Solar panel reviews
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JinKo solar panel reviews
Trina solar panel reviews
LonGi solar panel reviews
Aiko solar panel reviews
Risen solar panel reviews
JA solar panel reviews
Canadian solar panel reviews
Sunpower Maxeon solar panel review
REC solar panel reviews
The most popular panels, updated January 2026
After a couple of years where 440W panels were the 'norm', in 2026, everything will be 475W (or higher).
No increase in physical size, just an efficiency gain in production means a higher output.
Aiko and JinKo have had 475W panels out for some time, but now everyone is there as well.
Aiko have a 490W, 24.5% roof space efficient panel (measuring 1134mm x 1762mm).
It's about $50 a panel more expensive than a regular 475W so only worth doing if you need to get the most out of your roof area.
FYI...Aiko have a reputation for being excellent if you have shade on your roof.
I say 'very marginally better' to that.
The best protection against shade are the diodes built-into every panel made in the past 30 years.
Each diode controls a subset of solar panel cells. There are usually 3 diodes per panel.
A diode will activate if a single cell in a string of cells of a regular panel is sufficiently shaded.
The diode will activate in an Aiko panel when more than 3 cells in a cell string are shaded.
In real life the difference might be an extra minute of power output as shade moves across a panel.
Is there any difference between one 475W panel or another?
The biggest brands we get in Australia are JinKo, Trina, Risen, LonGi, JA, DAS, Seraphim, Sunpower, Aiko and Eging.
SunPower (their Maxeon range only) and Aiko provide a marginal improvement but at considerable additional cost.
The rest are almost identical in every way.
What's coming soon?
I'm told that in 2026 we will see many more panels with the all back contact design used by Aiko and Sunpower Maxeon.
As I wrote earlier, the only advantage of this is a very minor performance increase in partial shade.
Still, if they don't increase the price much, that cannot be a bad thing.
How many panels per inverter 'string'?
Single phase inverters typically have a 550-600V voltage input limit per string.
Three phase inverters typically allow 950-1000V strings.
This voltage is the Voc, or open circuit voltage, not the lower voltage when the panel is operating under load.
I have produced a calculator here that allows you to work out how many panels will fit on a string if...
You know the inverter limits and the panel Voc, Temp coefficient of Voc and the minimum first light temperature where you live.
If you want a quote for solar with any of these panels then call us on...
or email
These reviews were written by Andrew MacKeith, Solar4Ever service manager since 2011.
