ZNShine Solar panels review 2024: Let’s be clear

Cleaning solar panels becomes quite a problem when we talk about installations of a large scope. Chinese company ZNShine Solar might have found a solution. In this article, we’ll look closely at this brand and the panels that it brings to the table, and see if they are any good. Here comes our ZNShine Solar panels review.

Graphene makes ZNShine Solar panels self-cleaning

ZNShine Solar was founded in 1988 and entered the PV industry in 2006. The company is based in Jintan, Jiangsu. Bloomberg experts rated it as a Tier 1 manufacturer which means that the company is deemed financially stable.

The manufacturer has a strong R&D team, which recently developed graphene coating for their panels in cooperation with the China University of Science and Technology. Turns out, this coating can increase power generation but more importantly reduce maintenance costs. Graphene-coating glass has a hydrophilic effect: it repels dust which essentially makes it self-cleaning.

If graphene coating is as good as Chinese engineers present it, it can significantly lower the maintenance costs for large solar installations. People use over 10 billion gallons of filtered water per year for cleaning PV modules around the world, according to MIT experts. That’s enough water for the yearly needs of 2 million people. Filtering the water makes up 10% of the operating costs of solar installations.

ZNShine Solar panels: Business-oriented

ZNShine Solar makes panels for all kinds of applications but they are oriented toward large-scope projects. The company offers various high-output and bifacial modules for commercial and industrial installations. ZNShine Solar also still makes polycrystalline panels that are cheaper but slightly less efficient than standard monocrystalline ones. You can recognize a polycrystalline panel by its blue hue.

Chinese-made panels are always among the most affordable. In 2023 you can find ZNShine solar panels for $0.7 to $0.9 per watt in the US, before installation services. Use Federal Solar Credit to deduct 30% of the installation cost from your taxes.

ZNShine Solar panels are fairly efficient: from 19% to 21% and more. They don’t hit the top numbers in the industry but they are modern enough. The efficiency may not be the most important metric of solar panels, but the more efficient panels are, the less space your system is going to occupy.

The panels from ZNShine Solar generally come with a 12-year product warranty. This is a common number among Chinese manufacturers, but it’s nowhere near the top numbers from brands like Aptos Solar or Silfab.

ZNShine Solar: Pros

What’s good about ZNShine Solar panels that would make you want to buy them? Here is what stands out about Chinese product:

• Low cost. ZNShine solar panels prices are relatively low, as is often the case with Chinese-made PV modules.

• Graphene coating. Graphene-coated glass repels dust and dirt, removing the need to clean your panels or at least make it less often.

• Better performance in low-light conditions. ZNShine Solar panels perform better on cloudy days and in the winter than an average panel.

ZNShine Solar: Cons

Still, there are things that hold ZNShine Solar back. Let’s mention at least some of them:

• ZNShine Solar is a Chinese company. Sometimes their panels can be hard to come by in the US.

• Warranties are only standard. ZNShine Solar panels come with only 12 years of product warranty which is fine but not great.

ZNShine Solar panels overview: for home and business

It’s time to take a look at the panels that ZNShine Solar offers. Our engineer has taken a look at a few models and he’s going to share his opinion with us.

ZNShine Solar 365W panel: Stylish in black

The ZNShine 365W solar panel is a great choice for a residential system. Half-cut cell design increases shading tolerance and power production and 9-busbar solar cells reduce power losses. The panel comes fully protected from PID which can be a problem in areas with high humidity.

ZNShine Solar 450W panel: For bigger ideas

This is a panel that you can use both in residential and small commercial installations. ZNShine 450W solar panel reaches 20.7% efficiency, thanks to PERC technology that increases light absorption. The module loses no more than 0.55% of its output per year and retains over 84.3% of its original power after 25 years.

ZNShine Solar 540W bifacial panel: Give me all the sun

Here is a bifacial module for projects of a large scope. In addition to the front side production, the rear side gives up to 25% more output. Of course, proper installation is important to take advantage of this bifacial gain. The ZNShine Solar 540W panel comes with a 30-year production warranty. After the 30 years are over, your modules will still show at least 83.5% of nominal capacity.

A1SolarStore recommends ZNShine Solar 405W panel

ZXM7 SH108 is part of the Black on Black Series — an all-black design of a front side comes together with a black backsheet. Half-cut cell technology makes a panel more tolerant to shading. The PERC technology increases light absorption and production on cloudy days. Overall, this ZNShine 405W solar panel is a great choice for a home system.

A1SolarStore verdict: ZNShine Solar developments look promising

Our ZNShine Solar panel review for 2022 and 2023 is almost at the end. Let’s list down the most important points that we’ve learned about the brand:

• ZNShine Solar is a Chinese company that was founded in 1988.

• It makes monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels for all kinds of projects but with an incline towards PV modules for commercial systems.

• Its signature technology is graphene-coated glass that allegedly makes its panels self-cleaning — a big help for large solar farms.

• The efficiency of ZNShine solar panels ranges from 19% to 21% which is just fine.

• Like most Chinese panels, ZNShine PV modules are affordable and come at $0.7-$0.9 per watt before installation.

• The panels come with a 12-year product warranty. Performance warranty lasts for 25 years for standard panels and for 30 years for bifacial panels.

• Degradation rate of Chinese PV modules varies but it can get as low as 0.5% power loss per year.

• ZNShine Solar panels show improved performance in low-light conditions, such as cloudy and winter days.

What is there to say in the end? The graphene coating that ZNShine brought to the table is certainly promising. Hopefully, it will perform as well as engineers hope. Otherwise, the panels from ZNShine Solar are a fine product with nothing but standard warranties to back them up. We’ll see how the company does in the future and we end our ZNShine Solar panel review 2023 on that.

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.

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