How to choose the best solar and battery products for your home

How to choose the best solar and battery products for your home

The best solar installations will generate renewable electricity for 25 years or more. But in a world of evolving options around batteries, solar panels and inverters, how should you go about selecting the best products for your home or business?  

In this article, leading solar and battery installer and Tesla Owner UK Key Partner Good Energy, shares the criteria they follow to select great solar and battery products that are built to last.

Four ways to guarantee quality solar and battery products

1: Choose quality products with long warranties 

Reliable solar and battery installers, like Good Energy, will have established long-term relationships with trustworthy manufacturers, enabling them to recommend products known for their durability and lasting performance. Opt for brands with warranties with ten years or more – this shows confidence in the products and a commitment to addressing potential issues; and choose products with high efficiency ratings to get the most from your system. 

2: Prioritise fire safety

While string-inverter solar panel systems are cheaper, they are less efficient and come with a greater fire risk. Good Energy recommends opting for an optimised solar panel system to get the maximum benefit from each panel, and the peace of mind that your system meets the latest fire-safety standards.

3: Demand traceable, ethical supply chains 

Good Energy only recommend manufacturers that are part of the Solar Stewardship Initiative. This helps to ensure that the components they use are fully traceable and that they prioritise sustainable sourcing, responsible labour practices and environmental protection through the entire supply chain.  

4: Get the most out of your energy with a user-friendly portal

Solar panels and battery storage should be enjoyable and easy to use. That’s why it’s important to choose brands that have a user-friendly app and portal, with long-term technical support.

So, what are some of the best solar and battery brands?

For solar panels, some of Good Energy’s favourite brands are Jinko, AIKO and JA. These manufacturers all offer product warranties of 25 years, and output warranties of 30 years; as well as high efficiency ratings of 20 – 23%. They are all part of the Solar Stewardship initiative showing a good attitude to ethical supply chain management.

For inverters and micro-optimisers, you can’t do much better than SolarEdge. This US-based manufacturer offers leading products, quality technical support and a user-friendly app to help you to get the best from your solar panel system. With an extendable product warranty offering a minimum of 12 years, it’s built to last.

And for batteries, there are several high-quality products including the SolarEdge Home Battery 400V, Tesla Powerwall 3 and SigEnergy’s SigenStor.

All of these products come with 10 year warranties, are stackable, meaning you can create the right storage solution for your home, and can offer back up protection in the event of a power cut. What’s more, they’re AI enabled, meaning you can input your tariff information into the accompanying app, and trust the system to maximise your financial savings.

Thanks to Key Partner Good Energy for providing this guide. 

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