Welcome to the solar reviews centre

Reading reviews is a very important part of researching a potential solar power or battery storage purchase. If you’re installing a system in Australia, then the experiences of other Australians who have made the switch to solar are particularly relevant.

I’ve collected tens of thousands of reviews of companies and components over more than a decade, creating the largest solar reviews database in Australia. Whether you’re looking for opinions on installers or brands of solar panels, inverters, batteries or EV chargers, you’ll find them on SolarQuotes. Learn more about how the ratings and reviews are collected here.

Learn more about how we calculate the rankings here. NOTE: the ratings calculations below are based on the last 6 months.

Installers

Top 5 Solar Installers

Below you’ll find the top 5 solar installation businesses in Australia participating in the SolarQuotes network, as rated by their customers. We take special care to ensure only genuine customers of installers can leave ratings and reviews.

View All Top-Rated InstallersBrowse Recommended Installers By CitySearch All Installer ReviewsLearn more about our installer reviews

  1. Installer Image

    RESINC Solar

    5.0 Based on 417 ratings (last 6 months)

    Always found representatives professional and informative and they're always ready to answer any questions you throw at them. The install was smooth and easy and the quality is amazing with not a single problem arising since install

    David 5.0

  2. Positive Energy Solutions Pty Ltd 4.9 87 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. G Solar and Electrical Pty Ltd 4.9 62 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Jet Solar Pty Ltd 5.0 58 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. PSW Energy Perth Solar Warehouse 4.9 57 ratings (last 6 months)
Panels

Top 5 Solar Panel Brands

With so much choice in panels available, it can be challenging to determine which may be best for you. Below is a list of the brands offering the best solar panels according to Australians who have had the panels installed for at least a year.

View All Solar Panel Reviews

  1. Panel Brand Image

    LONGi Solar

    5.0 Based on 453 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    LONGi Solar is the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels and has held this position for three years. In the solar industry, that's a Longi time. But they may not be number one for long. In 2022 they only produced 5% more panel capacity than their closest rival and that's not a long lead. But the odds aren't long they'll remain the top producer for the next few years.

    This Chinese company became a solar giant by producing panels with a good combination of affordability and reliability. While some of their panels only come with a fairly standard 12 year product warranty, others are backed up with 25 years. They also produce one of the highest efficiency panels available.

    Because they're reliable and good value for money, LONGi Solar panels are among those SolarQuotes recommends. I'd be fine with having them installed on my mother's roof. In fact, my co-worker, Anthony, did put them on his mum's roof.

    Company History

    LONGi Solar was founded in 2000. While I know it's hard to believe, the company wasn't named after Australian solar legend Jack "Longy" Long. Instead, it was named after Jiang Longji, a university president who died in 1966. The name choice makes it look like the young company was trying to curry favour with the Chinese government, but LONGi's founders insist it was just because he was a really cool dude.

    Initially, LONGi produced silicon for electronics. In 2005 they began producing silicon for solar and in 2006 they had enough capacity to make around 1,000 tonnes a year. They then began climbing their way up the solar supply chain, starting with cutting the silicon ingots they made into wafers used for solar cells. In 2014 they purchased a solar panel manufacturing company and this completed their transformation into an enormous, vertically integrated company, involved in all major steps of solar panel production. They have continued expanding at a rapid rate and in 2021 also moved into producing equipment for hydrogen production.

    Production

    In 2022 LONGi shipped a massive 46.76 gigawatts of solar panels. Enough to generate around one-third of Australia's electricity consumption. Not bad for one year's output by a single company.

    A little over half that production was sold in China and the rest was exported. In 2022 China installed 87 gigawatts of solar, which made LONGi panels 28% of this new capacity. So in that year, LONGi Solar was the largest single contributor to China's transition to renewable energy.

    Monosilicon Only

    Two types of silicon are used to make solar panels -- polysilicon and monosilicon. LONGi only makes and uses monosilicon. While more expensive than polysilicon, it has higher efficiency and has been gradually gaining market share. Almost all panels going on Australian roofs these days are monosilicon.

    Production Locations

    LONGi's headquarters are in Xi'an, a city of 13 million that's famous for flatbread in lamb soup and terracotta dudes. It's located in Shaanxi province, which has goddamned beautiful mountains that often can't be seen because of goddamn awful air pollution. The bulk of LONGi's silicon production occurs in this province.

    Most of LONGi's production is in China but they also have factories in Malaysia and Vietnam. For years now they've been talking about opening facilities in India, but that project has been really slow to get off the ground. They've also announced they'll build a plant in Ohio in the United States, able to produce 5 gigawatts of panels a year.

    LONGi Panels

    Currently, in September 2023, LONGi Solar has 11 panels on their Australian site in their residential category. They are all called "Hi-MO" and range from Hi-MO4m, through Hi-MO5m, to Hi-MO6. For their two Hi-MO6 panels, they've also started tacking on nicknames, so there are "Scientist" and "Explorer" versions. I'm sure a scientist would appreciate having some quality PV on their roof, but I don't think an explorer would want to lug around a 20.8kg solar panel.

    In May 2023, LONGi launched their Hi-MO7 panel. This large panel is aimed at the solar farm market and -- last time I checked -- isn't approved for use in Australia.

    Up to 23% Efficiency

    I'm writing this in September 2023 and, at this time, the efficiency of LONGi panels range from a not bad 18.9% to an awesome 23%. The Hi-MO6 "Scientist" panel can be up to 23% efficient, which makes it equal best with the SunPower Maxeon 6 panels for highest efficiency available.

    If you have plenty of room on your roof for the solar system you want to install, then panel efficiency usually isn't an important consideration. But if you're trying to fit as much solar capacity as possible into a limited space, then high efficiency panels are very useful.

    Fair To Wonderful Heat Resistance

    Heat lowers the efficiency of solar panels. Choosing heat resistant panels can slightly boost their energy output. In practice, the benefit is usually small and amounts to less than 2% difference in overall generation, but every bit helps.

    The loss of efficiency due to heat is given by a panel's "Temperature Coefficent of Pmax". For LONGi Hi-MO4 panels it's -0.35%/°C. This means for every degree Celsius above 25, the panels have their efficiency reduced by 0.35%. So if a panel was at 45°C it would only provide 93% as much energy as when it was 25°C. Hi-MO5 panels are slightly better and only decline in efficiency by -0.34%/°C.

    While the Hi-MO4 and Hi-MO5 have better heat resistance than some panels, they are similar to most other good quality panels on the market. But the Hi-MO6 panels have excellent heat resistance and only lose -0.29%/°C. This makes them equal to SunPower Maxeon 6 panels, which have similar efficiency.

    Warranties

    Solar panels come with two types of warranties:

    • Product warranties that guarantee the materials and workmanship.
    • Performance warranties which promise a minimum level of performance over time.

    With LONGi panels, they come down to two main choices:

    1. A 12 year or 25 year product warranty.
    2. A 25 year performance warranty that allows up to 0.55% capacity loss per year or a 25 year performance warranty that allows up to 0.4% capacity loss per year.

    Product Warranties: 12 Years Vs. 25 Years

    LONGi's Hi-MO4m panels all have 12 year product warranties. This isn't bad, but is nothing special these days.

    Most of their Hi-MO5m panels have long 25 year warranties -- but watch out! This one appears to only have 12 years.

    All the Hi-MO6 panels have long 25 year product warranties.

    If you get LONGi panels with a 12 year product warranty, you're unlikely to have problems. But LONGi obviously believes their 25 year product warranty panels have a reliability edge. Because the price difference is modest, I definitely recommend ones with 25 year product warranties. The only time I'd normally recommend getting the shorter warranty panels is if their lower cost allows you to install a larger solar system.

    Performance Warranties: 0.55% Capacity Loss Vs. 0.4%

    The performance warranties of LONGi's Hi-MO4 and Hi-MO5 panels allow a 2% decline in their rated capacity during their first year, followed by a 0.55% decline in each subsequent year. This means by the end of their 25 year performance warranty, they will be at a minimum of 84.8% of their original capacity. This isn't bad, but isn't exceptional for well-made panels these days.

    What is exceptional are their Hi-MO6 panels. These allow 1.5% capacity loss in the first year followed by 0.4% loss in each subsequent year. This means after 25 years they'll still have a minimum of 89.8% of their original capacity.

    While it's definitely preferable to have a performance warranty with a lower loss rate, in practice it's likely to result in your system generating under 2% extra energy over 25 years. This isn't a large advantage, but if you want panels likely to still work well several decades from now, they'd be a good choice.

    Making A Warranty Claim

    The odds are good you'll never need to make a warranty claim on LONGi panels, particularly if you get ones with a 25 year product warranty. But if a problem does occur, the first person you should contact is the installer who provided them. If they're no longer around, you can contact LONGi Solar's Australian office directly:

    LONGi Australia General Enquires: 02 8484 5805.

    If you prefer to send an email, LONGi says they'll reply within 24 hours. Their email address is: [email protected].

    100% Renewable Production By 2028

    In 2020 LONGi committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2028. At that time their energy use was 42% renewable. In 2022 it was up to 47%. Obviously, they'll need to pick up the pace to hit the target, but with the amount of solar being installed in China, I have no trouble believing they'll meet their goal.

    LONGi Hydrogen

    LONGi has moved into producing equipment for hydrogen production, but only on a small scale at the moment. Their approach is to make electrolysers that have low efficiency but are cheap to make. This makes a lot of sense for a solar company working to ensure the world has plenty of low cost electricity during the day.

    Financial Security

    A long warranty isn't useful if the company it came from is no longer around to back it up. I expect a large company like LONGi will still be around well into the future, but it's not possible to be certain it won't disappear and render its warranties worthless.

    The good news is there is plenty of evidence LONGi is currently financially secure -- or at least secure for a solar panel manufacturer. As of July 2023 they had been in PV-Tech's PV ModuleTech bankability report's highest category for three and a half years. This means they're one of the solar companies considered least likely to suffer bankruptcy or financial problems.

    Unfortunately, it's always possible for a company's financial position to rapidly deteriorate. Many manufacturers are likely to face problems over the next couple of years thanks to falling panel prices. But I have a feeling LONGi will be around long-term. I don't have any specific evidence to back this up, it's just a feeling I have in my gut. Specifically, my longi-intestine.

    A Recommendation

    Because we consider them reliable and well-supported in Australia, SolarQuotes is happy to recommend using LONGi Solar panels. If you put them on your roof -- or your mum's roof -- you are very unlikely to need to make a warranty claim, especially if you use ones with a 25 year product warranty.

  2. Jinko Solar 4.9 345 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Trina 4.9 176 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Canadian Solar Inc 4.9 104 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. REC 5.0 71 ratings (last 6 months)
Inverters

Top 5 Solar Inverter Brands

An inverter is a critical component of a solar power system and the one likely to wear out the fastest, so it’s important to choose a quality, well-backed brand. Below are the top 5 solar inverter brands based on ratings from Australian purchasers.

View All Solar Inverter Reviews

  1. Inverter Brand Image

    Sungrow

    4.8 Based on 466 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    Sungrow Customer Service: 1800 786 476

    Sungrow Power Supply Co Ltd is a Chinese company that was established in 1997 and operates in several different energy-related niches, including wind power conversion, inverter production for photovoltaic systems and energy storage.

    The company says more than 340 GW of Sungrow inverter capacity had been installed worldwide as as at the beginning of 2023. To give a sense of how rapidly the firm's manufacturing capacity has grown in just the last couple of years, 154GW of capacity had been deployed by the end of 2020.

    Walking the clean energy talk, Sungrow has also committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity for its operations by 2028.

    Sungrow In Australia

    Sungrow has been present in the Australian solar inverter market since 2012. Its Australian operations are based in North Sydney, NSW. So, should you need technical assistance or in case you have any questions about their warranty policies, you can contact Sungrow easily by calling or shooting them an email.

    Australian customers can choose from a pretty solid range of solutions, including single-phase and three-phase inverters in the SG series. Sungrow's inverter range also includes hybrid models available in the SH series.

    To view specifications and approximate pricing of various Sungrow power conversion products available in Australia, check out the SolarQuotes solar inverter comparison table. For hybrids models, see the hybrid inverter comparison table

    Sungrow Hybrid Inverter Cybersecurity Flaw

    While Sungrow has enjoyed signficant success in Australia, it hasn't always been sunshine and puppies for the company. In early January 2020, an engineer based in Brisbane revealed he had identified a series of security flaws in Sungrow's hybrid inverter, model SH5K-20. In March 2020, Sungrow announced they had shipped a firmware update that fixed the flaws.

    Sungrow Warranty Notes

    Sungrow generally offers a standard product warranty period of five years from the date of installation and no more than six years from the manufacturing date of a solar inverter - so that's something worth checking.

    However, in April 2020, the company announced it was offering 10 years’ warranty for some inverter models purchased from 1st April 2020 and installed in Australia. Eligible Sungrow inverter models can be identified here.

    If you have problems with your Sungrow inverter, your first port of call is the original  installer. Despite what some might say, if the installation company is still in business then they are the ones liable for the repair/replacement of a faulty inverter assuming it is still within its warranty period. If your original installer is no longer in business or is uncontactable, you'll need to lodge a warranty claim with Sungrow.

    In order to do so, Sungrow advise you must arrange an installer to test the solar inverter to determine if it is faulty. Sungrow can help you find someone in your area if you call them on the number listed above. If a fault is confirmed, Sungrow will work with the installer to arrange a replacement inverter. Notably - you are not compensated for the out of pocket cost of the initial testing.

    My Recommendation

    Given the quality of the company's products and support along with generally positive feedback from installers and customers over years (you can read Sungrow customer reviews below), Sungrow is currenly listed as a SolarQuotes recommended solar inverter brand

    In the 2023 SQ Installers' Choice Awards, Sungrow took out the top spot for best value inverter for the third year, and second place in a new category, best after-sales support.

    If you're an owner of one of the company's products, we invite you to share your experience with others. You can add your Sungrow solar inverter review by clicking the "leave a review" button at the top of this page.

  2. Fronius 4.8 390 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Goodwe 4.8 257 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Huawei 4.9 189 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. GE 5.0 142 ratings (last 6 months)
Batteries

Top 5 Solar Battery Brands

A home battery is a significant investment and new-generation energy storage technology is still rapidly evolving. Below are the best-rated brands of solar batteries, as voted by Australians who have had these batteries installed.

View All Solar Battery Reviews

  1. Inverter Brand Image

    Tesla

    4.9 Based on 123 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    Tesla, Inc. was founded in 2003, originally as Tesla Motors. Tesla is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with office locations around the world (including Australia).

    After cutting its teeth on electric vehicle development, Tesla then expanded into commercial and home battery storage. The company arrived on the home energy storage scene accompanied by great fanfare with the Tesla Powerwall battery back in 2015, which was followed by the Powerwall 2 in 2016.

    Tesla grew into a huge company in terms of market capitalisation - a whopping USD $915.38 *billion* as at September 2022. To given an indication of how much it grew in just a couple of years, market capitalisation was $143.6 billion as at late January 2020. However, the company has taken a bit of a hit in recent times on that front - as at late February 2023, market capitalisation was $629.39 billion, but that had jumped up to $730.69 billion in August 2023.

    Anyway, back to batteries - the following are some basic specifications of the Powerwall 2:

    • Usable Capacity: 13.5 kWh
    • Power: 7kW peak / 5kW continuous
    • Dimensions: 1150 mm L x 753 mm W x 147 mm D
    • Weight: 114 kg
    • Water and dust resistance to IP67
    • Warranty 10 years (see below)

    The Powerwall is produced in the Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada USA, which also manufactures Tesla Model 3 electric motors and the company's commercial/utility storage solution, the Powerpack.

    Powerwall Pricing And Supply

    Supply of the Powerwall 2 was an issue for quite a while in Australia, and then there was a major price rise in 2018 - followed by a not so major price decrease in 2019; then further pricing volatility.

    In October 2022, Powerwall was the most expensive it has ever been at approximately $16,500 including supporting hardware, but not including installation. For a fully installed Powerwall at that time, Australians could expect to pay $19,000 - $20,000 - and more if additional switchboard work is required.

    But in late February 2023, there was good news - a Powerwall price drop of around $1,600. Then in April more good news - a further reduction of $1,699. But that wasn't the end of the price reductions - Tesla then knocked another $800 off Powerwall and the Gateway hardware.

    But wait, there's more. In August 2023, Tesla announced a $750 rebate for Powerwall installations in Australia for batteries ordered from Tesla Certified Installers, connected and registered between August 11 and 31 December 2023.

    Including the rebate, this means a straightforward Powerwall installation can be expected to cost around the $14,250 mark as at September 2023.

    So, Australians have their ups and downs with Powerwall (more ups in recent times), but its high profile through extensive media attention have seen plenty installed here and interest remains strong.

    As for its popularity in Australia, more than 33,000 had been installed here as at July 2022. Globally, Tesla had installed more than 500,000 Powerwall units as at June 2023.

    The cost of Powerwall 2 per warranted kilowatt hour based on one cycle per day (but see below for notes on warranty) is around 31 cents - not the cheapest, but not the most expensive of the systems we have listed on our battery comparison table.

    Blackout Capabilities

    The Tesla Powerwall 2 is an AC coupled battery that comes with the necessary hardware (Tesla Gateway) to provide blackout protection, backup and off grid functions.

    Powerwall's "Unlimited Cycles" Warranty

    Tesla offers a 10 year "unlimited cycles" warranty , but this only applies to solar self-consumption and backup use. Tesla warrants 70% energy capacity retention at 10 years following initial installation date. This means the Powerwall should be capable of storing a minimum of 9.45kWh at that point.

    Any other application (such as participating in a Virtual Power Plant - VPP) or combination of applications sees the warranty cover drop to around 2,800 cycles (37.8 MWh of aggregate throughput) – about 7.6 years’ worth if cycled once a day.

    However, there is an exception.

    Warranty Boost For Tesla Energy Plan Participants

    For Australians participating in Tesla Energy Plan - the company's VPP - they receive 5-years additional Powerwall warranty with unlimited cycles if they remain connected to the plan. Tesla guarantees 60% energy retention at the end of year 15 in addition to the 10-year manufacturer's warranty and 70% energy retention at the end of year 10.

    Reliability Testing Results

    The Canberra Battery Test Centre put the Powerwall 2 through extensive reliability testing. The first battery either became faulty immediately after installation or arrived that way. Initially repaired, it was later entirely replaced. At the end of testing, the battery's capacity was ~79% after 6.9 years of daily cycling, which suggests ~70% after 10 years.

    Tesla Powerwall 3 Status

    In September 2023, photos of a Powerwall 3 installation started doing the social media rounds, accompanied by much excitement and more than a little inaccurate information. As is often the case with this sort reveal, Tesla didn't have anything to say. SQ's Anthony published a post on Powerwall 3 specifications based on the information he was able to glean at the time (and a few educated guesses thrown in).

    One Of The Better Home Battery Options

    While not perfect (and Tesla hasn't been overly fond of us pointing out issues), as far as home solar battery storage goes at this point in time the Tesla Powerwall 2 is probably one of the better choices among what is available. As such, it is currently listed as an SQ approved home battery brand.

    In the SolarQuotes 2023 Installers' Choice Awards for home batteries, Tesla came out on top in the best overall battery category for the third year in a row. It also achieved 3rd spot in the "best value" (tight budget) category and was voted no.1 by installers for best after sales support.

    But how is the Powerwall viewed by those who have one installed? What about after sales service and support? We're inviting Australian Powerwall owners (whether they have the original or Powerwall 2 model) to leave their rating and review here.

  2. SunGrow 4.9 104 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. BYD 4.9 35 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. Alpha-ESS 4.7 16 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. SolarEdge 4.7 14 ratings (last 6 months)
Batteries

Top 5 EV Charger Brands

Choosing the right EV charger is essential for efficient and reliable electric vehicle charging at home. Below, you’ll find the top 5 EV charger brands as rated by Australians who have experience using these chargers.

View All EV Charger Reviews

  1. EV Charger Brand Image

    Tesla

    4.8 Based on 24 ratings (last 6 months)

    About the company

    Tesla’s Wall Connector EV charger is good quality and great value at $800 for the hardware. It will charge any brand of recent EV in Australia.

    But there’s a big problem. It’s dumb. Unlike most other home EV chargers, it can’t be set up to only charge off excess solar without a Tesla Powerwall.

    So, if you want a reliable, cheap, dumb charger for any EV – it’s a great choice. If you want smarts, look elsewhere.

    (Tesla car owners can make it smart without buying a Powerwall by using the ChargeHQ app, which controls the charging by talking to the Tesla car, not the Tesla charger – but that has an ongoing monthly subscription fee).

  2. Zappi 4.6 18 ratings (last 6 months)
  3. Fronius 4.8 16 ratings (last 6 months)
  4. SolarEdge 4.5 6 ratings (last 6 months)
  5. EVNex 4.5 4 ratings (last 6 months)

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