Top 10 Solar panels for February of 2022, Sorted by Most Efficiency by Solar Edition

Solar Edition has here listed the Top 10 Solar Panels sorted by the efficiency of the panels. The list is updated monthly and the next update will be the first day of March 2022. Whether you are a solar panel installer, a roof owner wondering which panels you should choose for your new solar rooftop, an investor looking for a good choice for your solar farm or simply an expert curious of the market’s latest updates, you are in the right place. Before diving into the list, it is also worth mentioning that the list in the website has over 10 panels and now includes over 34 most efficient (best) solar panels in the market. We publish this 10 Best  PV solar panels list monthly since 2019 and here you can have access to the full history. So let’s dive into the changes of this month first.

1. Sun Power, Maxeon X series 370W, 22.7%
2. Panasonic EverVolt H series 410W, 22.2%
3. Jinko Solar Tiger Neo 615 W, 22%
4. LG NeoN R ACe 380 W, 22%
5. REC Alpha 380 W, 21.7%
6. Panasonic EverVolt 380 W, 21.7%
7. LG NeoN R 375 W, 21.7%
8. Trina Solar Vertex S 670 W, 21.6%
9. Seraphim SRP-610-BMB-HV 610 W, 21.55%
10.  Meyer Burger Meyer Burger Black 395 W, 21.5%

Click here to jump to the detailed list with over 34 panels

How Do We Rank the Best Solar panels in Our List? 

SolarEdition’s Top 10 Solar panels list has been arranged based on three features as the following

1- Solar panel Efficiency 

The efficiency of the solar panel is the first criterion in sorting our list. But what is efficiency in the solar panel? The solar panel’s efficiency is the ability of the panel to convert sunlight into electricity. In simple words, this means the higher the efficiency, the more electricity is generated for you. Our Top 10 solar panels list has been published since 2019 and it was originally named the most-efficient solar panels.

2- Power Density

Another used criterion for distinguishing and categorizing solar panels is power density. The power density is the total power generated by a PV module divided by the area of that module. The power density unit is watts per square meter (W/m2 ).  It is one of the things that all PV module sellers, buyers, and installers should consider.

3- Solar panel’s Power Output

The last parameter in sorting our list is the power output of the PV module. But what is the power output of a solar panel? It is the total amount of electricity you can get from a single panel.

Top 10 Solar Panels List Changes, since January 2022 

The February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list was released with 3 changes compared to the last Top 10 solar panel which was published in January 2022 by Solar Edition. The first change introduced to the PV module market, is related to LONGi Solar’s Hi-MO 5 solar panels series. A variant of the Hi-MO 5 series with 21.3% ranked 15th and higher than their close rivals such as FuturaSun,Suntech, and Trina Solar.

In a hot competition for middle ranks of February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list 16th rank and 17th ranks was won by FuturaSun with 2 modules which are less than 0.1% in efficiency and 0.1 W per square meters in their power densities, different from each other.It was the second change. Finally, the spark of the last change was produced by Hanwha Q Cell. This brand stood at 31th rank with its Q.PEAK DUO – G9 PV module. 

Here’s the full updated list of 10 Best solar panels in 2022 with links to the product data sheets

Rank	Manufacturer	Model	Cell Type	Technology	Efficiency	Power Density	Power
1		Maxeon X series	n-type	IBC	22.7%	226.9 W/m2	370 W
2		EverVolt H series	n-type	Half cellHJT	22.2%	–	410 W
3		Tiger Neo78HL 4	n-type	TOPCon	22%	220 W/m2	615 W
4		NeoN R ACe	n-type	MBB	22%	220 W/m2	380 W
5		Alpha	n-type	HJT- Half Cell	21.7%	217.5 W/m2	380 W
6		EverVolt	n-type	Half cellHJT	21.7%	217.4 W/m2	380 W
7		NeoN R	n-type	IBC	21.7%	191.3 W/m2	375 W
8		Vertex S	n-type	PERCHalf Cell	21.6%	215.7W/m2	670 W
9		SRP-610-BMB-HV	n-type	PERCHalf Cell	21.55%	215.5 W/m2	610 W
10		Meyer Burger Black	n-type	HJT	21.5%	214.6 W/m2	395 W
11		Tiger pro	n-type	Half cell MBB	21.4%	–	585 W
12		SIL-380 BK	n-type	Back Contact	21.4%	213.8 W/m2	380 W
13		NeoN R	n-type	IBC	21.4%	188.7 W/m2	370 W
14		Tiger pro	n-type	Half cell MBB	21.3%	221.9 W/m2	415 W
15		LR5-66 HBD	n-type	Half cell MBB	21.3%	213 W/m2	500 W
16		Silk Premium	n-type	PERC MBB	21.29%	213 W/m2	410 W
17		FU M Zebra	n-type	IBC	21.2%	212.9 W/m2	360 W
18		Ultra X	n-type	Half cell MBB	21.2 %	212 W/m2	600 W
19		Vertex	n-type	Half cell MBB	21.2%	–	600 W
20		HiKu7	n-type	Half Cell	21.2%	212 W/m2	600 W
21		S4	n-type	Half cell MBB	21.1%	–	540 W
22		Vertex	n-type	1/3 cut cells	21.1%	212 W/m2	505 W
23		Deep Blue 3.0	n-type	PERCMBB	21%	214.5 W/m2	545 W
24		Hi-MO 5	P-type	PERC	21%	211.7W/m2	540 W
25		SPIC N6 (MAR)	n-type	IBC & Half Cell	21%	209.9W/m2	355 W
26		JKM 470N- 7RL3	n-type	Half cell MBB	20.93%	209.8 W/m2	470 W
27		LR4-72 HPH-455	n-type	PERC Half Cell	20.9%	209.9 W/m2	455 W
28		HiE-S410VG	n-type	ShinglePERC	20.9%	209.3 W/m2	410 W
29		JW-I 60N	n-type	IBC	20.9%	209.1 W/m2	340 W
30		PS 380M4-20/UH	n-type	MonoPERC	20.71	207.6 W/m2	380 W
31		Q.PEAK DUO-G9	n-type	MonoHalf Cell	20.6%	206W/m2	355 W
32		NeoN 2	n-type	MBB	20.6%	206.4 W/m2	355 W
33		HiE-S480VI	n-type	ShinglePERC	20.5%	205 W/m2	480 W
34		PowerXT 430R-PL	n-type	IBC	20.4%	204.2 W/m2	430 W

Moreover, the February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list is finalized with 34 entries from a wide variety of PV module manufacturers / brands such as SunPower, Panasonic, Jinko Solar, LG, REC Group, Meyer Burger, Canadian Solar, Trina Solar, JA Solar, Silfab Solar, FuturaSun, Suntech, LONGi Solar, SPIC Solar, Jolywood, Phono Solar, Hanwha Q Cell, Hyundai and last but not least Solaria. 

Technological details of February 2022 update

LONGi Solar Hi-MO 5 Series: Solar panels with Over 500 Power output

LONGi Solar is the leading and largest monocrystalline wafer manufacturer and its Hi-Mo 5 series has been in production since  June 2020 with front-side power up to 540W. This was the first module ever made with the M10 (182mm side length), establishing a new brand and industry-standard wafer size, M10. They also have other features such as adopting innovative “Smart Soldering” technology for high reliability of micro gap interconnection, product efficiency and stable current output, Reaching over 500 W in power output. It means becoming a member of “500+ PV Module Producer Club” & Utilizing Gallium-doped as a solution to reduce light-induced degradation (LID).

LONGi Solar’s LR5-66 HBD model from the Hi-MO 5 series has been released with 21.3% efficiency and 500W in its output power. This PV module exploits the half-cell technology at the cell level. It stands at the 15th rank in the February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list and one level lower than its closest rival, that is Jinko Solar’s PV module from Tiger Pro series with the same efficiency but with higher power density. Although LONGi Solar’s PV module has higher output, it was achieved by 132 solar cells at the module level, 12 solar cells more than Tiger Pro.

FuturaSun Promoted its Rank in the February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list

FuturaSun’s Silk Premium model is a new entry at the list and competes with the other PV module in its own league. This model has launched with some high efficiency technologies including multi busbar (12 busbars) and 1/3 cells (cutting cells into three pieces instead of two as in half cell design). The first PV module that was released with 1/3 cut cells belonged to Trina Solar’s PV module with 515.8 Watt power which was the latest generation of the most powerful solar module in 2020. With this product FuturaSun is now ranking 16 on the February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list and 17th position also goes to them. These two modules are less than 0.1% in efficiency and 0.1 W per square meters in their power densities, different from each other.

In a chinese dominated market, FuturaSun is a European established brand that started back in 2008 by a team of managers in Veneto, Italy’s hub of the photovoltaic industry. The company’s main reputation goes back to its Zebra back contact monocrystalline PV modules. This technology shifts grid lines on the front side of solar cells to the rear side. In other words, this proprietary technology in the solar cell metalization leads to achieving such a high-efficiency solar panel, because of removing losses due to shading on the cell. Sometimes, it refers to this technology as the interdigitated back contact (IBC) technology at the module level.

Hanwha Q Cell Another Non-Chinese PV module Manufacturer

The last change of February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list is associated with another giant Non-Chinese PV module manufacturer, that is Hanwha Q Cell or Q Cell in brief. Q CELLS captured the biggest market share in countries including Germany, the U.K, South Korea, and Japan. Q CELLS is a total energy solution provider worldwide and has entered the solar PV Market since 2010. The company’s Q series or PV modules with Q.ANTUM technology are based on PERC cell technology, providing monocrystalline efficiency for multicrystalline solar cells.

However, its Q.PEAK DUO model is a monocrystalline PV module with special features such as zero gap cells and half-cut cells. The “gapless” or Zero-gap technology increases the covered area of solar cells in a PV module by removing the unnecessary gaps between solar cells, resulting in up to a 20% improvement in its efficiency. This model was released with 20.6% efficiency and 355 W in power output. This solar panel placed at the 31th rank of February 2022 Top 10 Solar panels list. Q Cell has announced that this model is ideal for rooftop solar installation.

Did you know?

Solar Edition publishes this trending article with new top 10 PV solar panels monthly since 2019. We publish two Top 10 Solar Panels lists, 

• Monthly, Top 10 solar panels sorted by high efficiency of the PV panels.
• Quarterly, Top 10 solar panels for industrial-scale, 72 cells (Q1,2,3,4).

Authors: Hesam-Edin Hayati Soloot & Shahab Moghadam

———-***———-
Source:@Solar_Edition
Photo:@Solar_Edition
……………
‘All rights to go to the author of the news & image as mentioned above’
———————–