Best Solar Panels for Commercial Solar Arrays

Commercial and residential projects are similar in terms of the materials you will need to complete your system. However, commercial projects typically require larger sized systems which means you need more racking, inverters, wiring and so on. Picking the right panel for any commercial system is key in keeping cost and materials as low as possible. With this in mind, we highly recommend selecting high watt modules. The fewer panels you require to meet your client’s energy demand, the fewer components you will need to complete the system. With fewer products needed you can keep costs low for your client, and secure a new job for your company. Furthermore, if you are working on a system that may be added to in the future, these high watt modules are more likely to last longer in the dramatically changing field of solar panels.

We have selected three different panels representative of three different panel lines and manufacturers. Some panels will have high watt modules available at a slightly smaller or higher wattage. We have based the determination of which panel gets the spotlight based on past and projected future stock to give you peace of mind in the panel you select for your project.

Canadian Solar MaxPower2 CSU-330P

Canadian Solar is well known in the solar market due to their low panel cost and high efficiency. In 2017 Canadian Solar began producing solar panels specifically designed to work in areas with low irradiance.This technology provided new opportunities for home and business owners in states such as Washington, which have low irradiance levels and sun days throughout the years. Those in sunny states such as Florida and California also benefit from the added technology, reporting higher energy yields early in the morning, late at night and on cloudy days. With wattages available between 315 to 330 watts the line is an affordable and reliable choice for any commercial system.

Canadian Solar MaxPower2 Specifications

Panasonic HIT VBHN315KA01

While Panasonic offers modules at the higher end of the budgetary spectrum, their high efficiency modules achieve 18-19% efficiency ratings, setting them ahead of their competition. Client’s will also feel comfortable with the well known brand, and will be impressed with both their efficiency and design. Panasonic also offers a 15 Year Workmanship Warranty, 5 years more than the industry standard of 10 years. As well as the standard 25 Year Power Output Warranty. Stock and future projections on Panasonic modules are also steady, the company preferring to stick to their lines for long periods of time before producing new lines. Although the company does not upgrade often, they still push the boundaries of what the best modules are made from and are well worth considering for projects that can work with a higher budget.

Panasonic HIT Photovolatic Modules Specifications

Solaria PowerXT PowerXT-330R-PX

Solaria is relatively new to the solar industry, however with a growing need for American made panels, Solaria is a welcome edition. With designs made to rival Panasonic and SolarWorld modules and efficiency ratings sitting at 19.30% the company is well worth investing in. Like Panasonic modules, Solaria panels are on the higher end in terms of cost per watt. However, their efficiency and overall performance are worth the investment. Already home and business owners are turning to Solaria modules to exceed previous system outputs from other manufacturers.

Solaria PowerXT Specifications

There are numerous other high efficiency, high watt modules from other manufacturers such as Axitec and SolarWorld that are worth looking into. Overall, for commercial projects, we recommend aiming to purchase modules with energy ratings above 300 watts. Modules under 300 watts are currently being phased out of the market as the manufactures have already started producing panels up to 370 watts. We predict that we may see 400-watt modules as early as summer of 2018. With this in mind, we recommend all installers start looking to high watt modules for both their commercial system installations.