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July 27, 2016Comparing Efficiency levels of different Solar Panels in India
I constantly receive queries regarding solar panel efficiencies in India and which panel should be bought with higher efficiency.
India has an ambitious target of installing 100 GW of solar power in the country by 2022. This has encouraged foreign investment into India. Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” policy also emphasizes on manufacturing in India to further strengthen the Indian economy. As a result many of the large foreign companies have been planning to set up manufacturing units in India and are selling aggressively in the Indian sub-continent.
There are many choices available for an individual buying solar panels in India – First Solar, Chinese solar companies like Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, Renesola, Indian companies like Tata Solar, Su-Kam, Indosolar, Vikram Solar and Waaree Solar. The prices are also getting very cheap in India. A solar panel can be bought at as cheap as 40 cents per watt in India. Other than the price which is a major factor governing the choice, the efficiency of the panels matter a lot.
Also read about Top Rooftop Solar panel Companies in India.
If a solar panel is more efficient the overall efficiency of your rooftop solar system will improve. Here I have prepared a chart comparing the power output and the module efficiency levels of the different leading solar panel brands in India. Vikram Solar has the highest efficiency levels when compared to its other Indian peers. However Tier 1 Chinese players like Trina Solar announced average efficiency of 21.1% for its industrially-produced P-type monocrystalline cells very recently in July this year. SunPower announced achieving new 24.1% solar panel efficiency record in June this year.
First Solar teh leading thin film solar company worldwide and also having a large market in India achieved 22.1% efficiency for its cadmium-telluride cells, early this year.
| Peak power (W) | Module Efficiency (in %) | |
| 1) Vikram Solar | ||
| Eldora Grand Ultima Silver
(72 celled polycrystalline) |
290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315 | 14.95, 15.20, 15.46, 15.72, 15.98, 16.23 |
| Eldora Grand (72 celled polycrystalline) | 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315 | 15.11, 15.37, 15.63, 15.89, 16.15, 16.41 |
| Eldora Neo (72 celled pollycrystalline) | 330, 335, 340, 345 | 17.01, 17.26, 17.52, 17.78 |
| Eldora Ultima Silver (60 celled Pollycrystalline) | 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265 | 14.75, 15.06, 15.37, 15.67, 15.98, 16.29 |
| Eldora Ultima All Black (60 celled Pollycrystalline) | 240, 245, 250, 255, 260 | 14.75, 15.06, 15.37, 15.67, 15.98 |
| Eldora Ultima Black (60 celled Pollycrystalline) | 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265 | 14.75, 15.06, 15.37, 15.67, 15.98, 16.29 |
| Eldora Prime (60 celled Pollycrystalline) | 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265 | 14.91, 15.22, 15.53, 15.84, 16.15, 16.46 |
| Eldora Neo (60 celled
pollycrystalline) |
265, 270, 275, 280 | 16.29, 16.29, 16.29, 17.21 |
| 2) Waaree Solar | ||
| Surya Series (18/36 celled) | 3, 3, 5, 5, 6 | 8.77, 6.36, 9.32, 9.32, 11.18 |
| Arka Series (36 celled mono/ polycrystalline) | 40, 45, 50, 50, 55 | 12.22, 12.82, 11.76, 11.76, 12.93 |
| Arun Series (36/72 celled mono/ polycrystalline) | 100, 100, 105, 110, 110 | 12.88, 12.88, 13.53, 12.93, 12.93 |
| Aditya Series (60/72/80 celled mono/ polycrystalline) | 240, 245, 250, 255, 260 | 14.78, 15.09, 15.4, 15.71, 16.01 |
| 3) TATA Solar | ||
| TP250 (60 celled) | 240, 245, 250, 255, 260 | 14.4, 14.7, 15, 15.3, 15.6 |
| TP300 (72 celled) | 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310 | 14.1, 14.35, 14.6, 14.85, 15.1, 15.25, 15.63 |
| TS250 (60 celled) | 235, 240, 245, 250 | 14.1, 14.4, 14.7, 15 |
It is clear that Indian made panels are lower in their efficiency levels, when compared to the foreign solar companies. In India price is another major concern and in fact many small project developers pay more heed to prices when compared to the efficiencies. Efficiency of panels play a major role in the effective working of the whole solar system and hence prudence must be applied while choosing the same. A more effiicent solar panel results in lesser number of panels to be installed and hence will entail less capital outflow, since solar panels are the most expensive component of a solar system. A more efficient panel will also involve less maintenance costs.
7 Comments
U missed moserbare solar panel which r the most effecient solar panel competing with foreign players… With module efficiency of 21 % ….plz be informed before putting up article….
Dear Roshan, Thank you for pointing this out. Moser Baer were the no.1 of solar cell manufacturer in India. Few years ago, they reached 21% in cell efficiency The company underwent a debt restructuring in 2012. It was unable to match the prices of Chinese solar panels. EPC business is still running. However I am not sure if they are actively selling panels in India. Please let me know what you think and I can update the article.
Thank you for reading and writing to us. Active support from readers is much appreciated!
Dear Madam,
You may include ADITYA SERIES POLY
WS-290 to WS- 325 (72 Cells – 6″) with efficiency of WS290 – 14,94%, WS325 – 16.74%.
These are missed out from your list.
Thanks for the update Rajendraa, will surely update the same.
This is a very helpful website! Keep up the great work! I am a college student considering fitting my parents home with solar panels and have been doing some research on them. Hopefully I can convince them to do so if I get some quality hypothetical results.
Thanks Chris!
Sneha, did you get any information on solar PV panel above 18% efficiency? if so please do send me some details if you have already.
Thanks