SolarWorld Solar Panels: Independent Review by Solar Choice

SolarWorld – Company History

SolarWorld was founded in 1988 by Frank Asbeck and its solar panels were manufactured in Germany. They were positioned as a tier 1, high-quality panel manufacturer offering a 20 year product warranty which led most of the market.

In 2017 SolarWorld AG filed for insolvency along with its American subsidiary. In 2018 the company was brought back to life under the name SolarWorld Industries GmbH but filed again for insolvency later in the year before finally closing.

In 2020, industrial equipment producer Meyer Burger acquired SolarWorld’s factory in Freiberg for €12 million from creditors which the intention to become a PV module manufacturer.

Key Indicators

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.

SolarWorld Solar Panels are not in the Bloomberg Tier 1 list.

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.

SolarWorld Solar Panels are not currently ranked in the PV Top Performers List. As a new company we hope to see them in future rounds of testing in the coming years.

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.

SolarWorld Solar Panels – Points of Difference

There are many solar panels out there, what makes SolarWorld’s solar panels stand out?

German-made solar panels

SolarWorld’s main point of difference is that the products are produced in Germany. Also, they have the Bifacial series panels called ” Bisun”, which can increase the efficiency to 25%.

20 Year Product and 25 years Performance Warranty

Most solar panels sold in Australia come with a 10-15 year product warranty providing protection against any defects occurring in the manufacturing process. SolarWorld’s solar panels feature a 20-year product warranty suggesting they are willing to stand behind the high quality of their solar panels.

SolarWorld’s solar panels also come with a performance warranty which guarantees that a solar panel will produce a certain amount of energy in standard conditions and accounting for a specified degradation rate. Like the rest of the market, SolarWorld offers a 25 year performance warranty however their panels are warranted to degrade at 0.5% per year after the first year which is slightly ahead of the standard for the market which is 0.7% per year.