If you are considering installing a solar system at your home or place of business, then you have many factors to consider. The paramount factor to many buyers is which solar panels (referred to as ‘modules’ in the industry) to choose. During your solar research, you will undoubtedly come across two solar module manufacturers: SunPower and LG. Both are widely recognized as high-end modules with SunPower leading the way. So which should you choose?

Cost

SunPower is more expensive. Partnered with roughly 200 solar installation companies across the nation, Solar.com sees SunPower pricing to be $0.57 per Watt higher than LG. This equates to a $3,420 on the total cost for an average sized residential solar system (6,000 Watts). This is a significant cost increase for most homeowners or business owners so it’s important to understand what differentiates the two brands and their products.

Efficiency & Nominal Power

Solar module efficiency refers to the portion of energy in the form of sunlight that can be converted via photovoltaics into electricity. SunPower modules achieve a high of 22.2% with an average of 20.6%, while LG’s current products can achieve 19.5% with an average of 18.3% on the efficiency scale.

Nominal power, rated in DC Watts, is an important characteristic of a solar module to consider. SunPower’s modules range from 327W – 360W, while LG’s residential modules ranges from 275W – 320W. LG does currently offer modules as high as 370W, but these are larger in size and are typically used for commercial solar projects. Nominal power is significant because if you are a homeowner who needs a 6,000 W system to offset your electricity consumption from the Utility, you would need 17 modules with SunPower or 19 modules with LG.

Depending on how much available space you have on your roof, this may impact your decision. Also, if you plan to increase your energy consumption in the future (e.g. plan to have kids, want to get an Electric Vehicle, etc.) you may want to choose SunPower modules so you have enough space to install more modules in the future (if roof space is a constraint).

Degradation

Degradation is another characteristic of modules and it refers to their power decline over time. Most manufacturers guarantee their modules to degrade no more than 0.7% each year for 25 years. At 0.25%, SunPower’s X Series has the lowest degradation rates of any manufacturer. LG is better than average at 0.6%. After 25 years, a SunPower solar system is guaranteed to produce 92% of the electricity that it did at the time of installation while an LG solar system is guaranteed to produce 83.6%. The difference here may seem insignificant, but over the course of 25 years, this can add up.

Aesthetics

Homeowners and business owners who are concerned with aesthetics, often choose an “all black” module with a black frame and black back sheet. SunPower and LG both offer this style. However, SunPower’s all black module has a nominal power rating of 335 Watts, while LG ‘s is rated at 305 Watts. With a similar appearance, your decision to choose SunPower or LG should rely more on available roof space and the solar system size you need.

Warranty and Bankability

These two factors are closely related and should be discussed together. Warranties provide both security and peace of mind to consumers, but if the manufacturer goes belly up, their warranty is meaningless. SunPower leads the industry with their 25/25/25 warranty, covering performance, product defects, and labor. LG covers the performance for 25 years and any product defects and labor costs for 12 years. If you have a defective solar module after 18 years, SunPower will send someone out to replace the module at no cost to you, however, LG will not. That said, If you chose an installation company that has a 25-year bumper-to-bumper workmanship warranty, then this is a moot point.

Now let’s take a look at the bankability of these two companies. Everyone has heard of LG. You may have a microwave, television, or refrigerator in your home that is made by LG Electronics. Unless you’ve looked into going solar, you likely have not heard of SunPower. Looking at the NASDAQ, SunPower’s stock price has steadily declined over the past year from $24 in March 2016 to roughly $8 today. LG stock prices have remained steady during that time period and have even risen slightly from $10 to $12. The solar industry is still relatively immature and changes in policy and advancements in technologies can have a direct impact on manufacturers. Soon after Congress extended the 30% federal investment tax credit for solar in December 2015, SunPower announced 1,200 layoffs and shares quickly dropped over 30% in trading. The diverse portfolio of LG protects itself from any changes specific to the solar industry, arguably, making them a more stable and bankable company.

Coming Soon from LG

LG has developed residential solar modules that seem to truly rival SunPower. The LG NeON® R modules appear to close the gap and even exceed many of the advantages that SunPower currently has over other products. If LG keeps the price point near the current modules they offer, homeowners and business owners may have a tough time justifying SunPower’s higher cost.

Going solar can be a daunting task to many as there are many things to consider. The solar modules you choose are an important consideration, but many other factors deserve more attention. Contact Solar.com who will analyze everything for you. If you’re ready to go solar and deciding between SunPower and LG is the last piece of the puzzle, Solar.com will find you the best bids for both brands in your area so you can make an informed decision. 

Have more questions or want to speak to someone regarding the best solar panels for your home? Please call (888) 454-9979. 

Still, want to do more research? Continue reading our blog here or click here to see your custom savings estimate. 

This article was updated on October 20th, 2017 to reflect SunPower’s latest degradation rate and power warranty.

You’ve heard of SunPower, LG, SolarWorld, Q CELLS, and maybe even Canadian Solar, but which one is the right fit for your home? To figure that out we are going to review cost, degradation, warranty, efficiency, technology, and value.

Pricing of the Best Solar Panels

The first consideration most homeowners will review is the price of the panel. Therefore a good starting place is to remember that at the end of the day solar panels are all producing one thing, electricity. A 5 kilowatt (kW) SunPower system, a 5 kW LG system, and a 5 kW Canadian Solar all produce the same amount of energy. That means that if you utilize the same roof area for all three of these systems, you can expect nearly identical energy outputs – at least for the first year.

Sunpower clearly takes the cake when it comes to the efficiency of the solar panel, and the hardware warranty that comes from the company. However, when it comes to realizing the most valuable solar panel, Sunpower only reigns supreme when a project requires the most efficient use of the available roof space. If you have the available roof space for a less efficient panel, you will save thousands of dollars by going with a lower cost solar panel for your house. As a consumer, it makes you question the variance in price. If your system is producing the same output, then is there value in paying 20-40% more for certain brands?

The Efficiency of SunPower Solar Panels

SunPower does have a clear edge in certain aspects. They have the highest efficiency panels available in the market right now. Efficiency is the ratio of the production output to the surface area of the panel itself. The highest SunPower panel efficiency is 22.2% and its output is 360W. For comparison, Panasonic’s highest solar panel is 19.7% efficient with an output of 330W, and the LG panel has 19.5% efficiency with an output of 320W. If you want the most juice for your system’s footprint, SunPower may be the way to go.

Solar Panel Degradation 

Just like everything else, your solar panels will age, and as they age their production efficiency will drop. This is called degradation. Degradation happens for a variety of factors including extreme temperatures, intense UV rays, and soiling. PV manufacturers perform advanced degradation tests on their panels to ensure they are not degrading at a faster rate than they are expected to. Depending on the panel the annual rate of maximum degradation is different. Some yearly degradation rates include:

• SunPower Solar Panels – 0.4%
• LG Solar Panels – 0.6%
• Panasonic Solar Panels – 0.6%
• Canadian Solar’s Panels – 0.7% 
• Q CELLS Solar Panels – 0.54%

The most important thing to consider with degradation is that these annual rates set by solar manufacturers are a maximum rate of degradation allowed per year. If the solar panel degrades at a faster rate than the one set, they will replace the defective panel. Your monitoring system will pick up which panel is producing less – this is an indicator that the panel is degrading faster than the maximum rate allowed. Even with normal degradation, your panels are still expected to perform up to 25 years and beyond. When you look at the numbers it is important to consider if a 0.2% yearly degradation difference is worth a 30% increase in cost.

Solar Panel Warranties

Product warranties are important to look at as well. The product warranty covers defective materials in the manufacturing of the panel. SunPower is the leader here. They have the strongest product warranty in the industry at 25 years. If your SunPower panel stops working within 25 years, SunPower will replace it – labor included. The next closest competitor, Panasonic, is 15 years. LG has a 12-year product warranty. Most other brands have a 10-year warranty.

Should You Go With SunPower’s Solar Panels?

When might a SunPower system be the right choice for you? Because of their high-efficiency panels, if you have limited roof space and your chief concern is getting the highest producing kWh system, SunPower may be the way to go. There are other high-efficiency panel brands (ex. LG and Panasonic) available that are 1-2 percentage points lower in efficiency but 20-30% lower in cost. These panels can be great options for consumers who are limited in roof space and more motivated by cost.

SunPower is also the clear cut winner on warranties with its 25-year product warranty. However, panel failure rates have become so low that it is highly unlikely that you will have any issues within that 25-year period. In the off chance that there is an issue, it would likely be only one panel. 

Ultimately, which panel you should get depends on your goals and desires for your solar system. SunPower will be the right fit if you are looking for:

• Highest Efficiency 
• Lowest Degradation (Annual Rate)
• Longest Hardware Warranty

If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, SunPower is likely not the best choice. Solar panels produce one thing, electricity. So, when you consider a system that produces similar kWh production, it makes you question SunPower’s value. When it comes to solar panels, more expensive does not mean better value.

Still up in the air about which solar panel is right for you? Please call (888) 454-9979 or click the button below and one of our experts will be in touch to help answer any questions you may have!