Longi Solar Panels: The Complete Review

Longi Solar is a leading manufacturer of reliable, technologically advanced, value-based monocrystalline solar panels. Established in 2000, the company is headquartered in China; where they continually innovate cell technology with their in-depth R&D, as well as produce their modules. Longi contributes to approximately a quarter of the solar panel market demand, and holds the highest market value of any solar technology company in the industry.

Longi Solar is dedicated to meeting and driving demand for value-based, high efficiency monocrystalline solar panels. They were the first to develop M1, M2, mono wafers and one of their P-Type PERC cell modules holds the world record for panel efficiency at 24.06%. Although this percentage does not extend to their entire line, all Longi solar panels boast higher than average efficiency ratings at one of the most affordable price points.

Longi's PERC cell technology is comprised of passivated rear side and laser grooving, with significantly improves cell efficiency. This leads to outstanding energy production even in low light and low temperature environments.

In this complete review of Longi solar panels, we will be looking at the following:

• Specifications and Pricing
• Average Cost per Watt Comparison
• Module and Cell Technology
• Warranty Period
• Longi Solar Panel Kit Price and ROI
• And Solaris Recommendations

See Here: Longi Solar Panels for Sale

Specifications and Pricing

The primary product line from Longi Solar is the HiMO series, which includes high efficiency PERC cell technology, half-cut cells and bifacial modules. Their bifacial modules are popular in commercial installations, and are recommended for ground mount systems. Roof mount systems do not allow for enough space between the module and the roof to capture the light that is reflected back onto the module. In order to best capture the full potential of bifacial modules, it is also recommended that the site have a reflective surface.

Residential installs primarily utilize PERC 60 and 72 cell as well as half-cut designs. Longi's value based pricing and high energy yield allow for lower initial investment and higher ROI. The modules can be installed on both roof tops and ground pole mount systems, in a wide range of site conditions from low light to high temperature.

	LR6-72PH-360M	LR6-72-365M
Watts:	360	365
Series:	HiMO1	HiMO1
Pricing:	See Price Here	See Price Here
Efficiency:	18.60%	18.80%
Dimensions:	77.00 x 39.02 x 1.77 Inches	77.00 x 39.02 x 1.77 Inches
Weight:	58.42 lbs	58.42 lbs
Cells:	72x Mono Cells	72x Mono Cells
Isc:	9.70 Amps	9.74 Amps
Voc:	47.90 Volts	48.30 Volts
Imp:	9.18 Amps	9.29 Amps
Vmp:	39.20 Volts	39.30 Volts
Docs:	Specs Warranty	Specs Warranty

Average Cost per Watt Comparison

On average, Longi's solar panels start at $0.55/watt, this price point is $0.07/watt less on average than other low cost solar panel manufacturers such as Trina Solar. In comparison to mid-range panels such as Canadian Solar, Longi is $0.13/watt less expensive on average. When comparing the modules to high range panels, Longi comes in at a significant discount at $0.40/watt less.

The efficiency rating between the value based and mid-range panel manufacturers are similar, Longi Solar has an average efficiency rating of 18.70% only 0.03% less than Canadian Solar. When compared to Panasonic, both the price point and efficiency rate difference is more substantial at 1.29% less efficiency.

Module and Cell Technology

Longi Solar's two primary solar panel technologies are PERC cell modules and bifacial modules. Their PERC cells are manufactured with a passivated rear side and cell grooving which captures more light and significantly improves cell efficiency. While bifacial PERC cells replaces the back surface by an AI grid, this process renders the majority of the rear side of the module transparent, which allows the modules to attain 75% to 80% bifaciality.

Both manufacturing techniques produce high energy yield even in low light or low temperature environments, both of which can affect the energy production of your solar panels and energy system as a whole. In combination with microinverters or solar panels with optimizers energy yield can be further enhanced, as with many other solar panels on the market.

Longi's half-cut cell technology, like other half-cut cell technology allows for lower hot spot temperatures, which can lead to degradation of the solar module. In experiments conducted by Longi on their half-cut modules, hot spot temperature reduction was decreased by 10° to 20°. This leads to higher module energy yield and decreased degradation rates.

Longi high efficiency cell technology holds awards for outstanding energy production/ In 2017 and 2018, Longi's PERC module won first prize in energy yield simulation from TÜVRheinland. In 2019 they also won first in outdoor energy yield. In addition, they participated in PV Magazines outdoor generation test, and a number of their modules out performed their competitors in the study.

Warranty Period

Longi solar panels come with an industry standard warranty of 10 year product and 25 year linear performance. This period is matched by Trina Solar, Canadian Solar and other value-based/mid range competitors. The product warranty is less than LG and Panasonic, which come with 25 year product and performance warranties.

Longi modules guarantee a minimum of 83.8% output at the 25 year benchmark, this figure out matches Trina Solar, which promises 80.7% output power at the 25 year benchmark. This figure also comes above the industry average of 82% output, but is beat by Panasonic at 90.76% output power.

See Here: Longi Solar Warranty

Longi Solar Panel Kit and Potential ROI

In order to gain a better understanding of Longi's potential ROI period, we went ahead and put together a 7.76kW grid-tied, roof mounted solar system.

This system includes: Longi Solar 365w solar panels, Enphase Energy IQ7PLUS microinverters along with monitoring and accessories, and complete IronRidge racking. The racking materials were designed in a 2x12 configuration.

Longi Solar 7.76kW Grid-Tied, Roof Mount System

Image	Product	Quantity	Item Price	Item Total
	Longi Solar HiMO1 LR6-72PH-365M 365w Mono Solar Panel	24	$191.90	$4,605.60
	Enphase IQ7PLUS-72-2-US 235W-440W+ Microinverter	24	$145.16	$3,843.84
	Enphase Q-12-10-240 Portrait Trunk Cable	24	$15.13	$363.12
	Enphase X-IQ-AM1-240-3 M IQ+ Combiner Box with Envoy	1	$615.00	$615.00
	Enphase Q-DISC-10 Q-Cable Disconnect Tool	1	$3.30	$3.30
	Enphase Q-TERM-10 Terminator Cap	2	$16.70	$33.40
	IronRidge XR-100-168A XR100 Rail 168 (14') Clear	12	$39.14	$469.68
	IronRidge XR-100-SPLC-M1 Splice Bar	8	$5.90	$47.20
	IronRidge UFO-CL-01-A1 Bonding Module Clamp	52	$2.52	$131.04
	IronRidge UFO-STP-40MM-M1 Stopper Sleeve	8	$0.50	$4.00
	IronRidge XR-LUG-03-A1 Grounding Lug	2	$2.50	$5.00
	IronRidge FF2-01-M1 Flashfoot2 Kit w/ Club Foot	40	$11.45	$458.00
	IronRidge BHW-SQ-02-A1 Square-Bolt Attachment Hardware	40	$1.96	$78.40
	IronRidge 29-4000-077 Wire Clip	3	$8.90	$26.70
	IronRidge XR-100-CAP End Cap	1	$8.90	$8.90
	IronRidge BHW-MI-01-A1 Microinverter Mounting Kit	24	$1.08	$25.92
	IronRidge FM-CM-001-B Conduit Mount	1	$45.80	$45.80
			Sub Total	$10,764.90
			Est. Shipping	$270.00 - $550.00
	Interested in this system, or want something similar? Request a System Quote		Avg.Total	$11,037.90 - $11,314.90

*Prices reflective of current pricing as of the posting of this article. Click on the item image to check current pricing. Does not include potential taxes and fees which may apply. Prospective system owners will also need a permit plan. 

The above system averages to $11,176.40 before possible state level fees and solar energy tax rebates and incentives. This figure brings the system to $1.28/watt for the major components of the system. This is approximately $0.04/watt less than Trina Solar and and $0.15/watt less than Canadian Solar.

The system should be producing approximately 13,250kWh annually and 1,104kWh per month. By taking the average cost of per kilowatt hour in the United States ($0.12/kWh) and multiplying it by the estimated monthly usage, we can determine how much money the system will save per month.

Assuming the system produces 1,104kWh/month, users can expect $132.48 in energy savings monthly. In order for the system to pay for itself (excluding rebates and incentives, and possible costs of installation) will take approximately 84.36 months, or a 7.03 year ROI period.

Solaris Recommendations

Longi Solar offers value based solar panels that come with high efficiency standards, and above average 25 year performance output. In comparison to other value based panels, they come below the average price point with similar efficiency ratings. The same is true when Longi's modules are compared to mid-range panels.

The manufacturer offers a number of solar panel technologies and options, their PERC 60 and 72 cell panels are readily available on the market, followed by their half-cut cell modules. Those interested in bifacial panels may need to wait before the modules are more widely available on the solar market as all bifacial modules are difficult to come by for end of the year installs.

If you are considering Longi Solar panels, we recommend them, especially if you are looking for solar panels on a budget without sacrificing on efficiency. In addition to their value based price point, their modules are typically high-watt which adds additional savings due to smaller bill of materials and installation costs.

See Here: Trina Solar Panels: The Complete Review