Solar Energy Show

It’s no surprise that this is the most common question, since the solar panels themselves are the biggest cost component of a typical rooftop system. But I’m not going to give you the single "Best Panel" answer you may be looking for. Sorry. With over 100 companies making solar panels worldwide — and vast differences in efficiency, aesthetics and reliability — there is no one answer. So instead I’ll focus on the factors and characteristics to help you make the best decision for your particular circumstances. When I think about my 20+ years of installing rooftop solar panels, I’ve come to the conclusion that highest efficiency, quality features, country of manufacturing, low light performance, annual degradation, rock bottom pricing, proprietary cell technologies, fancy advertising, long warranties and Top Ten lists DON’T REALLY MATTER! You can throw every one of these manufacturer claims and specifications out the window if the solar panel manufacturer goes out of business, or just arbitrarily decides to i