What solar panels are made in Australia?
As Ozzy’s, we are quite a patriotic breed. We believe we have the best beaches, the best weather and the best overall lifestyle of anywhere in the world. I certainly do anyway! As patriotic individuals we also like to support our fellow people as much as possible, including buying Ozzy made and using Ozzy companies wherever possible…as long as it doesn’t hurt too much 😉
Since mid 2020 the question “do you install any Australian Made solar panels” has been asked way more frequently. Partly due to Covid-19 we assume – people all around the world realise now more than ever we need to protect what we have and support our neighbours as much as possible.
With that in mind we wanted to address all the relevant details around Australian Made solar panels as well as the other most commonly asked manufacturer location-based questions:
- What solar panels are made in Australia?
- What solar panels are NOT made in China?
- What solar panels are made in Germany?
A good place to start would probably to highlight that GI Energy are a 100% Australian Owned and Certified Business. All of our Directors are Australian Citizens, and all our profits, taxes and wages stay here in Australia. We do not import any products from overseas ourselves and the solar panels and other solar equipment we supply and install comes from distributors and manufacturers with Australian offices, telephone lines and support.
We also believe in local labour and because we install over such a large area, we have installation teams in every major town across the States we service. This means the smaller communities we serve, have local installation and service teams for our customers, instead of people travelling from Capital cities all the time.
Now, to address the first question.
What solar panels are made in Australia?
Well, here is the list: Tindo Solar…that’s it.
We have had other solar panels manufactured in Australia in the past but right now Tindo are the only brand that still manufacture solar panels here. We install Tindo solar panels for customers that want them, but we install a lot more solar panels from overseas manufactures. There are lots of reasons for this, so check out our Tindo Review for more information.
As mentioned above, we always like to support Australian manufacturers were possible. However, Tindo are certainly not for everyone and there are pros and cons of using them like every other solar panel. So make sure you make an informed choice when choosing which solar panel is best for you.
So, what solar panels are made in Germany?
Traditionally, this is actually the more popular question. The Germans have such a great reputation for quality that all over the world people want German made everything! Best cars? Made in Germany…best electrical appliances? Made in Germany…best power tools? Made in Germany…you get the idea. So, the list of solar panels manufactured in Germany that are approved by the CEC in Australia for sale and installation: Solawatt and Aleo…that’s it.
We do not sell many Solawatt panels either as we cannot see the value for the price they charge. Please don’t get me wrong, they are a good panel, but they are a smaller manufacturer with very few distributors in Australia and aside from the Made In Germany tag, not much else in terms of appeal.
With regards to Aleo, another good German solar panel but we have never had any experience directly with them and the presence in Australia is fairly minimal so we cannot fairly comment one way or another as to the value they offer.
Q-Cells were always the flagship German Solar panel manufacturer for many years but in 2012 the Korean company Hanwha purchased them and moved their manufacturing to Korea. They are still arguably the best solar panel available in terms of a mix of quality, price and safety around warranties. Check out our Q-Cell Review for more information about Q-Cell panels.
This leads us to our last commonly location-based question…
What solar panels are NOT made in China?
So, I am glad we have worded this, what solar panels are NOT made in China because if I had to write a list of all the panels made in China, we would be here a while. To make it easy, every solar panel you can buy here is made in China except: Tindo – Australia, Q-Cell – Korea (and some China), REC – Singapore, LG – Korea (and some in China), Hyundai – Vietnam, Thailand (and some in China), Sunpower – Mexico (and some in China), Winaico – Taiwan, Aleo – Germany and Solawatt – Germany.
Please note: There may be other brands that have small facilities dotted about in other countries but if their main manufacturing is in China, I have left them off this list.
Are solar panels from China poor quality?
The simple answer here is that you can get good quality products from China and poor-quality products from China. So rather than basing your decision on where a solar panel is made, you should look at the following:
- Who is the manufacturer, and will they be around to help me if I need to claim under warranty?
- Are the panels any good in the real world?
- How much do they cost? Are they good value for money?
If they tick all of the above boxes and meet your budget, then do not worry too much about where they are made. Yes, it would be nice to always buy Australian and we should when we can. But the reality is right now there is only one choice for a solar panel made here in Australia and it is not going to suit everyone. If there is a better suited solar panel for your needs that is made in Vietnam, China, Mexico or Timbuktu then it is probably one of these times you need to do what’s right for you, and then make sure you support the Australian economy in other ways. We cannot always buy Australian Made, and with solar panels it is unfortunately quite difficult to.
Summary:
The vast majority of solar panels are now made in China, with a few made in other countries and only one made here in Australia. Try to make an informed decision and pick a manufacturer that looks like they will be around for the long-haul. The biggest issue we have seen in the last decade in this industry is manufacturers that do not stand the test of time, leaving customers with no warranties and no support. Some of the most diversified solar manufacturers are Phono Solar, LG Solar, Q-Cells and Hyundai. However, there are pros and cons of every solar panel brands to consider.
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