Choosing a solar company to use for your panels can be difficult. This is a newer technology with a lot of companies to choose from. It can be hard to even know what to look for in a good company.
SolarWorld and Canadian Solar are two of the most popular options out there. This breakdown will give you some insight into what their company offers and compare the two. Even if you are analyzing a different company, you can use this guide to help you zone in on what to look for.
SolarWorld Overview
SolarWorld started its company over 40 years ago, in 1975. They are a self-described pioneer of the industry and were originally formed in Germany. Now they make their products in the United States and are mainly based in Hillsboro, Oregon. Many of their materials also come from the United States.
SolarWorld’s facility is the largest in the United States. They manufacture monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. Their warranties are a lengthy 25-year performance guarantee and 20-year structural guarantee.
In 2017, this company filed for insolvency due to a large amount of German debt. They were able to remake themselves as SolarWorld Industries.
Even though their German extension had a lot of financial problems, this did not include SolarWorld Americas. This most likely why they now do much of their business in the States. While they still exist as a company, it may cause hesitation if you are searching for reliable service.
SolarWorld Reviews
The positives for SolarWorld are often in their quality and excellent warranties. The performance and structural guarantees are both more than two decades, which is significantly more than most companies are willing to offer.
The panels are very efficient with 18.33% average efficiency. The more efficient they are, the more power you can get from them.
Because of their issues with insolvency in 2017, they are also much cheaper than they were previously. Most panels are on average under $3 per watt for residential panels.
Their negatives lie mostly in their financial issues. Their business has not branched out into other areas beyond solar panels. That means that they risk having another major financial problem whenever there is a dip in the solar business. They don’t have other products to diversify their offerings.
Canadian Solar Overview
Canadian Solar is a newer company. It was founded in Canada in 2001. They have 17 facilities across the globe and subsidiaries in 20 countries. Their research and development section is a big part of their business, according to them.
The warranty for Canadian Solar is a 10 or 12-year structural guarantee and a 30-year performance guarantee for their panels. In addition to their monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels, they also sell inverters, system kits, and connectors for both residential and commercial.
Depending on the solar panel you choose, the cost could be anywhere between $2.80 and $3.34 per watt. Their efficiency can vary anywhere from 15.88% to 19.91%.
Canadian Solar Review
Where Canadian Solar shines is in its value. The product generally performs well and is cheaper than many panels on the market.
Some of the measures to look at when determining performance are the panel’s efficiency and temperature coefficient. The Canadian Solar Panels have a low temperature coefficient, which is a positive. The lower the temperature coefficient, the greater its ability to produce electricity.
The panel efficiency is also good by any measure in the industry. This measures its ability to take in the sunlight it is trying to convert. If you want to spend more on your panels, you can get a more efficient product from them.
The warranty is not as generous as SolarWorld’s but it lines up with the warranties for other companies. Depending on your selection, you can also get a longer warranty for your product.
Which is best?
This is a difficult choice as both companies offer products that work well and last a long time. SolarWorld seems to have the edge in a couple of areas.
For one, they are on average a more efficient product, so they are doing their job better. This of course depends on which panel you select from Canadian Solar, but you will have to pay more for that higher efficiency rating.
The price is also on average lower with SolarWorld. You can select cheaper panels from Canadian Solar, but the quality will not match up with SolarWorld.
Despite this, the disparity between them is not very wide. They are very similar products. Their temperature coefficients are both fairly basic as well.
What this boils down to is which company is most reliable. Because of SolarWorld’s financial problems and lack of products beyond panels, Canadian Solar seems to be the most reliable. Their good quality products at a good value push them over the edge when combined with their industry stability.
There are a dizzying number of companies to choose from when you are looking into solar. The choice depends on what your budget is and how much you value certain attributes. Narrow that down and you can make an educated choice between the companies in that space.