Foreign Or Domestic Solar Panels, Which Is Better?

When contemplating solar panels, purchasing American-made can be a trial. China is the overwhelming leader in solar panel production, although panels are also manufactured in the United States, Korea, Germany, and Japan. The world market is heating up for lower priced solar panels all the time. 

About 5 to 10 percent of consumers ask for American-made solar panels, IPC’s Caldwell announced.

People Want A Good Deal And A Good Product

“Most of the people we deal with want a good product,” she stated. Because the panels are important to the whole project, she stated, “I wouldn’t recommend that they shop for cheap panels.” 

IPC usually uses solar panels made by Canadian Solar and Solar World, whose panels, in particular, Caldwell describes as “a nice choice.” Solar panels produced in the United States typically necessitated 80 cents to $1 per watt, which is 10 to 30 cents more per watt than shipped panels. Premium panels can fetch up to $1.25 per watt. The price gap has narrowed in recent years, partly because of U.S. Commerce Department duties on certain imports by China and Taiwan. The tariffs are a consequence of artificially low rates by China based on China’s government-subsidized solar companies. 

The variation in cost is not necessarily from cheaper goods, although Caldwell designated out, it can be, so be careful; but from China’s scale and supply-chain advancement as well as government subsidies. Also, deciding whether a panel is “American-made” can be confused. Many multinational companies have U.S. headquarters and also produce in the United States. For instance, Solar World is headquartered in Germany, but produces solar panels in the United States, so most installers consider them American-made. Of the U.S.-headquartered solar firms, 90 percent of the production is done outside of the United States, according to a statement by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Some U.S. Solar Panel Producers

1SolTech: Established 2008. Base of operations and production in Farmers Branch, Texas.
Auxin Solar: Established 2008.  Base of operations and solar panel factory in San Jose, California.
Itek: Established 2009.Base of operations and manufacturing in Bellingham, Washington. Serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Minnesota.
Suniva: Established 2008.Base of operations in Norcross, Georgia; production in Georgia and Michigan.
SunPower: Established 1985.Base of operations in San Jose, California. Production in both United States and Philippines.
REC Solar: Established 1996.Base of operations in San Luis Obispos, California. Construction in Singapore.
Solar World: Established 1988.Base of operations in Germany; Manufacturing in Eugene, Oregon, and Germany.
Sharp Solar: Established 1959.Base of operations in Japan; producing plant in Memphis, Tennessee.
Kyocera Solar: Established 1971. Base of operations in Scottsdale, Arizona. Production in California and Mexico.

And of course, HahaSmart can direct you to the best solar panels built anywhere! Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.