PV solar panels for residential roofs are in like never before, thanks to the fact that going solar has never been easier or more affordable.
A new asphalt shingle roof with PV solar panels
The Price of Going Solar Has Decreased Dramatically Over the Past 10 years
In fact, in 2022, most homeowners working with small local installers are paying between $2.80 and $3.50 per watt to install a new solar panels system before the 26% solar tax credits in 2021 and 2022 (26% in 2023).
The national average total cost for a typical 5kW PV solar power system is $15,300, when installed by a small local installer, before the 26% tax credits in 2021-2022 (26% in 2023).
Did you know? In 2008, the cost of a solar power installation was $8.82 per watt.
Using the US average for a residential PV solar panels system size at 5 kW (5,000 watts), a new solar system cost will be $10,952, after the 26% tax credits in 2021 and 2022 (The solar tax credits will be reduced to 22% in year 2023). — That’s a rather attractive price range for residential solar energy compared to the recent past.
So, should you jump on the solar bandwagon and take advantage of the 26% solar investment tax credits available to homeowners in 2021-2022 (22% in 2023) right away, or are there other factors to consider before installing solar panels on your home?
There are several important factors to consider before calling a solar company and getting those panels up on your roof, if you want to ensure a long-lasting and regret-free solar installation:
Solar has been one of the fastest-moving industries over the last decade, which is why it can be difficult to know where to start when shopping for the best solar panels for your home, and how to make important decisions while weighing your options.
Residential rooftop solar panels installed on the south-facing side of the roof on a two-story house.
To help homeowners in the United States and beyond, we’ve developed this guide, which explores everything you need to know about today’s best high efficiency solar panels designed for residential use.
Now that you’ve decided to take the first step to lower your home’s carbon footprint and utility expenses, it is time to find the right solar panels, equipment, and installer to carry out the job.
First, let’s begin with sufficient information to bring even the newest solar panel novices up to speed.
It doesn’t take an expert to recognize that “high-efficiency” solar panels imply a high-quality product, but the term has somewhat lost its true meaning as every reputable manufacturer claims that their solar panels are “high-efficiency.”
The efficiency rating of a solar panel is expressed as a percentage and indicates the efficiency with which a given panel can generate usable electricity from direct sunlight.
Majority of solar panels available on the market today are rated for 15% to 20% solar energy conversion efficiency. However, there are also ultra-premium residential PV panels from companies like SunPower, LG, and Panasonic that achieve energy conversion efficiency ratings of 20% to 23%.
In the context of this guide, we refer to high-performance solar modules with efficiency ratings between 19% and 23% as high-efficiency panels.
Did you know? All solar panels lose efficiency and degrade over time. When looking at a specific solar panel, we are not only concerned with the initial efficiency rate but also with how well that initial efficiency will be retained over time. – This is known as the solar panel efficiency degradation rate. The slower a specific panel’s performance degrades over time the more premium and valuable it is.
Most premium, high-efficiency and high-power home solar panels on the market today will retain at least 85% of their initial conversion efficiency at the 25-year mark, while the best of breed panels will retain over 90% of the initial efficiency at the 25-year mark.
When a given solar panel harnesses the sunlight and produces electricity, its actual efficiency performance will vary based on the ambient temperature aka the air temperature of the panel’s immediate surroundings, shade, cloudiness, weather conditions, and sun angle/conditions.
While low-efficiency solar panels may work for yard lights or calculators, midrange to high-power efficiency modules are entirely necessary when considering most home installations with limited rooftop space.
So, while many solar salesmen are eager to tout their “high-efficiency” panels, it is important to recognize that every reputable residential solar company should exclusively install high-quality solar panels with efficiency rating that are appropriate for your home’s needs — for a worthwhile renewable energy investment.
What are High-Efficiency Solar Panels?
Today, monocrystalline PERC and N-type IBC solar cells have been developed for efficiencies of 18% to 20% and above. This has set the new standard for high-efficiency residential solar panels of the future, as commercially available panels are beginning to exceed 20% to 22% peak operating efficiencies.
More so, extensive research is being conducted into photovoltaic (PV) solar energy, with new technologies debuting constantly at high-efficiency ratings. For instance, InsoLight has recently unveiled hyper-efficient solar panel designs with working efficiencies of over 30%.
Solar Industry Jargon: “Poly” or “mono” for short, mono cells are generally more efficient than poly cells but they are also usually significantly more expensive.
Relatively speaking, solar panels can be considered highly efficient if they are sold with a manufacturer’s efficiency rating above 17%. What this means is that the solar cells within the panel can convert 17% of the energy from sunlight that hits the panel’s surface area.
While 17 percent Sunlight-to-Electricity conversion efficiency rate may not sound like a lot, it is important to understand that all energy conversions experience some energy loss, and that the amount of sunlight that earth receives is truly abundant! 😊
For our guide’s purposes, we define high-efficiency solar panels as those with efficiency ratings of 19% or higher and efficiency degradation rates of 85% or higher at the 25-year mark.
Note that we’ve also included Jinko Solar on our list of the most efficient solar panels in spite of Jinko solar panels having only about 81% of their initial efficiency remaining after 25 years in service.
However, our view is that Jinko’s relatively high initial efficiency rate and their superior value pricing, make Jinko solar panels a compelling option for budget conscious homeowners.
Our view and that of the industry is that premium quality panels will degrade at a slower rate than basic or midrange panels.
Here are the top 11 most efficient solar panels and brands to consider for home solar power system installations:
Your options for building integrated photovoltaic solar roofs have expanded with Suntegra, CertainTeed Appolo, and Luma Solar tiles to compete with other PV solar products currently being installed.
Certainteed Apollo-2 solar shingles roof
This guide covers the currently available and newly emerging BiPV / roof integrated PV (RiPV) solar shingle options, their costs, availability in specific markets within the US, and pros and cons of each option.
Cost
The table below includes the cost info and availability details for the top four leading RiPV competitors:
Product
Cost per sq.ft.
Cost per watt*
2,750 sq.ft. roof
CertainTeed Apollo II Shingle
$17.25 – $22.00
$6.40 – $8.00
$47,230 – $60,500
CertainTeed Apollo II Tile
$20.88 – $27.37
$7.65 – $10.00
$57,420 – $75,281
Dow PowerHouse II) (Discontinued due to bankruptcy)
$15.00 – $20.00
Est. $6.15
$41,250 – $55,000
SunTegra Shingle
$15.52 – $17.4
$5.70 – $6.40
$42,694 – $47,850
SunTegra Tile
$16.80 – $21.30
$6.16 – $7.81
$46,200 – $58,575
Tesla Solar Tile
$32.00 – $42.00
$11.77-$15.40
$88,000 – $115,500
Note: the above figures are baseline costs (estimated). The actual costs can in some cases be up to 25% higher, depending on the particulars of the jobs including more complex roofs and/or in areas with high cost of living, and in major coastal cities.
All costs include what is known as BOS, or balance of system, costs. These include the connectors, wiring and electrical inverter required for the installation. They do not factor storage battery costs ($7,500 – $12,500 for most systems).
