The 9 most efficient solar panels

When you’re getting rooftop solar panels, you want to make the most of the space you have.

The more efficient your panels are, the more they’ll produce, and the lower your electricity bills will be – though there are other factors to consider before making your final decision.

Efficiency is important, but so is a panel’s affordability, durability, and power rating. In this guide, we’ll explain the significance of all these elements, as well as counting down the most efficient models on the market right now.

If you’re wondering how much you could save with an efficient solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll generate a quick estimate.

What are the most efficient solar panels?

The most efficient solar panels can convert the highest amount of naturally occurring light into electricity.

You’ll see this ability shown as a percentage – so if a solar panel is 22% efficient, that means it can turn 22% of the natural light that hits it into electricity for your home.

To measure solar panel efficiency, manufacturers use standard test conditions (STC), a universally accepted controlled environment used by companies all over the world.

Every cell's temperature must be maintained at 25°C, the panel exposed to a 1,000 watts (W) per m² light source, and the air mass sustained at 1.5, to simulate the way sunshine travels to Earth.

How efficient your solar panels are will impact how much electricity they produce for your household, and how much you can save on your energy bills. You can also fit more panels on your roof if you get a relatively efficient set of panels.

However, it’s not the only important factor when you’re considering which panels to get. You should also look at price, peak power rating, and durability.

We have more information on these attributes and how you should take them into account lower down, or you can go straight there.

9. TWMNH, 23.2%

Manufactured by: Tongwei Solar

The biggest solar manufacturer in the world’s most efficient panel is a solid product that doesn’t excel in any areas, bar efficiency.

Its 515W power rating, 27kg weight, and 2.2m² size are all bang-average compared to the other panels on this list – and like most of them, it comes with a performance warranty that guarantees it’ll be at least 87.4% as efficient after 30 years.

A household with average UK solar irradiance (850kWh per kWp) will generate 438 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year with a TWMNH panel – and after 30 years, it’ll produce a minimum of 383kWh per year.

Even its heat resistance is standard among these high-ranking products. The TWMNH temporarily loses 0.28% of its output with every degree its temperature goes above 25°C, which is good – but here, it’s average.

8. Panda 3.0 Pro 2, 23.3%

Manufactured by: Yingli

The Panda 3.0 Pro 2 is aptly named, weighing in at a hefty 33.9kg that makes it the heaviest panel on this list.

It’s also the joint-largest at 2.7m², but with a 630W power rating, it packs a punch to justify its size. After 30 years, you can expect it to still be working at 87.4% of its initial capacity.

Unfortunately, its 12-year product warranty isn’t particularly impressive, especially when you consider that modern solar panels have a lifespan of around 30-40 years.

12 years is poor when compared to other panels, too: no manufacturer on this list goes lower.

7. Vertex N, 23.3%

Manufactured by: Trina

Also sitting on 23.3% efficiency, this Trina panel comes with many of the same attributes as Yingli’s Panda 3.0 Pro 2.

These two Chinese bifacial panels have the same power rating (630W), heat resistance, size, and even performance warranty.

The crucial differences are the Vertex N’s weight – which is around 1kg lighter than Yingli’s panel – and their appearances.

Whereas the Panda 3.0 has visible silver lines criss-crossing its surface, the Vertex N is sleeker, with its deep black appearance only broken by a single bar across its middle.

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6. JAM66D42 MB, 23.4%

Manufactured by: JA Solar

Solar panels are increasingly being given exciting names, especially in the residential sector, but some manufacturers continue to buck this trend – like JA Solar.

The catchily named JAM66D42 MB has a power rating of 605W, which is still massive, and at 2.6m², it allows you to save some roof space compared to Yingli and Trina’s panels.

It also comes with a guarantee – like all the panels in the list so far – that it’ll be functioning at 87.4% of its initial capacity after 30 years.

This will allow the average UK home to generate a tremendous amount of solar electricity well into the 2050s.

5. TOPHiKu6, 23.5%

Manufactured by: Canadian Solar

The only Canadian manufacturer to make one of the most efficient panels on the market is also the first on this list to offer a 15-year product warranty, though not the last.

Its 470W panel is one of the least powerful we’ll discuss in this article, but is also one of only two to fall below 2m².

At 24.6kg, it’s unusually heavy for a panel of its size, but your solar panel installer should still be able to get it on your roof without any trouble. Once it’s there, it should produce at least 87.4% of its initial capacity for 30 years – whatever the weather.

Being Canadian, the TOPHiKu6 is built to endure 6,000 Pascals of pressure from snow – more than any other panel on this list.

The company also has more green credentials than most. It releases an annual sustainability report that highlights its certifications, CO2 emissions avoided, and how long its solar panels take to offset the carbon footprint they gain during manufacturing.

4. Maxeon 7, 24.1%

Manufactured by: SunPower

SunPower broke new ground for residential solar panel efficiency when it launched the Maxeon 7 in 2024, and though it’s fallen slightly behind the market leaders now, its flagship product is still superb.

For one, it comes with 40-year product and performance warranties – the longest across the industry, by far.

After 40 years, the Maxeon 7 is guaranteed to work at 88.25% of the level it first worked at – more than most companies on this list will offer after 30 years.

At 20.7kg and 1.85m², this American panel is the smallest and lightest model at the top of the efficiency charts, and this is reflected in its relatively low power rating of 445W.

However, this just makes room on your roof for more panels, which enables you to get more out of your system.

The company, which has factories in Malaysia, Mexico, and the Philippines as well as the US, is certified by Cradle to Cradle, a body that assesses sustainability.

3. Neostar 2N54, 24.3%

Manufactured by: AIKO

AIKO isn’t the most well-known company, but the third-biggest solar panel manufacturer in the world has recently emerged as a strong player in the efficiency stakes.

After becoming one of the few companies to hit the 24% efficiency mark when it launched its ABC White Hole Series panels in 2023, AIKO improved further in 2024 with Neostar.

This panel has an efficiency rating of 24.3%, and though it’s a bit bigger and heavier than the Maxeon 7, it also offers a higher power rating, at 485W.

The Neostar is guaranteed to work at 88.85% of its starting capacity after 30 years, which is better than the great majority of performance warranties, and comes with a 15-year product warranty.

It comes with the joint-best heat resistance on this list, too, so it’s particularly well-suited to warmer areas.

2. Tiger Neo 3.0, 24.8%

Manufactured by: JinkoSolar

In October 2024, JinkoSolar launched the Tiger Neo 3.0, a residential solar panel with a 24.8% efficiency rating.

The 495W panel blows the next-most efficient panel in the company’s portfolio – the Tiger Neo 66HL4M-(V), which is 23.51% efficient – out of the water.

The only issue is that despite announcing its product to the world, JinkoSolar hasn’t released a datasheet. What we do know is the panel comes with a standard top-tier performance guarantee – 87.4% after 30 years – and a 15-year product warranty.

Its heat resistance is -0.29% per degree over 25°C, which isn’t great compared to the best solar panels, but is above average for the industry.

1. Hi-MO X10 Scientist, 24.8%

Manufactured by: LONGi

The Hi-MO X10 Scientist has the same efficiency rating as the Tiger Neo 3.0, and as well as a datasheet, it also comes with the best power rating on this list – a massive 670W.

Due to this enormous capacity, it’s understandably just as big as the Panda 3.0 Pro 2, but at 28.5kg, it’s 16% lighter.

The Scientist also offers the joint-best heat resistance on this list, along with a guarantee that it’ll work at 88.85% of its initial capacity after 30 years.

LONGi has experience in making history with its efficient panels, and with its Hi-MO 9 also making waves on 24.4%, the Chinese firm is currently sitting pretty in this section of the industry.

This impression is likely to intensify in 2025, when LONGi releases the HPBC 2.0 panel that recorded 25.4% efficiency in October 2024 – a new world record.

Our methodology

We keep a database of all the best panels produced by the 21 biggest solar manufacturers whose panels are available in the UK, and regularly check their websites – and press releases – for the latest models.

Every time we find a new panel, we go through its datasheet and migrate all the relevant information into our database.

This of course includes the efficiency rating, but also each panel’s product and performance warranties, power rating, watts per m², appearance, heat resistance, size, and weight, as well as where the solar panel is made.

We also look into every manufacturer’s eco-friendly credentials, to see how seriously they take the fight against climate change.

Once we have all of these details, we check the database to see which panels are the most efficient.

Since each manufacturer uses the same technology in all their most efficient models, we’ve decided to only include the best panels from every company, while still mentioning their other designs that perform well.

What’s the most efficient type of solar panel?

The most efficient type of solar panel designed for domestic properties is a tandem panel made of perovskite and silicon.

Perovskite is a synthetic material based on the crystal structure of a mineral that’s also – confusingly – called perovskite.

Scientists place a layer of this substance on a layer of silicon, and the two work in harmony, with perovskite absorbing light from the blue end of the spectrum, and silicon taking in light from the red end.

Oxford PV, a UK solar company that makes this kind of panel, set a world record in June 2024 when it created a 26.9% efficient model.

With a 430W power rating across a relatively small 1.6m² panel, this product would easily top our list – except it hasn’t been released to the public yet, and likely won’t be for years.

Even when it is eventually made available to customers, it’ll probably be expensive for a good while, since it’ll be a premium product.

Is efficiency the most important solar panel factor?

Efficiency is one of the most important factors in deciding which solar panel you should get, but it’s not necessarily the most crucial.

The majority of top-tier monocrystalline solar panels currently available to households offer excellent efficiency levels, without much difference between them. After all, there are only 1.6 percentage points between numbers one and nine on our list.

Even the worst-performing models from the largest manufacturers usually come with at least 20% efficiency, which is good enough for you to save significant amounts on your electricity bills.

Solar panel affordability

Given the extremely small differences in efficiency ratings between all the top-tier solar panels, it’s not worth paying a high premium for a model that’s only slightly superior.

Going for more expensive panels will push back your break-even point if you’re paying upfront, and of course makes it even harder to afford them in the first place.

It’s worth getting the highest quality system for your home, but not if the cost is too great.

Having more efficient panels can theoretically allow you to make the most of your roof space, as you’ll be able to fit more up there. In reality though, the space saved often isn’t enough to squeeze on another panel.

And even if it is, the cost of more efficient panels may well outstrip the savings you’d make with them.

Solar panel durability

Durability is a vital attribute to consider when you’re getting solar panels.

One of the biggest advantages of going solar is the cumulative savings, since the average monocrystalline panel’s lifespan is 30 to 40 years, and they should generate solar electricity throughout that period.

If they need constant or significant repairs, it’ll hit your savings, prolong your payback period, and potentially eliminate your break-even point entirely.

Monocrystalline panels are currently the most durable type of solar panel on the market, so make sure you stick to this model.

However, even the most sturdy solar & battery systems will require maintenance, which is why you should consider signing up for Sunsave Plus and taking advantage of the Sunsave Guarantee.

You’ll get 24/7 monitoring and maintenance to ensure that if anything goes wrong, we’ll move to fix it as quickly as possible, plus a free replacement battery and inverter once they decline below a certain level.

The Sunsave Guarantee also comes with downtime protection – which means you can get reimbursed if your panels underperform for an extended period of time – and your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire and theft.

And if you need to make any warranty claims, we’ll manage those too.

Solar panel power ratings

Since you want to generate as much electricity as you can with your solar panels, you’ll naturally want a model with the highest output possible.

Everything being equal, a 450W panel in average UK solar irradiance (850kWh per kWp) will produce 22% more electricity per year than a 350W panel.

However, when it comes to fitting solar panels on a roof, their efficiency is more important, as it already factors in their output, as well as their size. After all, a panel’s efficiency is its power rating divided by its size.

For instance, if you have a 400W panel that’s 2m², it would produce 200W per m², and its efficiency would be 20%.

A 600W panel would obviously produce more electricity overall, but if it takes up 3.5m², it would generate 171W per m² – for an efficiency of just 17.1%.

It’s therefore better to check a panel’s efficiency before its power rating, since that will have taken into account its size as well.

This is even more important now, with the ongoing trend of manufacturers making their panels bigger to get more impressive power ratings – sometimes with a negative effect on their efficiency.

Next steps

There are plenty of efficient solar panels available to households at the moment – and there’s not much difference between the best models.

Even below the top tier we discuss in this article, you’ll find countless other panels that can generate a superb amount of electricity, especially for their size.

These days, you should be looking for a panel with at least 20% efficiency – but beyond that, it’s also important to consider the price, durability, and solar maintenance package that comes with it.

If you’re wondering how much you could save by getting a solar & battery system, click the button below. Just answer a few quick questions, and we’ll provide an estimate.

Most efficient solar panels: FAQs