Axitec solar panels review 2023: German gem

10 Feb 2022
14 min
Beginner

Andrey GorichenskiAuthor

Solar market is represented mostly by Asian companies with a few NA brands here and there. What about Europe though – how do they make panels across the ocean? Turns out, Germany is probably the most advanced EU country in this field. This time we’ll take a look at PV modules from the brand of brainy German scientists and engineers – here’s our Axitec solar panels review for you.

Located in Böblingen,
Germany

79 countries have
Axitec solar modules installed

20 years of experience
in the solar industry

Axitec panels: lots of energy, better warranties, less money

The German brand has a wide and diverse line of monocrystalline modules for sale. They vary mainly in power output, efficiency and special qualities, like weather resistance. Axitec also offers energy storages and EV chargers on their website. While we won’t review them in this article, it’s nice that the company has a diverse product line and doesn’t limit itself to panels only.

The efficiency of Axitec panels is above average rates on the market. It ranges from 19% to 20.5%. As a result, an installation made out of Axitec modules is going to occupy less space than, for example, a Mission Solar panels array of the same power output.

19-20.5% – average efficiency of Axitec panels

The price for Axitec panels generally varies around $0.60-$0.70 per watt. Therefore, Axitec panels are in the middle of the industry’s price range. Chinese panels can be cheaper, but $0.60 per watt is a great deal for European panels that are known for their high quality.

$0.60-$0.70 average price per watt

The warranty for Axitec panels slightly exceeds the standards. Germans offer a 15 year product warranty instead of the more popular 10 or 12 year one. Of course, it’s nowhere near the top numbers from, for example, Panasonic with their 25 years, but still nice. Axitec also backs up their panels with a 25 year performance warranty – even 30 years for some models.

The module loses a maximum of 3% of the rated power output in the first year, which is always the roughest. After that the power diminishes by 0.5% per year and you end up with at least 85% by the year 25 and around 82.5% after 30 years in service. Again, it’s a good degradation rate, but not the best in the industry.

Up to 30-year performance warranty

When it comes to weather resilience, most Axitec solar panels generally have a reasonable maximum load: 3600 Pa design load and 5400 Pa test load. 5400 Pa load is comparable to 210 mph wind, so Axitec modules can withstand small and medium-size tornadoes and hurricanes.

There are special AXIProtect panels in the product line. You would think that they are sturdier, but they actually provide better protection against PID: Potential Induced Degradation. This phenomenon occurs often in wet conditions and is caused by stray currents inside the panels. Basically, your panels can lose up to 20%-30% of their production because of it. A 30-year performance warranty is issued particularly for AXIprotect modules.

Axitec: pros

To better illustrate advantages and disadvantages of Axitec panels, let’s list them down, starting with all positive things:

Strong efficiency. Energy conversion range of Axitec panels varies from 19-20.5%. It puts them in the higher end of the list of brands with the most efficient panels.
Diverse product line. Axitec offers panels for all types of applications, commercial or residential projects. They have all-black modules with a more stylish appearance, bifacial modules for up to 25% more production and AXIProtect panels for extreme climate conditions.
Low degradation rates. Axitec panels lose only about 0.5% of their power annually – slightly better than the average 0.7%-0.8% in the industry.
Better warranties. There are 15-year product and 25-30-year performance warranties instead of the more standard 10-12 and 25 years.

Axitec: cons

Now let’s turn to things about Axitec panels that don’t impress as much. Here are cons and points of concern to our review unbiased:

Axitec is a small brand. Compared to giants like JA Solar or Trina, the number of employees and revenue are quite small. The company wasn’t listed as a Tier 1 manufacturer by Bloomberg. It doesn’t say anything about the quality of Axitec panels, it just means that Bloomberg experts either didn’t find the company to be economically stable or simply overlooked the brand. Therefore their panels may be hard to come by.
Weather and positioning dependence. There is nothing special to be said about performance of Axitec panels in low-light conditions or at high temperatures.

Overview of three Axitec solar panels

There are panels for all possible applications in the Axitec product line. You can find fairly standard modules for residential systems and high-output panels for commercial and industrial projects. Plus there are reinforced AXIProtect models with higher PID and fire protection and bifacial panels that bring up to 25% more production for the same space. We have asked our engineer to share his opinion on some of them.

AXIpremium X HC – Standard home choice

AXIpremium X HC is the most standard model for a home solar system from Axitec. It provides up to 345W of power output with up to 20.45% efficiency. The panel has 120 cells – half-cut technology makes it the same size as a 60-cell panel, but increases its production. Innovative design of a frame makes the panel extra resistant to harsh weather. Temperature coefficient of a panel is quite high though: -0.39%/°С, so for hot areas we would suggest other options, like Q CELLS panels.

AXIpremium XXL HC – Bringing innovative power output

XXL HC is the most powerful module in Axitec product line and one the most powerful modules on the market in general. These are perfect for commercial and industrial installations and projects of a greater scale. It can bring up to 545 Watt output with up to 21.09% conversion rate. Similar module is also available as a bifacial panel. German engineers plan to improve the construction and achieve 555 watt power output by the end of year 2022.

AXIbiprotect XL HC BLK – Two sides and better protection

This model is quite special: it is a bifacial 120-cell solar panel for residential and commercial use. The rear side of the module collects sunlight as well as the front. As a result you get up to 25% more production with one panel. With the front side active you get up to 370 Watts power output with 20.31% efficiency. Two sides can raise the output up to 462.50 Watts with 25.39% conversion rate. At the same time this model is well prepared for extreme climate conditions: it has better PID and fire protection. The panel comes with a 15 year product warranty and a 30 year performance warranty: after 30 year the module should retain over 82.5% of its rated power.

A1SolarStore recommends AXIpremium X HC 410W

AXIPremium X HC is a fairly inexpensive and quality solar panel for home and commercial installations. It provides 410W power output with 20.38% efficiency. Every module passes electroluminescence inspection to ensure that there are no microcracks in the panels. PV modules are also protected from hot spots. The only concerning point is a relatively low maximum load – only 2400 Pa. Our clients found this model to be very cost-effective and praised its quality.

A1SolarStore verdict: If find them – take them

We’ve looked at specifications of Axitec solar panels, the product line of the company, pros and cons of their PV modules. Let’s wrap up our Axitec solar panel review by listing the most important points about the brand:

Axitec is a relatively small German solar manufacturer;
Their panels are more efficient than most – 19%-20.5%;
With the average $0.60-$0.70 per watt, they are in the middle of the industry’s price range – maybe slightly on the cheaper side;
Their warranties are slightly better than standard – 15 years for the product and 25-30 years for performance;
These German panels lose only 0.5% power per year – less than most;
They are okay in harsh weather conditions, but there is nothing special about their performance in low-light conditions or at high temperatures;
Axitec has a great product line with panels for residential and commercial projects, bifacial, extra weather-resilient and all-black modules.

As you can see, Axitec surpasses most brands when it comes to efficiency, product line diversity, degradation rates etc. The main problem with Axitec is that it is a relatively small company thus their panels may be hard to come by. We always try to keep them in stock, but they sell quickly. With that we end our 2022 Axitec solar panels review – stay tuned for more.

Illustrations – Marina Fionova