and expensive returns, and unresponsive customer service, along with an "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, are enough for us to give this company one of our lowest ratings. We think you should look higher on our list for a more trustworthy solar panel company.
There are four common types of solar panels: monocrystalline, which are made from a single source of silicon; polycrystalline, which are made up of silicon pieces all melted together; thin-film solar panels, which are somewhat flexible and lightweight; and PERC panels, which use silicon backing to make them more efficient. Monocrystalline PERC panels will be your most efficient choice, but also your most expensive.
The majority of solar panels available in the United States come from China. This is important to remember when shopping for solar panels, especially if you are doing your solar project on your own and not through an installation service. Most solar panel companies often run low on stock, and it takes a bit of time for shipping, as the panels come from the other side of the globe.
There are some solar panel companies that offer panels made in the United States; however, they are generally going to be more expensive than their Chinese-made and -assembled counterparts.
At this point, things may seem pretty daunting to the uninitiated, but we're here to help. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you consider which solar panel company you should choose:
To assist you in finding the best solar panels for your needs, Top Consumer Reviews has curated and ranked a list of companies for you to shop from. We're confident that this list will make your solar panel shopping experience brighter!
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