Best UK Solar Panels (2024)

Solar panels are renewable energy devices that convert sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic (PV) cells. They offer the benefits of lower energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint. Coupled with an 82% reduction in solar panel prices over the last decade, it’s no mystery why homeowners are increasingly making the switch. 

With the average residential energy costs in the UK set at £2,500 annually from October 1, 2022, until April 2024, and the growing trend of households adopting sustainable technology, there has been a boom in demand for solar panels.

The UK Government provides schemes to incentivise homeowners to install green energy technology. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) programme pays you for exporting electricity to the national grid, while the Energy Company Obligation Scheme (ECO4) offers grants to low-income households to invest in energy-saving technologies. From April 2022, the VAT for this technology also dropped from 5% to 0% for five years, which means you could save up to £1,000 on solar panel installation costs.

However, choosing the right solar panel system for your home can be challenging, given the many companies available. To help you make the right choice, we’ve researched the best solar panels in the UK in 2024. We’ve analysed costs, performance, warranty, and power output while providing you with some key things to consider when selecting your solar panels.

In this article, we cover:

• The best solar panels for your home 
• The environmental benefits of solar energy
• The look of solar panels 
• What to look for when buying solar panels 
• How to calculate the number of panels you need 
• How to maintain your solar panels 
• The most commonly asked questions about solar panels 

What are solar panels?

Solar panels are flat, framed surfaces that lie parallel to your roof. They are either rail-mounted or integrated into the tiling and are designed to collect energy from the sun, converting it to usable electricity.

Solar panels use a process known as the photovoltaic effect. When the sun’s energy hits the panels, it heats the silicon cells that make up the panels. The increased temperature energises electrons within the cells and causes them to move. It’s this movement that generates the electric current, which is transported along the busbars to the solar converter. The current is then changed from direct current (DC) power to alternating current (AC), which is used to power your home. 

How much do solar panels cost UK?

Solar panel system	Family size	Panels cost	Estimated installation cost	TOTAL	Potential annual energy bill savings	Payback period
3 kW	2–3 people	£5,000	£700	£5,700	£900	Six years
4 kW	3–4 people	£6,000	£800	£6,800	£1,000	Seven years
5 kW	4–5 people	£8,000	£1,000	£9,000	£1,100	Eight years
6 kW	Over 5 people	£9,000	£1,200	£10,200	£1,200	Nine years
Approximate prices for Nov 2022.

The most popular size of a solar panel installation in the UK is a 4 kW system, which generates enough power for a family of four. The typical price of this is around £6,800, including the installation. Depending on your electrical use, you should save approximately £1,000 annually, which sets the break-even point at seven years. Until March 2027, there is 0% VAT on solar panels, increasing your savings, and with the cost of energy predicted to continue to rise, your panels will likely pay for themselves even sooner. 

Our picks for the best solar panels in the UK in 2024

• The highest rated: Project Solar Evolution Elite 400
• The best efficiency: SunPower Maxeon 3
• The most budget-friendly: JA Solar JAM60S20
• The best low-profile solar panels: Sharp SunSnap ND-F2Q235
• The best output: LG NeON H BiFacial 

Project Solar Evolution Elite 400

• Price range: On request 
• Power output: 395 W to 415 W
• Efficiency: 20.2% to 21.22%
• Product warranty: Lifetime
• Performance warranty: Lifetime
• Limited peak power warranty: 12 years at 92%, 25 years at 85%, 30 years at 80%

Project Solar UK is a front-runner in the solar panel industry, despite having only 10 years of experience. Customers love their high-quality design and installation service, earning them a 4.1/5 score on Trustpilot.

The Evolution Elite 400 takes our top spot, providing a maximum power output of up to 415W with a good efficiency rating of over 20%. This is possible through the use of monocrystalline solar modules and high-efficiency PERC (passivated emitter and rear contact) cell technology. The solar panel boasts an impressive 10% more power output per square metre than standard modules and also provides excellent performance in low light conditions.

With lifetime warranties on the product and performance, and the limited peak power warranty ensuring 80% power output at 30 years, the solar panels provide a good blend of power, reliability, and style due to their all-black look.

The company is backed by industry-leading organisations such as the Home Insulation and Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme (HIES) and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). So you can be assured of the quality of the solar panels and the installation with this company.

Costs

The company does not release the price of its single panels. It provides quotations based on a free assessment in which they inspect the roof type, style, and requirements. According to Project Solar, a typical household system is approximately £8,000.

What we like

The Evolution Elite 400 is a top-of-the-line solar panel system offering a great blend of efficiency, power output, and reliability. The guaranteed output of 80% at 30 years and the lifetime warranty make it a secure investment for your home and a system you can connect and forget.

Read our full Project Solar Evolution Elite 400 review.

SunPower Maxeon 3

• Price range: £350 upwards
• Power output: From 415 W to 430 W
• Efficiency: 21.9% to 22.7%
• Product warranty: 40 years
• Performance warranty: 40 years
• Performance degradation: 98% output during the first year, then 0.25% degradation per year

Established in 1985, SunPower is an industry giant. With more than 1,000 solar technology patents, it’s known for providing the highest-efficiency solar panels on the market. The Maxeon 3 solar panel boasts an efficiency of up to 22.7%—the highest on the market—and has a power output starting at 415 W.

This solar panel is designed for durability and performance. With its 112 Monocrystalline Maxeon Gen 3 cell configuration and patented metal foundation, it provides up to 25% more energy in its first year of operation. Furthermore, its performance degradation rate of 0.25% per year is one of the lowest on the market—standard panels degrade at 0.75% per year. By year 25, the panel can still produce around 92% power output.

You’ll also get an industry-leading 40-year limited product warranty and a 40-year limited power warranty, with a maximum annual degradation of 0.25%. Based on real test data, only one in 20,000 panels have been returned under warranty. 

Recognition by prestigious institutions like Cradle to Cradle and TÜV Rheinland and its certification as a top performer in 2022 for PVEL’s Product Qualification Program (PQP) are indications of the company’s product quality.

Costs

The Maxeon 3 solar panels are the definition of “quality doesn’t come cheap”, with a price range of £300 to £350 per panel (excluding installation and labour costs). We recommend comparing the quotes with multiple companies to negotiate the best deal. 

What we like

The Maxeon 3 solar panels are top performers with an industry-leading warranty period, and the highest efficiency and lowest performance degradation on the market—but that comes at a high cost. They’re ideal for households with heavy power consumption that need a system to perform for years without any problems.

Read our full SunPower Maxeon 3 review.

JA Solar JAM60S20

• Price range: £100 to £206 
• Power output: 370 W to 395 W
• Efficiency: 21.0%
• Product warranty: 12 years
• Performance warranty: 25 years linear power output warranty
• Performance degradation: 0.55% annual degradation over 25 years

Since its inception in 2005, JA Solar has quickly made a name for itself in the global solar panel market, with products available in 135 countries. The company has succeeded in the market and is listed as one of the Global Top 500 New Energy Enterprises.

The JA Solar JAM60S20 solar panels are built with multi-busbar PERC monocrystalline cells in a 120 (6×20) configuration that allows for higher power output of up to 395 W, efficiency of up to 21.0%, and better temperature-dependent performance.

When compared to brands like Project Solar and SunPower, the company’s 12-year limited product warranty and 25-year linear power output warranty are considerably lower. However, the panel can provide 83.1% power output in year 25, with a maximum annual degradation of 0.55%, which is on par with other leading brands.

Don’t let the price fool you—JA Solar’s products are endorsed by leading organisations such as TÜV Rheinland and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). They’ve also been recognised as a Top Performer in 2022 for PVEL’s Product Qualification Program (PQP), alongside SunPower—and the quality lives up to expectations.

Costs

At a price range of £100 to £206, the JAM60S20 is one of the cheapest solar panels available on the market. These panels are perfect for financially savvy homeowners. Based on our research, a fully installed 4 kW system from JA Solar will cost approximately £6,000.

What we like

The JA Solar JAM60S20 solar panels are great for clients who want to enjoy the benefits of solar energy on a budget. The panels provide great output and efficiency, and even the performance degradation is on par with other leading brands. However, the warranty period is only 12 years, which may cause issues down the road.

Read our full JA Solar JAM60S20 review.

Sharp SunSnap ND-F2Q235

• Price range: £300 per panel
• Power output: 325 W
• Efficiency: 14.4%
• Product warranty: 25 years
• Performance warranty: 25 years

Designed to blend discreetly with your roof, Sharp’s SunSnap ND-F2Q235 solar panels are one of the best-selling models on the market, and have been for several years. Continually refined, they remain a high-end option for many homeowners. 

Sharp, founded in 1912 and a trusted name in home electronics, developed its solar panel range more than half a century ago, culminating in the world’s most efficient panel—an accolade now owned by SunPower.

The SunSnap panels offer a compact, stylish design, foregoing the need for mounting rails and delivering a near-seamless blend with your roof tiles. This makes them the ideal choice for listed properties or those in conservation areas. Using 60 polycrystalline cells per panel, they feature laminated and tempered glass, which copes well in extreme temperatures. 

Sharp’s SunSnap ND-F2Q235 solar panels provide a standard-level performance with 14.4% efficiency and 235-watt production, making them ideal for homes with lower energy needs.

Costs

At £300 per solar panel, you should expect to pay around £1,800 for a six-panel system, suitable for a one- or two-person household, or up to about £4,500 for a 14-panel system, generating enough electricity for a four or five-person family. 

What we like

Sharp is a solid household name, known for delivering quality products that look good and perform well, and their SunSnap panels continue this tradition. 

Designed to be sleek, these panels will likely appeal to homeowners that value the appearance of their property. Delivering a decent performance efficiency-wise, these panels are reliable, well designed, and readily available. 

Read our full Sharp SunSnap ND-F2Q235 review .

LG NeON H BiFacial

• Price range: £350 per panel
• Power output: 350 W to 400 W
• Efficiency: 19.8% to 22%
• Product warranty: 25 years
• Performance warranty: 25 years

Marketed as a premium model, LG’s NeON H BiFacial solar panels are the last ones to be manufactured by tech giant LG. Once an industry leader, LG left the solar panel sector in mid-2022. However, the NeON H will remain on the market while supplies last. 

LG’s innovative Cello technology allows its sixth generation panels to capture more than 30% more sunlight than its competitors by employing both faces of the panels—generating more electricity from a small footprint. This new technology also prevents the performance level from dropping on cloudy days. As a result, LG has won the EUPD Research Award for the last six years and the Inter Solar award for the last three. 

To transport the extra solar energy, LG has increased the number of bus bars from five on most panels to nine on the NeON H. Think of bus bars as motorways carrying rush hour traffic; with extra lanes, everyone gets to work early, avoiding traffic jams and hold ups. More bus bars equals a more efficient solar panel. 

Costs

Many manufacturers of solar panels throw all their research and development budgets into keeping production costs as low as possible. LG hasn’t followed this pattern, instead investing heavily in increasing panel performance and efficiency. The result is a product that, whilst not the least expensive, is certainly superior for output and reliability.  

What we like

LG has been involved in the solar industry since 1985, and there aren’t many competitors that have invested as much in manufacturing such a premium-performing panel. Cello technology is an exciting prospect for the solar sector, but to date, LG is one of the few producing residential panels with this feature. For those who can afford the slightly higher price point, the NeON H is an excellent investment. 

Read our full LG NeON H BiFacial review.

The environmental benefits of switching to solar energy

Many of the worlds’ governments are pushing the benefits of renewable energy, including wind, water, and solar, with good reason. Just one hour of solar energy can provide enough electricity to power the entire globe for a year. With such an infinite resource, it can help countries move away from fossil fuels that are not only harmful to life, but are a major contributor to environmental damage and greenhouse gases. 

When first  installed, a solar panel system has a carbon footprint of around 14–73 grams per kWh; for comparison, the average footprint of using oil is about 742 grams per kWh.

After two to three years, a solar system becomes carbon neutral. It has prevented more emissions being released than were created during its manufacture. This significantly reduces your households’ total carbon footprint. 

Solar panel aesthetics

Increasingly, customers demand solar panels that are not only energy efficient but that look stylish or blend in with their existing roof. Manufacturers wanting to keep ahead of their competitors are now putting more effort into the design aesthetics of panels. 

As a result, some best selling models tick the boxes for both efficient output and stylish good looks. The typical grid line design serves several purposes. Firstly, the white corner gaps allow the cells to expand in the sun, with the white being the visible backing material.  The aluminium or copper lines, also called busbars, are the paths electrons take as electricity is generated. Fortunately, there are ways to make these lines much more discreet, if not do away with them altogether. 

This is what SunPower has done with its Maxeon panels—create a truly black panel with no busbars or visible frame. Sleek, smooth, and aesthetically superior, this is an ideal solution for properties with slate roofs, and for tiled roofs, the mirrored glass could pass as an envy-inducing skylight. 

Solar panels are generally mounted on rails, allowing them to capture the sun’s energy more efficiently; however, Sharp’s SunSnap ND-F2Q235 has eliminated the need for rails, blending seamlessly with your roof tiles. Sharp panels are perfect for listed properties or homes in conservation areas, generating an excellent output while being unobtrusive. 

How to select the perfect solar panels for your home

Selecting the perfect solar panels can be challenging, from finding out your requirements to studying all the choices available and their technical details. To help you, we have provided a list of important criteria to consider when choosing your solar panels.

Power output

Each solar panel provides a power output value, which is needed to figure out how many panels you’ll need to power your home. The most popular solar system is 4 kW which provides enough electricity for a family of four, and requires 16 panels. However, many companies are producing compact panels offering a greater output, lessening the number of panels needed to generate the same amount of electricity. 

Performance warranty

The output of solar panels drops over time, and companies provide a performance warranty (either as a percentage of degradation or percentage of output), which indicates how well the panels will perform in the coming years. The better the performance, the better the panels will deliver power to your home over a longer period. Panel technology is advancing rapidly and manufacturers are now producing panels that offer an improved, more stable performance. In turn this minimises the drop in energy generation over time.

Product warranty

Fixing solar panels is costly, so you want to be sure that the panels you pick will last. The warranties offered by companies can range from 12 years to a lifetime. The longer the product warranty, the longer your panels should perform at their optimum.

Efficiency

Efficiency is important because the higher the efficiency, the better the solar panels are at converting sunlight into electricity. Installing high-efficiency panels means you will need fewer panels to achieve your required output. The most efficient panels in our list offer an efficiency rating of 22.7%, but any efficiency over 20% is considered great. 

Price

Solar panels aren’t cheap, and the installation process can cost you thousands on top of the price of the panels. When selecting your solar panels, look for the right balance between price and performance. The JAM60S20 panels are an excellent example of achieving good performance from cheaper panels. 

However, there are government solar panel grants and local authority funding that can help to make systems more affordable.

Get free solar panels quotes Discover how much solar panels would cost for your home by answering a few questions. GET QUOTES

How to calculate your solar panel requirements

Although your chosen installer will calculate your unique system requirements, it helps to have a rough idea of what you need from your solar panels beforehand. 

How much electricity does your household use? 

You can find out how much electricity you consume annually from your online account or bill, which is given in kilowatts per hour (kWh). To work out your daily consumption, divide this figure by 365. 

How much electricity do you want to generate from your panels? 

Most homeowners want their panels to generate as much electricity as possible, with minimal energy supplied by the National Grid. However, the more powerful the system, the more it will cost to install. As a rough estimate, a 3kW system will provide enough power for a two to three-member household.

Solar panel system	Number of panels	Roof space required	Family size
3 kW	12	22 ㎡	2–3 people
4 kW	16	29 ㎡	3–4 people
5 kW	20	32 ㎡	4–5 people
6 kW	24	43 ㎡	Over 5 people

How much sun do you receive per day?

The direction your roof faces determines the amount of sunlight the panels can capture. On average, the UK receives 4.1 hours of sunlight per day, so if your roof faces south, your panels should be able to capture 100% of the light that hits them, working at optimum efficiency.

Roof direction	Potential % of solar energy captured
South	100%
Southwest	95%
West	80%
Northwest	62%
North	55%
Northeast	62%
East	80%
Southeast	95%

Solar panel power

Solar panels are available with outputs ranging from 200 W to 450 W. However, manufacturers are beginning to produce smaller, more compact panels that generate more electricity as the demand for them increases. 

Calculate the number of panels required

First, you need to calculate how much electricity you can generate. Take the wattage of the panel you are considering—300W is the most popular size —and divide by the average hours of sunlight:

For example 300W x 4.1 = 1,230 kW per day

Next, divide the amount of electricity your household uses per day by the amount the panel can generate, and that will give you the number of solar panels you require. 

How to maintain your solar panels

It is always best to hire a professional to clean your solar panels for safety reasons and to avoid damaging your system. (Image credit: Adobe)

Solar panels don’t require much maintenance, making them ideal for homeowners. Still, you should consider a few things to ensure your panels perform at their best.

Solar panel cleaning

As solar panels are installed on your rooftop they will accumulate dirt, which will lower their performance as sunlight won’t be able to penetrate. We recommend cleaning your panels a minimum of twice a year with a soft brush or sponge and a low-pressure water hose. Always contact your supplier before cleaning to get their recommendations on how to avoid damaging your solar panels. It is advisable to contract a professional to clean your solar panels, as climbing on your roof and using water near electrical equipment without proper safety equipment could be dangerous.

Inspect for cracks

Inspect the mounting structure for the panels twice a year during cleaning to confirm that the panels remain firmly attached. It’s also important to check the integrity of each panel to ensure there are no cracks or damage to the surface structure, allowing rainwater to penetrate.

Inspect for corrosion

Solar panels are typically mounted using metal brackets, which can corrode over time. Corrosion can damage your panels and even your roof, with panels falling off completely in some cases. We recommend checking for corrosion twice a year when cleaning your panels. If you live in a coastal region, you should do this more frequently, as salt in the air from the ocean can speed up the effects of corrosion.

Inspect output

When installing solar panels, the installer will add a controller, or meter, that allows you to inspect the performance of your system. We recommend checking this often, especially after cleaning, to ensure your panels are performing as required. If you notice low performance, contact your installer and ask them to conduct an inspection. It may mean your panels are damaged and need repairing or replacing.

Seek professional help

If you’re unsure of how to maintain your panels or cannot reach them, contact your installer to seek professional help. Many companies offer service contracts that will save you the hassle of climbing up on your roof, while also ensuring no accidental damage occurs to your panels.

How we chose the best solar panels in the UK

We conducted thorough research and compared some of the top-rated solar panels UK suppliers to help us offer an honest and informative review. To do this, we looked at costs, product quality, warranty terms, customer reviews, and expert opinions. This enabled us to develop our own view of the various systems available in the UK.