Solar Techology > Solar Panels and System Components

Not all solar panels are created equal. That's why Solar Shop Australia uses only premium brands from Tier-1 manufacturers from around the world. We take special care selecting our technology partners to ensure that our customer solutions offer optimum performance and longevity.

Copper Indium Selenium (CIS) thin-film solar panels

Solar Frontier is a Japanese energy company with annual turnover of US$30b+ and is investing heavily in additional solar manufacturing capacity.

CIS Advantages

Their film panel technology has advantages over chrystalline panels with greater shade tolerance. Of particular significance with these new Copper Indium Selenium (CIS) panels is the light soaking of the panel meaning a yield increase of up to 10% from its nameplate specification. In laboratory tests, CIS is a consistently better performer in high temperature than crystalline, and with good net positive module tolerance, meaning you get what you pay for. CIS offers better conversion efficiency, or space efficiency, than micromorph or amorphous. It looks great, with a matt black finish, and the energy payback time is very good, the same as amorphous silicon of 1 - 1.5 years.

On the environmental front, there is no Cadmium used in the module, and it has an aluminium frame around it making it more durable.

Hybrid-Crystalline solar panels

A hybrid-crystalline solar panel looks very similar to a regular mono-crystalline solar panel; however, hybrid cells use a regular mono-crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra thin amorphous silicon layers.

Hybrid-Crystalline Advantages:

Produces leading performance and value using state-of the-art manufacturing techniques

• Has very high conversion efficiency in mass production
• Offers high performance at high temperature
• Allows space saving installation and achievement of maximum power possible on a given roof area

Sanyo panels are manufactured in Japan and are assembled in an ISO 9001 (quality), 14001 (environment), and 18001 (safety) certified factory. Unique eco-packaging minimizes cardboard waste at the job site. The packing density of the panels reduces transportation, fuel, and storage costs per installed watt.

Thin Film Solar Panels

Solar Shop Australia uses Kaneka thin film solar panels, which are manufactured and assembled in Japan. Kaneka Corporation was established in 1949, making them a well established and reliable company. Thin film amorphous solar panels use silicon film (0.3 of a micron) applied directly on to glass to create a thin film cell.

Thin Film Advantages

Exceptional performance in low light and shady conditions.

• Lower level of embodied energy- The energy required to manufacture a thin film panel is much less than the energy required to make a crystalline solar panel.
• The energy payback for the Kaneka thin film panel is 1.6 years compared to 2-3 years for polycrystalline.
• Exceptional high temperature tolerance - regular crystalline cells decrease in power twice as rapidly as thin film in hot conditions.
• Uniform appearance is ideal where aesthetics are important.

Traditional Crystalline solar panels

Our supplier of Crystalline solar panels, Suntech, is a world leading manufacturer and is among the top three crystalline module suppliers in Australia. Suntech confidently backs its products with a 25 year output warranty, providing you with a product you can rely on.

Inverters

Inverters are a key component in any solar system; they convert 12v DC current generated from the solar panels to 240v AC current used by appliances. A quality inverter will ensure that you gain the maximum power and efficiency from your investment. Solar Shop Australia uses high quality and reliable inverters that are made in Germany. with a 5-year warrenty on all sizes.

Frames

A quality framing system ensures panels are securely mounted on your roof. Our standard framing system is aluminium and designed to withstand severe tropical cyclone regions in Australia as per AS1170.2 wind loading code.