Talesun Solar Panels: An Independent Review by Solar Choice

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Note: Solar Choice is not a solar installer and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another. 

Overview of Talesun Solar – Company History

Talesun Solar is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zhongli Science and Technology Group which is a Chinese manufacturer of industrial components including fibre optic cables. The Zhongli Sci-Tech Group made an initial investment of USD 850 million into Talesun Solar in 2010.

According to their website (which seems a bit out of date), Talesun’s annual manufacturing capacity has grown to 2GW of silicon cells and 2.8GW of Solar Panels making them a mid-tier manufacturer in terms of size. Most of their panels are sold domestically in China (1.8GW) and have sales networks established in Europe and Japan.

Talesun Solar panels are not commonly used in Australia, however, they do have a supply agreement set up with Sol Distribution. Talesun does not have an Australian-focused website or an Australian office.

Key Indicators

 Talesun Solar Panels
Bloomberg Tier 1 RankingYes
PV Evolution Labs Top PerformerYes (6/6)
Office location in AustraliaNo

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.

Talesun Solar is in the Bloomberg Tier 1.

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.

Talesun Solar Panels are currently ranked in the PV Evolution Labs Top Performers across all of the 6 annual tests in the latest report (2023)

See the 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 their 10-year product warranty.

Relying on your solar installer is not always an option as since 2011 we’ve seen over 700 residential solar installers (including the large ones) go out of business well within the lifetime of the systems they are installing. 

At this stage, Talesun Solar do not have an Australian office.

How Much Do Talesun Solar Panels Cost?

Based on Solar Choice’s database we have provided the below-average costs as an indicative guide of the wholesale costs of Talesun’s solar panels. These prices are only available to solar installation companies, not to end customers.

DescriptionModulesPrice RangePrice (per watt)
TALESUN 330W

MONO HALF CUT

M330HC$140–$150$0.42–$0.46
TALESUN 380W

MONO 144 CELL

M380HC$160–$170$0.42–$0.45

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Talesun Solar Panels – Points of Difference

There are many solar panels out there, what makes Talesun solar panels stand out?

Vertical Integration

Many solar panel manufacturers acquire solar cells and package them together into their panels. Talesun manufactures solar cells and solar panels in-house giving them more control over the supply and quality of the panels. 

Additionally, Talesun has extended its services beyond simply manufacturing solar panels, to designing and installing solar projects predominantly within China. This gives the company an end-to-end understanding of the challenges to overcome in a solar project and informs their research and development.

Talesun Solar Panel Technologies

Talesun Solar currently has 40 solar panels approved by the Clean Energy Council in Australia under the name “Suzhou Talesun Solar Technologies Co Ltd”. This is a requirement to be eligible for the federal STC solar rebate.

Talesun Solar has two main series of solar panels, which they currently sell into the Australian market with diversified solar modules to meet the different needs of customers.

Talesun BISTARBISTAR Series

Talesun BISTAR series is their flagship offer to the Australian market utilising monocrystalline PERC half-cut solar cells. The panel comes in various sizes ranging from a 60 cell (360 watt) option suited to residential projects and a 78 cell (670 watt) option suited to utility scale applications.  Thes panels feature a maximul efficiency of up to 21.6% (TP8F66M) which we would consider competitive with the latest solar panels in the market in 2023. 

Some of the BISTAR series have as many as 9 busbars which decreases efficiency losses within the panel’s electrical circuits. BISTAR series also offers a full-black option for customers who are looking for an aesthetically pleasing option for their roofs.

Talesun BIPROBIPRO Series

BIPRO series is a bifacial solar panel, meaning the product has a glass backsheet enabling power to be generated from sunlight that is reflected to the underside of the panel as well as the topside. Generally this technology only makes a meaningful difference for panels that are tilted and installed on a light or reflective surface like white gravel. 

This series uses the same technology as the BISTAR series with half-cut monocrystalline PERC cells. The panels have a wide range of power for different applications (280Wp to 665Wp).

Talesun’s Warranty Offer for Australian Customers

Talesun offer a standard 25 year performance warranty and 10-12 year product warranty (depending on the model). This is on par in length with most panel manufacturers offering products to the Australian market. The value of warranty depends on much more than these 2 numbers.

The performance warranty guarantees a certain level of output for the lifetime of the panel – typically guaranteeing 80-85% of the nameplate output after 25 years. Talesun’s solar panels come with a range of different performance warranties depending on the model type. Their standard monocrystalline panels come with a guarantee of 84.8% of the nameplate value at the end of the 25th year, which is on par with most cost effective solar panels in the market.

Talesun’s warranty document for Australia is a grammatical nightmare, and appears to be a Google Translation gone wrong. The most concerning part of this warranty is the missing information on how to actually claim the warranty:

How to obtain warranty
If the customer according to “standard PV products limited warranty” can make legitimate
claims, complaints and belong to completely reasonable warranty scope, should be
immediately in written notice of the complaint to the following address, Talesun, electronic
mail or email to the following.”

There are 2 emails listed at the end of the warranty document (xian.zhang@talesun.com & ting.yuan@talesun.com) and a list of Chinese phone numbers that you can call.

It’s safe to say that, if your installer was no longer around to apply pressure to the product distributers, you would have a pretty tough time claiming anything from Talesun given they do not have an Australian office, phone number or website.

Click for more Talesun’s warranty information

Pros and Cons of Talesun Solar Panels

ProsCons
  • Tier 1 bloomberg listed for financial stability
  • Vertically integrated across supply chain of solar panels
  • Small market share compared with some of the other Chinese solar panel manufacturers
  • No office in Australia and poor warranty offer

Comparison of Talesun Solar Panel Specifications (common modules)

 Talesun Bistar 380W

TP6H60M

Talesun Bipro 380W

TD6160M

Cell Number120 Cells120 Cells
Cell TypeHalf-cut MonocrystallineHalf-cut Monocrystalline
Power Output380W380W
Nominal Power Voltage35.5V35.5
Panel Efficiency20.9%20.9%
Dimensions1755*1038*30mm1755*1038*30mm
Weight19.5 kg23.5 kg
Product Warranty12 Years12 Years
Performance Warranty25 Years30 Years
Operational Temperature Range-40℃-+85℃-40℃-+85℃
Made inChinaChina

So, Should I Buy Talesun Solar Panels?

Although some of Talesun’s solar panels offer competitive technical specifications, given the companies lack of presence in Australia, there are many better options to go for with proven performance characteristics. In Solar Choice’s view, the challenges that may arise under a warranty claim do not seem worth it, even if this solution was offered at a discount to a bigger and more reputable brand.

Example of a Talesun Solar Project

  • Year: 2012
  • Type of Application: Utility
  • System Size: 5.5MW
  • Location: Kyoustendil, Bulgaria

Read more product reviews from Solar Choice

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Jeff Sykes