Note: Solar Choice is not a solar installer and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another.
Overview of Trina Solar – Company History
In 1997, Jifan Gao established Trina Solar, one of China’s pioneering photovoltaic manufacturers. Since then, Trina Solar has emerged as a global frontrunner in solar technology innovation and production. Employing around 13,000 people worldwide, primarily in China, the company made its debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2020. Trina Solar operates manufacturing plants not only in China but also in Thailand and Vietnam. By June 2020, they had supplied over 50 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels across the globe.
Trina Solar is renowned for its advancements in solar technology, having achieved 20 world records in silicon solar cell efficiency and solar module power since 2011. Additionally, the company holds 852 approved patents, underscoring its position as a leader in the solar energy industry.
The company is dedicated to sustainable development and innovation, aiming to lower the costs and environmental impacts of solar power production. Between 2015 and 2019, Trina Solar made significant strides in sustainability by reducing water and electricity usage by 32% and 47% respectively per megawatt (MW) produced. These efforts led to a 46% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions during this period. Their commitment to sustainability was acknowledged when they ranked first in the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) Solar Scorecard for 2017 and 2018.
Key Panel Indicators
| Trina Solar Panel | |
| Bloomberg Tier 1 Ranking | Yes |
| DNV GL Top Performer | Yes (5/6) |
| Office location in Australia | Yes |
What is a Bloomberg Tier 1 Solar Panel?
Bloomberg’s infamous tier 1 ranking is NOT a measure of Solar Panel quality in any way. It is simply an indication of the bankability of the manufacturer based on publicly released information on the financial health of the company. This should give you an idea if the company is a large, well-known manufacturer.
See full list of Bloomberg Tier 1 Solar Panels
What is PV Evolution Labs Top Performer?
PV Evolution Labs with support from DNV GL independently test solar panel reliability. The tests are voluntary, with solar panel manufacturers paying to participate in the testing. This testing process is internationally renowned and is an accurate reflection of the solar panel’s performance.
Trina Solar was listed as a top performer for 5 out of 6 tests (the thermal cycling, Damp Heat, Mechanical Stress Sequence, PID, and LID+LETID) in the latest report. Trina Solar has been consistently named each year as a top performer since 2014.
See full list of PV Evolution Labs Top Performing Solar Panels
Why is office location in Australia Important?
Most solar panel manufacturers entering the Australian market first set up their distribution channels and worry about customer service later. This has led to many unhappy customers who are left trying to contact Chinese head offices to claim on their 10-year product warranty.
Relying on your solar installer is not always an option as we’ve seen many residential solar installers (including the large ones) go out of business well within the lifetime of the systems they are installing.
Trina Solar Australia head office is located in Sydney.
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How Much Do Trina Solar Panels Cost?
Based on Solar Choice’s database we have provided the below-average costs as an indicative guide. These prices include:
- Full turnkey Solar System with Trina Solar Panels
- Installation from a pre-vetted reputable installer from Solar Choice’s network
- The STC rebate and GST
| System Size | Average Fully Installed Cost |
| 6kW | $5,282 |
| 8kW | $8,687 |
| 10kW | $11,244 |
Important Note: Prices will vary depending on location, inverter brand and which installer is used
Trina Solar Panels – Points of Difference
There are many solar panels out there, what makes Trina solar panels stand out?
The large solar panel manufacturer
Trina Solar is one of the largest solar manufacturers in the world. By the end of April 11th, 2022, their annual production capacity cumulative shipments of PV modules had exceeded 100GW.
Trina has 3 manufacturing plants located in China, Thailand and Vietnam, it is reported that they have a 50GW+ company-wide production capacity. This makes them a top 5 solar panel manufacturer globally.
Vertically integrated supply chain
Trina also owns most steps in the vertical supply chain to produce a solar panel including producing ingots, silicon wafers and solar cells which are all upstream components of solar panels. This strategy enables them to keep greater control over the supply and quality of each step of the process.
Trina Solar Panel Technologies
Trina currently has 261 solar panels approved by the Clean Energy Council in Australia under the name “Trina Solar Co Ltd”. This is a requirement to be eligible for the federal STC solar rebate.
Currently, in Australia Trina offers three series of panels Honey, Tallmax, and Vertex. And several sub-series for each one.
Honey Series
The Honey Series was Trina’s most popular solar panel in Australia striking a balance between efficiency and quality along with an affordable price. Available with both monocrystalline and multicrystalline cells, the Trina Honey solar panel with 120 half-cut cells is perfect for small rooftop systems. All panels in the Honey Series come with Trina’s 12-year product and 25-linear power output warranty. This series included the panels that were ranked as top performers by PV Evolution Labs testing. They also provide all-black options for the customer (Honey Black Series). However, only the series of Honey M (360 – 380 WP) solar panels are on sale now in Australia, the other series are discontinued.
Vertex Series
Vertex Series are the most used Trina solar panels in the Australian market now. There are several sub-series including Vertex S, Vertex S+, Vertex N, Vertex Backsheet and Vertex Bifacial. All the Vertex Series solar panels use monocrystalline solar cells which means the Silicon used is purer than polycrystalline.
The Vertex S is the solar panel directed at the residential market as the smaller dimensions enable the panel to cater to more complex residential roofs. There are two versions of the Vertex S solar panel which could be considered a standard and a premium option.
The standard Vertex S solar panel features 120 half-cut monocrystalline cells giving the solar panel an overall dimension of 1754mm x 1096mm including the aluminium frame. The panel total output ranges from 380W to 405W with a maximum efficiency of up to 21.1% which is impressive. This panel offers a 15 year product warranty which is slightly ahead of most panels in the market which offer 12 years.
The premium Vertex S solar panel utilises 144 monocrystalline solar cells giving the overall panel slightly larger dimensions at 1762mm x 1134mm. As a result these panels watt ratings range from 405W to 435W and a higher maximum efficiency up to 21.8% which is approaching the best on the market. The big kicker for these panels is they come with an additional 10 years on the product warranty giving a total 25 year warranty which matches the best options on the Australian market for residential customers.
Tallmax and Duomax Series
These two series were one of the main products of Trina, however, similar to Honey Series, only Tallmax M (435 – 460W) are now less commonly found in the Australian market as their production has been discontinued.
Tallmax and Duomax series are the predecessors of Vertex Series and you can see some Tallmax & Duomax in Trina’s new products with higher efficiency and better performance.
Trina’s Warranty Offer for Australian Customers
Solar panels in the Australian market come with a performance warranty and a product warranty.
Solar panel manufacturers typically offer product warranties ranging from 10-12 years to cover manufacturing faults that may lead to damage or malfunction. Trina offers a variety of product warranties, starting from 10 years for their cheaper options and going up to 30 years for their bifacial solar panels, which are designed for ground-mounted solar projects. Trina Solar have a new ‘Vertex’ solar panel range for the Australian residential market which offers a 25-year product warranty.
Solar panels come with a performance warranty that guarantees a certain level of energy output throughout their lifetime. Typically, this warranty ensures that the panels will produce 80-82% of the nameplate output even after 25 years of use. Trina offers a variety of solar panels with different performance warranties. Their warranties range from 84.7% to 87.4% after 25 years of use. The dual glass monocrystalline Vertex S+ and Vertex N series have the highest performance warranty at 87.4%.
Upon examining Trina’s warranty documentation, it is evident that there is a well-defined process for filing a warranty claim, and ample remedies are available after an evaluation has been completed. Trina has an Australian office to assist with the process, which means customers can easily access the claim process even if their installer is no longer available to help.
See Trina’s full warranty documentation here.
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Trina Solar Panel Specifications
| Trina Solar Honey M | Trina Solar Vertax S | |
| Cell Number | 120 | 120 |
| Cell Type | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline |
| Power Output | 375 Wp | 400 Wp |
| Nominal Power Voltage | 34.4 V | 34.2 V |
| Panel Efficiency | 20.5% | 20.8% |
| Annual Power Degradation | 0.55% | 0.5% |
| Dimensions | 1763 x 1040 x 35mm (1.83m²) | 1754 x 1096 x 30mm (1.92m²) |
| Weight | 20kg | 21kg |
| Product Warranty | 12 years | 15 years |
| Performance Warranty | 25 years | 25 years |
| Operational Temperature Range | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Made in | China | China |
Pros and Cons of Trina Solar Panels
Pros：
- Safe option as they are a large manufacturing capacity and healthy financial position
- Vertically integrated manufacturing process
- Have a local office in Sydney, Australia
Cons：
- Having a lot of models available in the Australian market we have had feedback it is confusing for customers to determine what reviews are relevant to what they have been quoted
Should I Buy Trina Solar Panels?
If you are looking for a reliable solar option for either commercial or residential projects, Trina Solar is definitely worth considering. However, it’s important to note that the quality of their solar panels can vary depending on the model you choose. To ensure that you are getting the best value for your money, we recommend that you obtain the datasheet from your installer and do your own research.
Feel free to contact Solar Choice for some impartial expert advice on your quote.
Trina Solar Panels Used On UOQ 1.2MW Installation
The University of Queensland has a total of 5000 polycrystalline Trina Solar panels installed across 4 of the buildings on campus. The installation totals 1.22MW and at the time when it was completed, it was Australia’s largest rooftop grid photovoltaic system. The system is responsible for powering approximately 6% of the University’s peak electricity demand. To put it into perspective, the same amount of electricity could power 800 typical Queensland households at once. The system produces around 1.85GWh of electricity per year, reducing the University’s carbon footprint significantly. The reduction would be equivalent to taking 335 cars off the road each year.
As of January 2019, the University of Queensland had 49,336 solar panels in operation. These panels generate almost 9 million KWh of clean energy, which is enough electricity to power over 1,500 typical Queensland homes.
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Reviews from Australians who have installed Trina Panels
Really unsure about the different options and none of the companies were able to give us any information that could help us choose. Note of explanations about the output and things didn't really seem to make sense. In the end this just chose a brand that seemed to be commonly used.
No issues todate.
IEC61701 compliant for sea mist conditions. Output looks good.
Looks great on roof spread over 2 areas to maximize output
Quality panels
So far I think the panels are running fine but lots of problems with Fronius GEN24 Primo 5.0 inverter.
performing well no issues
Haven’t had any problems to date (3 years).
We have a good amount of energy generated daily
Very neat, attractive and efficient solar panel array made up of 22 x 440watt panels, which have a high power output, even in overcast conditions.
Everthing is working well so far.
system paid for itself in a little over 3 years, and still seems to be generating as much energy now as when first installed (nearly 6 years ago)
20 375-watt panels. Have given no problems, and continue to perform at the level they did when installed.
Panels have worked well for 6 years with little or no sign of degradation (have separate inverters on each panel so can be monitored individually)
No issues so far and appears to be working as anticipated.
As November 23 the panels have produce excellent output
Panels are performing to expectations. No issues at all
Output is occasionally over-spec, warranty is excellent
Found them from the Best Value list on Solarquotes. No complaints here
Working well
They are performing extremely well.
I dont know much about it, but thwy are working at present...time will tell
25 year guarantee
This will become an issue over the years - but works flawless...
Good value panel
Looks good from my angle
Seem to be good. Checked the best for value and performance and they were in the top 5 list. Wait to see how they go. Got the black framed ones which look great on the roof. Look like one large panel. Recommended as look good on the house.
A little bit of water pooling around the frame.
I know nothing about them.yet as we have.not been able to use our solar since installation.
They look good but as to efficiency too early to tell. On the solar app it shows them working in bright winter sunshine even on a slightly cloudy day. Time will tell.
The Trina panels provided good overall working coverage at a competitive price.
They look good but time will tell how well they perform
Excellent
All good so far
The only measure on this is output. No issues with panels at all and they do what they said on the tin.
The panels are working well.
Not a bad brand.
dont know yet
Don't know much about Trina Solar panels but reviews of this panel were good.
I do not know enough about the specifications to comment meaningfully.
Look great and so far no problems.
Look Fantastic.
20 Trina Vertex S+ NEG9.28
No comment
Works great!
Working beautifully.
5 star
Working fine after 3 months time will tell 30 year warranty
The real problem I am advised is the inverter. The problem with the panels is that they are influences by shade on any one area drags down the entire installation, although shading is not an issue here. It was prior to installation but was rectified. Apparently, a separate controller for each panel should have been supplied. I even relocated satellite dish to try and improve performance impact, but it made no difference
Great value. Very efficient.
Don't have enough statistic to have an opinion.
Early days but no drama to date.
Was recommended them as a great fit working together with Fronius inverter. Even in winter we have already generated more power than I would have expected
As yet cannot really comment but seems fine.
Excellent quality for the price. Really good value.
The Trina Solar panels are a medium quality product that have good back up and a long life with good efficiency. They are a well known and recommended brand.
good so far
All working fine
Working fine.
