Whether you are planning to build your own DIY solar panels or to buy a ready made electric solar system, this article can be an important step to finding the best solar panels for your individual purpose.

Solar power is used in many different ways: Solar watches, solar calculators, solar radios and even roof solar panels have become part of our daily lives. Of course there are no “best solar panels” in general, but if you know your individual demands, you are capable to choose your personal best solar panels.

Electric Solar Panels (Photovoltaic Solar Panels)

Electric solar panels generate electricity from the sunlight. They use it’s shortwave fraction to excite an electron current, commonly known as electricity. For this purpose dotted semiconductor materials are used. The worldwide most used semiconductor is silicon.

In ENF’s 2007 brand survey, they asked solar panel installation firms, based in 45 different countries, which solar panels they considered the best solar panels. Before you read the results, please consider, that 2 years in a high tech business like electric solar panels are a long time.

Development goes on, new discoveries are made, new technology is being invented. Though the ranking of the best solar panels can give you a good starting point to choosing the best solar panels for your individual needs.

And one thing is also clear: Those top manufacturers, that work very hard every day to manufacture the best solar panels, are in business for years, even decades. They have a very good chance to build the best solar panels even in the future.

No.1 – SunPower

The global No.1 manufacturer of electric solar panels is SunPower (USA)
Sun Powers electric solar panels are the proven world’s best solar panels in categories of efficiency as they hold the world record in efficiency (2009). Sun Power claims their panels being 50% more powerful than their closest competitor’s panels and up to two to four times more powerful than thin film technology.

No.2 – Schott Solar

The second best solar panels, according to ENF’s survey, are made by Schott Solar (Germany).
Schott Solar produce both, electric solar panels (photovoltaic solar panels) and water solar panels (thermal solar collectors). The latter are primarily run in large-scale applications within solar power plants. The aim is also to generate electricity since Schott’s Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) heats transfer liquid (oil) that passes heat exchangers to emerge steam which drives traditional steam turbines.

No.3 – SolarWorld

No. 3 in ENF’s word’s best solar panels league is Solar World (Germany).
Solar World provides a big variety of electric solar panels. For example they provide solar panel kits (Sunkits) for any area of application. They contain the solar module, the matching inverters, the required mounting frame and appropriate accessories. Solar World claims a “extremely high level of durability of the system” since only components made of stainless steel and aluminium are used in the system’s assembly. Each Sunkit is tailor made to meet the specific customer’s needs and strike a balance between DIY and ready made solar panels.

For more information on the variety of different  silicon materials and other semiconductors, on thin film solar panels and actual developments in the solar panel business, please click best solar panels<