Note: Solar Choice is not a solar installer and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another.
JA Solar – Company History
JA Solar was originally founded in 2005 and is based in Beijing, China. The company was listed on the US NASDAQ exchange back in 2007 during an early growth phase and has recently been acquired by JASO Acquisition Limited which effectively has taken the company private again.
The company has 9 manufacturing facilities in China and one in Malaysia and Vietnam with a total annual production capacity of 42.5 GW (reported by Bloomberg NEF). This makes JA Solar the third largest producer of Solar Panels as of September 2021.
JA Solar has 25,000 employees as of 2022 working across 32 factories and branches around the world.
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 the company. This should give you an idea if the company is a large, well-known manufacturer.
JA Solar is listed as a tier 1 manufacturer in Bloomberg’s Q2 2020 report.
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.
JA Solar are named as a top performer in the test of 6 performance tests(thermal cycling, damp heat, mechanical stress sequence, hail stress sequence and LID+LETID) in the latest 2024 report.
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.
JA Solar’s listed local office in North Sydney is a ‘serviced shared office’ managed by Servcorp.
Compare quotes from up to 7 installers in your area now.
How much do JA 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 JA 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 – JA Solar Panels
15kW
$13,920
10KW
$8,973
6.6kW
$6,238
5kW
$4,988
Important Note: Prices will vary depending on location, inverter brand and which installer is used
JA Solar Panel -Points of Difference
There are many solar panels out there, what makes Canadian solar panels stand out?
One of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers
JA Solar is one of the largest solar panel manufacturers with third-largest solar module capacity (reportedly 42.5GW/year in 2021). JA Solar has focused on producing a mid-market solar panel for the masses that combines reliability with an affordable price point. JA Solar is one of the most competitively priced of the ‘big-name’ solar panels on the market.
JA Solar Panel Technologies
Most of JA Solar’s products have been approved by the Clean Energy Council (listed under the parent company Shanghai JA Solar Technology Co Ltd) for the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme – Australia’s home solar rebate program.
Deep Blue 3.0 Light
JA Solar’s Deep Blue series is one of the more affordable options on the market with their current model available in Australia offering an output rating of 415W.
The solar panel has a maximum efficiency rating of 21.3% which we would consider to be above average. It measures 1.7m by 1.1m making it ideally suited to residential rooftops.
The panel only comes with a 12-year warranty which is now one of the shortest offers in the residential rooftop market with most manufacturers offering up to 25 years. This calls out some questions to the reliability and longevity of these solar panels.
Deep Blue 4.0 Pro
JA Solar do offer a more premium option to the residential rooftop market in their Deep Blue 4.0 Pro series. This is currently available in a 440W output rating which is ideally suited to Australian regulations.
The solar panel features N-type solar cell technology and is a bifacial solar panel meaning it can absorb sunlight on the underside of the panel as well. For most residential customers there won’t be much benefit of the bifacial construction as solar panels are typically flush mounted to the roof with minimal space for sun reflection and most roofing material won’t reflect much light.
The solar panel comes with an impressive maximum efficiency rating of 22% and has a longer product warranty offer of 25 years. For these reasons we would encourage residential customers looking at JA Solar panels to go for this model.
Independent Testing of JA Solar Panels by PV Labs Australia
In a 2023 study commissioned by the ACT Government, PV Labs Australia testing a sample of 121 solar panels sourced directly from suppliers in the market. The solar panels featured 14 different solar panel brands and they have published the results.
The solar panels were tested via a visual inspection, STC power, electroluminescence, wet leakage and potential induced degradation.
JA Solar scored mixed results in the 2 rounds of testing. In the first round of testing they scored a relatively low score of 78 out of 100 and then scored a mid-range score of 89 out of 100 in round 2.
Although there was a relatively small sample size, the premium solar panels did score highly and the cheaper panels on the market did receive lower scores.
Solar panels come with a product warranty of around 15 to 25 years which covers manufacturing defects. There is also performance warranty of usually around 25 to 30 years which covers the rate at which the solar panels will degrade over time. Generally the product warranty is more important to residential customers as its very uncommon and difficult to claim warranty on a performance warranty.
JA Solar offer a 12-year product warranty for their Deep Blue 3.0 Light solar panel which is rapidly becoming one of the shortest offers on the market. Although several years ago this was more common, JA Solar’s reluctance to extend the product warranty offer on this panel to match competition suggests some questions about the panels longevity.
JA Solar’s superior Deep Blue 4.0 Pro series comes with a 25 year product warranty which matches most offers in the residential rooftop solar market.
All of the contact details on the JA Solar warranty documents are for their sites in China. As JA Solar only have a shared office space listed on their website there is some concerns around whether JA Solar customers will have local support through the life of the solar panels.
Compare quotes from up to 7 installers in your area now.
Pros and cons of JA solar panels
Pros
Cons
Listed as a top performing solar panel by PV Evolution Labs
Tier 1 Solar Company by Bloomberg New Energy
Short product warranty for Deep Blue 3.0 series
No permanent local office leased in Australia
In 2018 JA Solar merged with JASO Acquisition Limited and ceased to be a publicly traded company
So, are JA Solar Panels worth buying?
JA Solar Panels stack up well for as an affordable mid-range option from a company with a solid financial backing and reputation.
As they are based out of a shared office space in North Sydney it appears they don’t have the same level of local support as some of the bigger brands. They are also in a position to quickly remove any local support if they decide to exit the Australian market as we’ve seen some Chinese brands do in the past.
We would generally only recommend considering the Deep Blue 4.0 Pro series which has a longer product warranty and better performance characteristics.
Example of a JA Solar Commercial Solar Project – South Australian Water Corporation
Completed in 2018/2019
Type of Application: Commercial Ground-mount Solar PV System
System Size: 4.14 MWp across multiple sites
JA Solar provided all the solar panels to three ground-mounted Solar PV projects at Hope Valley Water Treatment Plant (1.5 MW), Glenelg Waste Water Treatment Plant (1.32 MW), and Christies Beach Waste Water Treatment Plant (1.32 MW).
Mr. Baofang Jin, President and CEO of JA Solar, said “JA Solar is committed to the research and development of high-efficiency PV modules… We look forward to promoting the application of renewable energy around the world.”
Compare quotes from up to 7 pre-vetted installers in your area now. Since 2008 our knowledge and sophisticated software has allowed over 300,000 Australian households and businesses to make a well-informed choice on their solar & battery installer.
Jeff has consulted on over 20MW of commercial solar projects, ranging from SMEs to ASX top 100 companies. Jeff has also provided independent advice to 100s of residential solar, battery and EV charging customers across every state in Australia. He holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is an expert in business strategy and financial analysis.
Still working out to see if panels are going to save me some money in the next few months.
14th October 2024
Michelle
-
7kW system
5.00
I'm very happy with the output and choice, as well as the guidance from Jason at sure solar in the sales process
4th September 2024
Gabby
-
9kW system
5.00
31st August 2024
Ed
QLD - 4511
10-15kW system
5.00
Very happy with system output. Averaging 52kW per day
28th August 2024
Kim
-
10-15kW system
5.00
Very happy, have glad on both sides and great warranty and reviews
26th August 2024
Robert
VIC - 3058
10-15kW system
4.00
Have yet to experience summer output and have 5 south facing panels so panel output still being evaluated. Choice was a competitors matching.
25th August 2024
Christo
-
10-15kW system
5.00
Th solar panels look great on the roof and the output is above our expectations.
21st August 2024
Mairi
VIC - 3058
4kW system
5.00
13th August 2024
Mary
-
5kW system
5.00
5th August 2024
Christine
-
5kW system
5.00
2nd August 2024
Chris
-
10-15kW system
5.00
All black panels with black railing. Seamless look on roof
14th July 2024
QLD - 4051
10-15kW system
5.00
Great looking in the roof. Solid black.
1st July 2024
Sarah
-
10kW system
4.00
25th June 2024
Gail
-
9kW system
5.00
JA solar
24th June 2024
Cherie
-
6kW system
5.00
Was worried that the panels would reduce the street appeal of my little cottage, but it doesn't, thankfully. Super happy to see the electricity meter at a standstill, as I use all of my appliances during the day without a care in the world!
22nd June 2024
Lenny
-
9kW system
5.00
Happy with the hardware used although the system is only few days old. Install was neat and tidy.
18th June 2024
Daniel
-
5kW system
3.00
Seems fine
7th June 2024
Wesley
-
6kW system
5.00
Ja All black panels with black railing looks great
1st June 2024
Andy
NSW - 2032
6kW system
5.00
Yes we are happy with the performance of the Solar system installed.
26th May 2024
NSW - 2093
10kW system
5.00
As the panels are mounted on tilts we wanted bifacial panels. We were going to go with Jinko but they weren’t available so went with JA.
9th May 2024
NSW - 2529
10-15kW system
5.00
8th May 2024
Leslie
-
6kW system
5.00
Good quality very neat and tidy
5th April 2024
Allan
-
6kW system
5.00
To early to tell, as it was only installed yesterday. By all information I gathered, the panels and inverter are of top quality.
29th March 2024
Jake
-
15-20kW system
5.00
panels look good and nice. Really amazing look on my roof
27th March 2024
Trinad
-
10-15kW system
5.00
amazing looking panels
22nd March 2024
VIC - 3226
10-15kW system
5.00
17th March 2024
Joshua
-
15-20kW system
5.00
Nice and shiny dual glass panels with black frames.
5th March 2024
VIC - 3995
10-15kW system
5.00
Happy with the output so far
23rd February 2024
Hugh
NSW - 2137
7kW system
5.00
no problems.
17th February 2024
VIC - 3196
6kW system
5.00
Good reviews, nice aesthetic, very effective solar capture.
31st January 2024
Brian
VIC - 3028
6kW system
5.00
The system is north facing and is producing at or close to its rated output every sunny day and a good amount of power on cloudy days. This is meeting best expectations.
6th January 2024
Leanne
TAS - 7320
5kW system
5.00
Seems to be high quality. Reviews were good.
27th November 2023
Vaughan
VIC - 3555
6kW system
5.00
27th November 2023
Steve
NSW - 2333
10-15kW system
5.00
Being a layman on good , better best as far as panels go it was explained to me in plain terms the benefits of this brand and I have found them to be very productive
20th November 2023
Gary
VIC - 3084
6kW system
5.00
Still working fine
16th November 2023
Rhonda
NSW - 2423
6kW system
5.00
To date we have had no problems.
25th October 2023
Marian
SA - 5089
10-15kW system
5.00
Will monitor for next 12months only 9 months old.
12th October 2023
Peter
NSW - 2526
6kW system
5.00
6th October 2023
John 2
ACT - 2602
6kW system
5.00
Nothing special; they just work.
3rd October 2023
Trevor
NSW - 2577
6kW system
5.00
No issues, No noticeable degradation after 6 years.
13th August 2023
Stuart
NSW - 4509
5kW system
5.00
Great value for money.
18th July 2023
Stefan
VIC - 3089
6kW system
5.00
12th May 2023
Dee
-
6kW system
5.00
Good panels
13th March 2023
Brian
VIC - 3490
6kW system
5.00
20th December 2022
Brendan
QLD - 4154
10kW system
5.00
16th December 2022
Tony
-
30-50kW system
5.00
Very good
13th December 2022
Gary
NSW - 2229
8kW system
5.00
I know nothing about solar panels to make any comment.
29th November 2022
Patrick
ACT - 2605
10-15kW system
5.00
2nd November 2022
Russ
WA - 6164
10kW system
5.00
Good quality at an affordable price.
29th July 2022
Travis
VIC - 3690
6kW system
4.00
Fine
12th July 2022
Ian
VIC - 3216
6kW system
5.00
APPEAR TO BE OF STRONG CONSTRUCTION
28th June 2022
Paul
SA - 5163
6kW system
4.00
Lets see how they last...
9th May 2022
Keith
-
10kW system
5.00
Good panel with a long warranty,
1st May 2022
Rose
-
7kW system
4.00
1st September 2021
Kevin
VIC - 3978
6kW system
5.00
5th July 2021
Kel
SA - 5163
6kW system
3.00
Efficiency seems to have dropped off sharply since the initial install.
1st July 2021
Alual
-
6kW system
5.00
Good looking, one of the best brand
21st June 2021
Duncan
VIC - 3127
6kW system
5.00
Fine.
15th June 2021
Kevin
-
6kW system
3.00
Not switched on yet. Awaiting inspection
14th June 2021
Stuart
QLD - 4509
6kW system
5.00
Helping Australians make a well-informed decision since 2008