Meyer Burger solar panels review: Like a Swiss watch

It’s rare that you see a European solar company that chooses to make its panels at home instead of going to China for cheap labor. But here’s one — Meyer Burger from Switzerland. Are their panels really working like a Swiss watch? Let’s find out – here comes our Meyer Burger solar panels review!

Meyer Burger story: Watchmen

A Swiss watch is not just a metaphor. The company’s history began back in 1953 when Hans Meyer and Erich Burger founded Meyer & Burger GmbH focusing on watchmaking machines. And only 30 years later, in 1983, the company entered the PV industry.

Meyer Burger is headquartered in Switzerland and operates in Germany, China, Singapore, and the USA. The company deals with local suppliers and partners, shortening transportation distances and creating jobs for skilled workers. American Meyer Burger panels are to be made in Goodyear, Arizona.

Why hasn’t Meyer Burger moved the manufacturing to Asia as many of their competitors do? Here’s what the company told A1 SolarStore:

Anne Schneider

Global Head Communications & PR at Meyer Burger

Meyer Burger has established a captive business model to protect its proprietary solar technology achievements. We develop and build our own patented heterojunction/SmartWire equipment for the production of our high-efficient solar cells and modules which do not contain lead and are certified PFAS-free, show the lowest degradation rates, and have the highest warranties in the industry. With our technology and supply chain structure, we have set up two competitive manufacturing sites in Germany, and will do the same in the U.S. In conjunction with the establishment of fair market conditions, we do not see any reason to move production to other regions.

Meyer Burger relies on renewable sources to power their production facilities. It recycles decommissioned modules, returning the materials such as glass, aluminum, plastics, and silicon back into the raw materials cycle.

Meyer Burger technologies: HJT cells and SmartWire

Every manufacturer has something special about how it makes its panels. Let's look at how European engineers approach the task of designing a PV module.

Heterojunction cells: Heat resistance

Creating their panels, Meyer Burger uses Heterojunction Technology, combining the advantages of two cells – crystalline and amorphous. This combination ensures:

• Better temperature coefficient even on very hot summer days.
• Better performance even in low-light conditions.
• Better efficiency due to minimal electron losses. 

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SmartWire Connection Technology: No need for busbars

SmartWire technology eliminates the need for busbars for cell connection. Instead of busbars, there is a dense grid of wafer-thin wires attached to a foil. This foil-wire assembly connects the front of one cell to the back of the next cell, covering cells from both sides. This technology allows to:

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• Reduce resistive losses: The distance electrons need to travel is shorter than in a standard busbar cell, which means they need to overcome less resistance. This lowers resistive losses and helps to get more energy from each cell.
• Reduce shading: The wires are round and bounce sunlight back to the glass, which then reflects it back to the cell. This traps more sunlight and reduces optical shading effects by up to 30% compared to busbar technology.
• Reduce micro-cracking: Micro-cracks are one of the most common causes of power loss. The dense wire grid provides extra protection for the solar cells. And even if a cell is damaged, power generation will not suffer as much as in busbar cells due to many contact points.

Meyer Burger solar panels: Home solutions

Meyer Burger’s panels range in output from 370 to 400 watts of power. They are designed primarily for homes or small businesses but can hardly satisfy the demands of a large company or a factory, not to mention solar farms. PV modules demonstrate good efficiency, ranging from 19.6 to 21.8%.

Meyer Burger panels prices are higher than what Chinese brands offer but are still lower than the top solar brands such as Panasonic, Sunpower, REC, or LG have. The modules come at around $0.6-$1 per watt. Here’s what Meyer Burger told us about their pricing policy:

Anne Schneider

Global Head Communications & PR at Meyer Burger

We can keep a competitive pricing structure because we have several measures in place. Firstly, we produce solar cells and modules in a very cost- and energy-efficient way using less raw materials and involving fewer process steps compared to other technologies. Secondly, our levels of automation are of the highest in the solar industry worldwide. Thirdly, yield levels of our production are continuously being improved by our extensive efforts in R&D and industrialization. Together with a regional supply chain wherever possible and a strategic logistic concept and under the prerequisite of fair market conditions, we can sell our products for competitive prices to our distribution and offtake partners worldwide.

Meyer Burger provides product guarantees of 25 years for glass-foil or 30 years for glass-glass solar panels. The performance of glass-foil panels is guaranteed at 92% after 25 years of operation. For glass-glass products, it will exceed 93% after 30 years.

Meyer Burger solar panels: Pros

Let’s start with the advantages of Meyer Burger’s solar panels. They include:

• Competitive prices: Sustainable manufacturing and skilled labor come at a cost, but the company keeps their prices in line with the average.
• Durability: Due to the dense grid of wafer-thin wires, the panels are more protected against microcracking and damage.
• Market leading warranties: The company provides 25–30 years of warranty, guaranteeing over 92% of initial power output.

Meyer Burger solar panels: Cons

As for the disadvantages, there is only one – limited power range. You won’t find any low-output panels for RVs, nor high-output panels for business. All the panels are right in the middle and designed for home installations.

Meyer Burger solar panels overview: For home and business

Efficient, sustainable and affordable – it seems we’ve found the perfect solar panels for home! But let’s not jump to conclusions and see what these panels are really capable of.

Meyer Burger Black 375–395W – Elegant Swiss design

Meyer Burger Black is a nice choice for homes. This 120 half-cell and mono n-Si panel demonstrates from 375 to 395W power and from 20.4 to 21.5% efficiency. With 0.25% of annual degradation, the panel will provide at least 92% of the rated power output in 25 years. Heterojunction and SmartWire Connection Technologies reduce power losses and keep the output high even in low-light conditions.

Meyer Burger White 380–400W – More power

Meyer Burger White is ideal both for homes and businesses. Power output of this model is higher – from 380 to 400W. The efficiency reaches 21.7%. The panel loses around 0.25% of power output annually. With a warranty of 25 years, you can expect the panel to retain over 93% of its initial power output by the end of it. Heterojunction and SmartWire Connection Technologies make the panel extremely durable and efficient even in low-light conditions, such as early morning, late evening, or cloudy days. 

Meyer Burger Glass 370–390W – Outstanding reliability

Meyer Burger Glass demonstrates high performance from 370 to 390W. It boasts of impressive efficiency – from 20.6 to 21.8% – and excellent reliability. The panel is bifacial, generating power both from the front and rear sides. Panel’s annual degradation is only 0.2%, which will make at least 93.2% of the rated power output in 30 years. With Heterojunction and SmartWire Connection Technologies, the panel can weather any weather conditions, providing you with solar power for over 3 decades.

A1SolarStore recommends Meyer Burger Black 370W

Out of stock

Meyer Burger 370W Solar Panel 120 Cell MB-370-HJT120-BB-T5

• Price per Watt$0
• Rated Power Output 370 W
• Voltage (VOC)44.4V
• Number of cells120
• Cell TypeMonocrystalline

Delivery on Dec 31 – Jan 06

Meyer Burger Black 370W is great for a home solar system. It’s strong enough for powering a house and offers a 20.1% efficiency. The panel is monofacial, which means it’s easier to install and maintain. With stylish black design, the panel will look fantastic on any roof. Heterojunction and SmartWire Connection Technologies ensure great performance at high temperatures and low-light conditions. Add to that 25-year warranty, 0.25% degradation rate, low price, and here is the best model all around. 

Our verdict: Amazing panels from a responsible brand

To round up our review, let’s list the most important points about Meyer Burger:

• Meyer Burger is a respected brand with a 70-year history and 40 years of experience on the solar market.
• It’s a great choice for conscious consumers. Buying their panels, you can be sure you are not voting with your money for planet destruction and human rights violations.
• Heterojunction and SmartWire Connection Technologies make the panels efficient, and durable, even in harsh weather conditions.
• Meyer Burger mostly offers solar panels for home installations.
• Solar panels are backed up with 25–30 years of warranty, higher than the average on the market.
• Considering all the benefits, the Meyer Burger solar panels cost is not that high.

Meyer Burger panels are great in many ways and we really hope to see them among world top brands in several years. With that, we end our Meyer Burger solar panels review. Stay tuned and check out more Meyer Burger panels in our store!

Julia Zaraeva

Author

Years of experience in translation and a love of nature help Julia find the right words to encourage going solar. She joined the team in 2023 and is happy to make her contribution to a greener future.

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