LG v REC Solar Panels – which should you choose?

LG vs REC

LG have led the charge with premium quality LG solar panels for several years and, until recently, they haven’t really had a serious contender. However, that has all changed with the introduction of the REC N-Peak Series solar panels.

In this blog, I will look at the differences between the two brands and consider which one is the best panel for Sunshine Coast homes and businesses.

Manufacturer’s warranty

LG offer a 25 year manufacturer’s warranty on their solar panels whereas REC have a standard 20 year warranty however this is increased to 25 years if installed by a REC Solar Professional such as Sunworks Solar. Draw

Performance guarantee

Both manufacturers offer a 25 year performance guarantee with 86% warrantied output after 25 years however only REC have conducted a degradation study to prove their warranty in real world conditions therefore the Winner here is REC

LID – Light Induced Degradation

As soon as solar panels are exposed to sunlight they experience a permanent loss of power production – this phenomenon is known as light induced degradation. REC N-Peak panels however use PERT (Passivated Emitter Rear Totally diffused) technology and are certified to be LID free, LG solar panels however do not and do suffer from LID. Winner REC

Temperature co-efficient

Solar panels, like all of us, don’t like working in hot temperatures and all solar panels will lose a certain amount of output as soon as the solar cell temperature goes above 25°C. REC N-Peak solar panels will lose 0.35% of their output for every degree C above 25 and LG Neon panels will lose 0.37% of their output. REC N-Peak panels will therefore perform better during our hot Sunshine Coast summers. Winner REC

Shade Tolerance

The REC N-Peak solar panel is a split into two identical and mirrored sections which work independently from each other. This technology enables the REC N-Peak solar panel to continue to produce power even if the bottom or top sections of the panel is heavily shaded. Winner REC

Overall winner – REC

As you can see from the above other than the solar panel manufacturer’s warranty which is a draw REC solar wins in all other significant categories and is therefore the logical choice, recommended by SunWorks Solar Centres on the Sunshine Coast.