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Phono Solar panels review 2023: The story of Lightbringer

Phono Solar panels review 2023: The story of Lightbringer

03 Feb 2023
9 min
Beginner

Andrey GorichenskiAuthor

In the land of dragons, flying swordsmen, ancient wisdom and peculiar hieroglyphs, there was a company named Phono Solar. It had the power to turn sunlight into electricity with its large panels made of silicon. What did they do with them? Were the panels any good? How do they fare against other panels like this? Hear the tale in our Phono Solar panels review.

Phono Solar: a fairytale

Hey ChatGPT, tell me a story of Phono Solar as a fairytale...

Once upon a time, in a land filled with magic and wonder, there was a young and ambitious solar panel company named Phono Solar. With its mission to bring sustainable energy to all corners of the kingdom, Phono Solar worked tirelessly day and night to create the most efficient and eco-friendly solar panels.

One day, Phono Solar received a call from the king himself. The kingdom was facing a severe energy crisis, and the king needed Phono Solar's help. Phono Solar didn't hesitate for a moment, and the company set off on a journey to save the kingdom from darkness.

Along the way, Phono Solar faced many challenges, from fierce storms to treacherous mountain passes. But the company never lost faith in its mission, and with its innovative technology and unwavering determination, Phono Solar was able to overcome every obstacle in its path.

Finally, Phono Solar arrived at the kingdom, and with its powerful solar panels, it brought light and energy back to the land. The kingdom was filled with joy and gratitude, and the king declared Phono Solar a hero.

And so, Phono Solar lived happily ever after, spreading sustainable energy and hope to all the kingdoms in the land.

The real story of Phono Solar

Thank you, ChatGPT, that was fun. Let’s talk about the real world now.

Once upon a time — in 2007 — in a land filled with magic and wonder — in China — a solar panel company Phono Solar was founded. It has proved itself as a solid player in the global solar industry but it hasn’t made it into the world's Top-10 biggest manufacturers yet. Its panels are made in China, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Phono Solar has been listed as a Tier 1 PV module manufacturer by Bloomberg experts since 2014. This means that the company is deemed financially stable. It also has won several awards including PVEL Top Performer, Top Brand PV by EUPD Research and SolarQuotes 'Best Solar Panels'.

Phono Solar: Modern panels, average warranties

Phono Solar makes panels for residential and commercial projects. There is an emphasis on bifacial panels with an active rear side in the company's product line. While you could use them at home, they are best suited for large commercial and industrial installations.

The panels from Phono Solar show great efficiency numbers which range from 20% to 22.6%. That’s close to the numbers of the most efficient panels in 2022. High efficiency means that a) you’ll need less space and fewer modules to build a powerful installation; b) you’re buying the most modern product that is available.

20-22.6% efficiency

Chinese manufacturers always try to make their panels affordable and Phono Solar is not an exception. At the beginning of 2023, you could find their products in our store for $0.7 to $0.9 per watt. This cost does not include labor expenses. Use Federal Solar Credit to deduct 30% of the installation cost from your taxes.

$0.7-$0.9 per watt

When it comes to warranty, things are looking only standard. Standard panels like TwinPlus and Twinplus X get a 12-year product warranty and 25 years for output. Bifacial panels, like Helios, come with a 15-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty.

12-15-year product warranty, 25-year performance warranty

Phono Solar: Pros

What are the best things about our hero from the land of magic and wonder? Here are the strong sides of the Phono Solar panels:

High efficiency. Phono Solar panels reach up to 22.6% conversion rate which is close to the highest efficiency numbers in 2022.
Competitive pricing. Just like many Chinese panels, Phono Solar panels are affordable and come for $0.7-$0.9 in the US before installation.

Phono Solar: Cons

A protagonist without flaws is something that you can only encounter in fairytales. Here is our list of concerns about Phono Solar panels:

Phono Solar is a Chinese company. This means that their panels can be hard to find in the US.
Phono Solar is yet to make a big name for itself. It doesn’t have a huge reputation behind its back, like Panasonic or LG Solar, which makes some potential customers hesitant.
The product warranty for Phono Solar panels is nothing but standard — only 12 to 15 years.

Phono Solar panels overview: for home and business

It’s time to look at the panels that Phono Solar used to spread hope and renewable energy across the magic land, as the tale was told. This time it was not the king but our engineer who looked at them and said what he thought.

TwinPlus X 415 W panel — It’s hip to be square

Here is the most modern panel for home systems from Phono Solar. The panel provides up to 415 watts with 21.25% efficiency. It uses square monocrystalline wafers which increase power yield and give the panel a more uniform look. The panel performs well at high temperatures. Half-cut cell technology improves the shading resistance of a module.

TwinPlus 365 W panel — Phono Solar hit

TwinPlus 365W panel — Phono Solar hit

Twinplus is probably the most popular panel made by Phono Solar. It comes in all shapes and sizes: there are variations for residential installations and commercial projects. Here is a Phono Solar 365W panel with 19.9% efficiency. 0~+5W positive tolerance guarantees reliable power output. The panel is rated for 5400 Pa maximum snow load and 2400 Pa maximum wind load.

Helios 690 W Module — God of sun

Helios is the flagship bifacial panel by Phono Solar. It has four variations but it is designed primarily for building a system of a large scope. The most powerful panel in this line is rated at 690 watt DC for the front side. Active rear side provides up to 25% bonus production. Taking into account bifacial gain, you could get up to 828 watts from a single panel.

A1SolarStore recommends Twinplus 370 W panel

When it comes to the balance of quality, production and cost, Twinplus panels are a gem from a Chinese company. That’s why we recommend the Phono Solar 370W panel. Half-cut cell technology makes the panel more resistant to shading and PERC technology increases light absorption. A very well-rounded panel for a simple home system.

A1SolarStore verdict: Phono Solar is an okay brand

So what have we learned about Phono Solar today? Let’s sum up everything in a list:

Phono Solar is a Chinese company founded in 2005. Its panels are made in China, Turkey and Vietnam.
It's a Tier 1 manufacturer which means that it’s financially stable.
Phono Solar offers monocrystalline panels for all kinds of projects with a slight incline towards commercial and industrial systems.
Panels from Phono Solar show 20-22.6% efficiency which is close to the maximum numbers in the industry.
Like it is with most Chinese PV modules, Phono solar panels prices are relatively low and range from $0.7 to $0.9 per watt in the US before installation.
Standard panels come with a 12-year product warranty and a 25-year output warranty. Bifacial panels get 15 years and 30 years respectively.
There is an emphasis on bifacial panels in the Phono Solar product line. The most modern bifacial model is called Helios.

So what do we have in the end? Phono Solar is a fine Chinese brand: their panels are good but there is nothing particularly special about them. We’d say, they are yet to make their breakthrough on the market and live happily ever after. On that note, we end our Phono Solar panels review 2023 and we’ll be back with more.

Illustrations – Natalya Absalyamova