Hyundai solar panels review 2023: New possibilities

Cars are not the only thing that Hyundai offers — you can get yourself a solar system from a Korean giant if you want. Can you expect a good deal though? We’ll take a close look at what their PV modules have under their hood in our Hyundai solar panels review. 

Hyundai ES adopted shingled solar panel design

A standard solar panel is made of solar cells, thin rectangular-shaped silicon wafers. To make a shingled panel, engineers slice a cell into several strips and overlay them, creating an electrical connection between them. It’s a bit like laying shingles on a roof. 

Shingled solar panels have several advantages:

• Panels don’t need busbars which are thin metal connectors between the cells. This improves the look of a panel and makes it more durable.
• The active area of a panel gets larger for the same reason. This increases the efficiency of a module.
• Shading resistance of a panel increase by 40% on average, compared to a standard panel. Cells in a standard panel are connected in series which means that their performance depends on one another. Shingles are connected in parallel: when one shingle is shaded, it doesn’t affect others.

Read also

SunPower solar panels review 2023: Maximum efficiency

Shingled design is not unique to Hyundai ES panels. Sunpower and Solaria also manufacture shingled solar panels. This design tends to increase manufacturing costs, but Hyundai somehow kept their panels much cheaper than Sunpower or Solaria solar panels. 

Hyundai ES solar panels: High tech for an affordable price

Hyundai Energy Solutions offers solar panels both for residential and commercial installations. Their output ranges from 350 W to over 600 W. Bifacial PV modules convert sunlight to electricity with both sides and provide up to 19% more energy than monofacial ones. They are a great pick for industrial projects.

The efficiency of Hyundai ES panels ranges from 20% to almost 22%. This is higher than average numbers on the market which are between 19% and 20%. This makes Hyundai panels a good choice for situations when your space is limited and energy needs are high.

Korean engineers use PERCs or Passivated Emitter Rear Cells. Each cell is manufactured in such a way that it can reflect the sunlight in itself and use it again. PERC technology makes solar panels perform better on cloudy days and in winter.

Despite the shingled design, Hyundai solar panels prices are close to the average numbers on the market or slightly higher. You can find their PV modules for $0.8-$1 per watt before incentives and installation.

Hyundai offers two types of warranties for their solar panels. Product warranties last from 15 to 25 years. Some of them are available only for customers from Europe and Australia. Output warranties last for 25 or 30 years. The panels lose about 2% of their output in the first year and 0.55% per year. You can expect them to retain at least 84.8% of rated output after 25 years.

Hyundai ES solar panels: Pros

What makes Hyundai solar panels stand out in line? Here are the advantages of Korean-made PV modules:

• Good performance in low-light conditions. PERC design keeps production numbers high on cloudy days and in the winter.
• Improved shading resistance. A shingled solar panel is 40% better at fighting shading than a standard panel.
• Strong warranties. Hyundai offers up to 25 years of coverage for some of their models. Panels also get a 25-year or 30-year performance warranty.
• Great design. Shingled solar panels have a more uniform look than conventional panels.

Hyundai ES solar panels: Cons

What about the disadvantages of Hyundai Solar? Here are the weak points that we found:

• Limited supply. Some Hyundai solar panels can be hard to find in the US.
• Some of their 25-year product warranties are available only for European and Australian customers

Hyundai ES solar panels overview: For home and business

Time to look at a few models that Hyundai Energy Solutions puts out on the market. We’ll briefly go over their specifications and purpose. 

DJ Series: HiE-S655~670 — That’s a lot of power

Solar panels from the DJ series are the most powerful models from Hyundai Energy Solutions. It is best suited for commercial and industrial solar projects. The panel features a shingled design which increases the shading tolerance and durability of the module. It comes with a 25-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty: the panel retains almost 85% of its rated output after 30 years in service. For those who want to maximize the output, there is a bifacial variation of the DJ series. 

UF Series: HiE-S390-400 — This is the one for your home

UF series solar panels from Hyundai are designed primarily for residential installations. One panel provides 390-400 W power output with 21% efficiency. The panel comes with a 25-year product warranty & 25-year performance warranty. PERC technology and shingled design increase production on cloudy days.

KN Series: HiE-S535~550 — Somewhere in between

Hyundai Solar panels from the KN series are a great choice for a commercial installation. Great design is paired with high production levels and great weather behavior. The panel retains high production levels in low-light conditions, such as winter and cloudy days. Shingled technology improves shading resistance. The panel comes with 25-year warranties for product and performance: at least 84.8% of rated output is guaranteed after 25 years.

A1SolarStore choice: Hyundai ES HiN-S365X solar panel

Out of stock

Hyundai 365W Solar Panel 120 cell HiS-S365XG(BK) Clearance

• Rated Power Output 365 W
• Voltage (VOC)41.3 V
• Number of cells120
• Cell TypeMonocrystalline

Delivery on May 07–10

This is one of the older Hyundai panels but still a great choice for a simple and inexpensive home installation. PERC technology makes it perform better in low-light conditions. Half-cut cell design decreases power losses and improves shading tolerance. The efficiency of this model reaches 20.4% — well above the market’s average. Hyundai provides a 25-year product and performance warranty for this model.

A1SolarStore verdict: Prepare to want one

Before ending our Hyundai ES solar panels review, let’s look back and list down the important points about their qualities, pros and cons:

• Hyundai Energy Solutions is headquartered in Seoul. The manufacturing facilities are also located in South Korea.
• Korean engineers adopted the shingled design for their latest models. It increases shading tolerance and makes the panels prettier.
• The company offers solar panels both for residential and commercial/industrial installations with an output that ranges from 350 W to over 600 W.
• The efficiency of Hyundai panels ranges from 20% to almost 22% which is higher than average numbers on the market.
• The prices for Hyundai solar panels prices are close to the average numbers on the market or slightly higher. You can find them for $0.8-$1 per watt before incentives and installation.
• Hyundai offers two types of warranties for their solar panels. Product warranties can last for 15 to 25 years. Some of them are available only for customers from Europe and Australia. Output warranties last for 25 or 30 years.
• The panels lose about 2% of their output in the first year and around 0.55% per year. You can expect them to retain at least 84.8% of rated output after 25 years

Vasilii Smirnov

Solar Installation Expert

Even though I haven’t had a lot of experience with Hyundai panels, I have only positive things to say about them. They are very well-made, don’t feel flimsy and look great. Their output is steady and doesn’t drop as much when it’s gloomy. My advice: if you find them — grab them.

All in all, Hyundai Solar panels are great: it’s a well-made modern product from a brand with a good reputation. We hope to see more of them in the US and we are eager to see what kind of innovations they’ll bring to the table in the future. With that, we close out our Hyundai solar panels review and we’ll be back with more.

Andrey Gorichenski

Senior Editor

Andrey had been a news editor and freelance writer for a number of medias before joining A1SolarStore team. Climate change and its impact on people's lives has always been among his interests and it partially explains his degree in Philosophy and Ethics.

More articles from this author