Solaria solar panels: The complete review

Solaria is one of the rising stars of the solar panel industry. The company was established in the early 2000s and produces high-efficiency all-black solar panels in the United States and South Korea. Thanks to their reasonable price tag, high efficiency, and sleek appearance, Solaria solar panels are gaining popularity, with shoppers comparing solar quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace.

EnergySage has reviewed the product specifications of each Solaria solar panel series to make your solar research process easier. As the leading online marketplace for homeowners considering solar, EnergySage is uniquely positioned to evaluate the technical specifications of Solaria solar panels and help you compare them to other manufacturers on the market.

Note: In September 2021, Maxeon Solar Technologies bought Solaria's solar cell technology.

There are four key metrics that you should review as you evaluate solar panel quality: efficiency, performance, warranties, and price. EnergySage has developed Solaria panel reviews for each metric to help make your solar decision easier.

Based on EnergySage's analysis, Solaria's PowerXT solar panels are a good investment for homeowners and businesses seeking high-quality panels for their solar installation. Their North American manufacturing presence makes them a good option for solar shoppers who want to support American companies.

Efficiency

"Solar panel efficiency" refers to how well a solar panel captures sunlight and converts it into useful electricity. In the same conditions, a high-efficiency solar panel will produce more electricity than a lower-efficiency panel of the same size. For this reason, a higher efficiency rating is generally preferable.

The efficiency of your Solaria panels will vary depending on the specific model you choose for your system. Panels in Solaria's product line have an efficiency rating of 19.4% to 20.5%.

Performance (Temperature Coefficient)

We use the temperature coefficient to evaluate solar panel performance for this portion of EnergySage's Solaria PowerXT solar panel reviews. The temperature coefficient indicates how well your solar panel can handle less-than-ideal conditions. Solar panels, like other electronic equipment, perform better when kept cool (ideally around 25° C/77° F). The temperature coefficient tells you how much your panel's performance will change during hot sunny summer days.

For every degree above 25° C (77° F), your solar panel's electricity production will decrease by its temperature coefficient. For example, the Solaria PowerXT-360R-PD panel has a temperature coefficient of -0.39%/°C. This means that if the panel's temperature increases by one degree from 25° C (77° F) to 26° C (79° F), its electricity production will decrease by 0.39%. If its temperature increases to 35° C (95° F), electricity production will reduce by 3.9%.

Your solar panels will likely see more than a few hot and sunny days each year, so ideally, they will have the lowest temperature coefficient possible. As you can see in the graph below, all Solaria solar panels have a temperature coefficient rating of -0.39%/°C.

Warranties

Whether you're buying a TV, a car, or solar panels, the manufacturer should stand behind their product with a strong warranty. A solar panel's materials warranty (sometimes referred to as the product or equipment warranty) is a guarantee from the manufacturer that they will replace your panel if it fails due to manufacturing defects or environmental issues.

Solaria offers an industry-standard 25-year warrant against defects in its solar panels.

Check out our in-depth review of Solaria's warranty.

For many homeowners, the final decision around solar equipment rests on cost. The total price for a solar energy system with Solaria panels will vary depending on the other equipment (such as inverters and mounts) used in the installation and the characteristics of your roof.

To identify the range of prices for Solaria PV systems, we analyzed quotes, including Solaria solar panels that homeowners received from installers on the EnergySage Marketplace. Most Solaria PV systems are typically priced between $2.46 and $3.04 per watt, which puts them in the middle range of solar panels intended for small-scale use.

This means that, for a 6 kW system, your gross cost (before you subtract any tax credits or other incentives) would be anywhere from $14,760 to $18,240. Additionally, most homeowners end up paying much less than the total gross cost, with the 30% federal tax credit for solar, which everyone is eligible for; a 6 kW system with Solaria panels would cost anywhere from $10,332 to $12,768. Plenty of state-level solar incentives and rebates can help you reduce upfront costs even further.

The best way to determine whether Solaria offers the best solar panels for your home is to review multiple quotes with different solar equipment options before deciding. When you compare your options on the EnergySage Marketplace, you'll find the right combination of price and quality that meets your needs.

Many of our qualified, pre-vetted solar installers offer Solaria solar panels in their quotes to EnergySage users. When registering, note in your profile that you're interested in receiving quotes that include Solaria panels for your home.