Cheap Solar Panels – What to Buy

Cheap Solar Panels are widely available with the entry of a multitude of Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese companies. Most of these solar panel manufacturers are fighting on price and have decent quality. With little to differentiate between solar panels made by different firms, cheapness has become the main selling point for these solar panels. Cheap Solar Panels can be bought by an informed customers as expensive Western and Japanese brands still hold a large marketshare. But buying these brands might not make sense economically or environmentally. You can easily avoid buying solar panels from BP Solar because they outsource manufacturing of their solar panels to cheaper locations. It is common sense to buy cheaper solar panels from the companies located in those low cost locations.

Note the warranties are available for 25 years for most solar panels even the cheap solar panels. Also you can buy reinsurance from big insurers in case any of these companies go bankrupt. Cheap Solar Panels can be bought for as low as 60 – 80 cents/watt. Note the same solar panel from a higher priced Western manufacturer could cost as high as $400 with little or no difference. Note these are factory prices so you might have to pay more for these solar panels. However shopping around a bit and knowing the true prices of solar panels might allow you to buy solar panels at a lower price. Here are some of the cheap solar panel providers of good quality, most of them are Chinese because they manufacture at the lowest cost. Unlike other Chinese products, solar panels made by these Solar Panel Producers are of good quality. Read about Chinese Solar Panels.

5 Most Affordable Solar Panel Brands

1) Trina Solar is one of the lowest cost manufacturers of Solar Panels in the World right now. This is the reason that the company in a span of few short years has managed to acquire a substantial  global marketshare. Founded in 1997, Trina Solar is one of the world’s foremost PV companies. Fully vertically integrated from the production of ingots to modules into both mono and multicrystalline technologies, Trina Solar offers high quality modules and solar solutions. With more than 12 offices worldwide, Trina Solar has partnerships with leading installers, distributors, utilities and developers in all major PV markets and is listed on the NYSE.

The prices the solar panels being sold are around $160-200 per 200 watt module. You can also read about Trina Solar Panel Reviews on GWI.

2) Yingli Solar is one of the oldest and biggest Chinese companies. The company has been expanding rapidly and has one of the lowest cost structures in the industry. Yingli is the second biggest producer of Solar Panels in China. One of the world’s first fully vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers, the company develops, manufactures, and sells high-quality modules under the brand Yingli Solar to a wide range of markets, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, South Korea, China, and the United States. The company is headquartered in Baoding, China with over 11,000 employees worldwide & more than 10 branch offices globally. It is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2007 (NYSE: YGE). The business model covers the entire PV value chain, from polysilicon production to the assembly of modules.

The company is one of the lowest cost producers of solar panels in the world with expected costs to reach around 60-65c/watt by end of 2012. Read about Yingli Solar Panel Reviews on GWI.

3) Hanwha SolarOne – Hanwha Group is one of Korea’s top ten enterprises. In 2010, Hanwha Group achieved total assets of approximately USD83 billion and total sales of approximately USD 27 billion. Originally established in 1952 as an industrial explosives manufacturer, Hanwha Group has actively expanded its business scope through both organic growth and corporate acquisitions. The company has presence in Asia, Middle east, Europe, America & Africa. Hanwha Group is currently engaged in three core business areas: manufacturing/construction, finance and service/leisure. After Hanwha Group took over Solarfun Power Holdings Co. Ltd.in 2010, it came to be known as Hanwha SolarOne. Hanwha SolarOne solar modules are ideal for on grid & off grid applications for commercial, residential and utility purposes. Hanwha SolarOne manufactures both Polycrystalline & Monocrystalline modules, which comes in Standard & X-tra series.

Hanwha SolarOne makes one of the cheapest panels and sells it at a very low price. The quality is also quite good and with strong parentage behind it. Again like Trina Solar, it has very low cost Chinese manufacturing capacity. The cost of a 250 watt panel would be approximately 175 $ @ 70 cent per watt. You can also read about Reviews on Hanwha Solar Panels on GWI.

4) Suntech was the world’s biggest producer of solar panels in 2010 and was one the first companies to set up operations in China. Its example was followed by a host of other Chinese companies. Suntech has been slow to expand compared to the fast growing small companies in China and has lost marketshare to them. It has started to vertically integrate in order to meet the low cost challenge from Trina and Yingli. Suntech makes one of the best quality Solar Panels in China. The company was founded in 2001 by the solar scientist Dr. Zhengrong Shi and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Suntech offers solar products for every application and market, from off-grid systems, to homes, to the world’s largest solar power plants. Their solar modules are installed in over 80 countries. Suntech has offices in 13 countries.

The prices the solar panels being sold are around $160-200 per 200 watt module. You can also read reviews on Suntech Solar Panels on GWI.

5) Canadian Solar is a top Global Module Supplier. Canadian Solar is a vertically integrated company, providing ingots, wafers, solar cells, solar modules, solar power systems and specialized solar products. The Company is headquartered in Canada with factories in China and Ontario. Canadian Solar operates in 11 countries: Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain,Australia, the United States, Singapore, HongKong and China.It is listed on NASDAQ Exchange. Canadian Solar has a wide customer base covering over 50 countries. Canadian Solar provides the solar industry with the widest PV product lines from 0.03W to 305W. Canadian Solar also offers customized PV products and OEM service around the world. The Company sells a wide variety of solar panels unlike other producers.

The prices the solar panels being sold are around $160-200 per 200 watt module.

Note some of the brands may not be available everywhere because the sales channel might not stock these cheap solar panels. Some other cheap solar panel brands are Renesola, Jinko Solar, CNPV, CEEG, Hareon, Chint Astronergy etc.

Other GWI articles that you should read:

1. Free Solar Panels – They don’t Exist and Why you should not Confuse Free with Government Subsidies
2. List of World’s Major Solar Energy Companies
3. Which is the Lowest Cost Solar Panel Manufacturer in the World
4. Solar Panel Costs – Understanding Percentage Breakdown of Component,Part Costs for a Solar System