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Perlight Solar (like most PV manufacturers) is a Chinese company, founded in 2006. Their core focus is monocrystalline solar panels, which are considered more technologically advanced and efficient than outdated polycrystalline equivalents.
The company targets those looking for a cheap solar panel setup, with their price-per-watt being up there with the most competitive in the industry.
However, "cheap" doesn't necessarily convert to cost-effective or value for money long-term. Top tier solar panel brands generally offer a better value proposition for those focusing on efficiency and longevity, rather than simply price-per-watt.
If you're looking for a setup that has the lowest upfront cost, there's a good chance that Perlight solar panels could be suitable.
If you're looking at solar panels as a long-term investment, leading companies such as Sunpower and LONGi are a much better option. And due to these brands being more prominent in the UK and retailers competing on price, the difference in overall cost for a setup is negligible.
In our Perlight solar panel review below, we’ll focus on the most important things you need to know before making a purchase, including:
If you’re unsure which brands are considered as high quality in the UK, check out our guide to the most reliable solar panels here.
Perlight PV panels are usually on the low end in terms of price, especially in other parts of Europe. However, due to their lack of supply in the UK (think, economies of scale), their prices aren't as competitive as you might think.
Depending on the panel size you choose, it's likely for a 4-5kW setup (panels only), you'll pay:
Perlight’s 455W unit weighs in at approximately £69 per panel. By comparison, LONGi's much larger Hi-MO X6 505W is less than £80 per panel online.
So, you're likely to save £50-£130 on a typical setup using Perlight.
However, considering a typical solar panel setup is going to cost £6,000-£12,000 including parts and labour, a £50-£130 saving to be using an inferior panel simply isn't worth it.
So, how much should you expect a Perlight solar panel setup to cost?
Put simply, approximately £100 cheaper than a higher quality LONGi setup due to the small savings you’ll get on the panels.
You’ll be able to get a LONGi solar panel setup for as little as £5,893. Expect a like-for-like install using Perlight solar panels to be in the region of £5,800.
This includes a full setup, minus a storage battery.
Our installations come complete with:
Whether you’re considering Perlight or LONGi, you’ll need to decide whether or not you need a storage battery.
We’ve written a detailed guide covering whether solar batteries are worth it here.
Put simply, we'd always suggest a minimum of a small 5.3kW battery. From a leading brand (such as Sunsynk), expect to pay £2,495 on top of your installation. There's also the option to upgrade to a medium 10.6kW battery (£3,745) or a large 15.9kW battery (£4,995).
You can use our clickable solar panel quote tool here and easily toggle between the different battery options to see how it affects the overall cost of your installation.
Alternatively, check out our detailed guide to solar panel installation costs here.
When investing this much cash, you’ll want to ensure the brand you’re buying from has excellent reviews.
The problem with Perlight? They’re a little-known company in the UK, so their online review profile is almost non-existent.
In comparison, the likes of LONGi are covered in various articles by The Federation of Master Builders and other well known websites.
If we take the Perlight Delta BC Series 450W (single glass) panel as an example, we can see it's a ABC Half-Cell, using monocrystalline silicon. The ABC Half-Cell means there'll be no grid lines visible.
These are reasonably large panels, coming in at 1.72m x 1.13m x 30mm, so you'll need sufficient roof space to have them installed. This is going to relate to somewhere in the region of 1.95 m² per panel.
In terms of efficiency, they’re reasonably high. The 23.6% efficiency here is up there with industry leaders, giving owners an impressive yield per panel.
Whilst their panels are said to operate from anywhere between –40 °C to +85 °C, it's temperature coefficient that matters here.
Basically, how efficient are these panels when temperatures go to the extremes? Perlight suggests a +/- efficiency rating of 0.26% as temperature fluctuates.
The 3.2mm tempered glass gives reasonable protection, but not full protection found with leading brands that offer dual glass setups. There’s a good chance falling debris (branches) or interference from birds could end up with panels cracking.
Overall, the Perlight range offers a good option for UK homeowners, but there are much better options out there.
When purchasing any high-value product, warranty is important. After all, if these break, you're going to be the one footing the bill.
Perlight’s Delta solar panels come with a 30-year warranty. This covers defects with any of their units.
This also includes a performance warranty. The first year covers a drop of over 2% in initial efficiency.
Essentially, if any of your panels drop below 2% of their original efficiency, you'll be able to get a replacement for free. However, that's not likely to include the cost of installing that new panel; installation costs more than panels do.
After the first year, you'll get a 0.55% degradation rate covered. Essentially, at the end of the 30-year warranty period, you should have solar panels that are still operating at 87-88% of their original efficiency.
Like a lot of top solar panel manufacturers, Perlight’s PV panels are made in China.
There's nothing wrong with solar panels made in China. Many leading companies manufacture their panels there including: Jinko, LONGi and JA Solar. Even if a brand doesn't manufacture directly here, many components are sourced from China.
Both are a good pick.
However, LONGi offers the best balance of price, warranty and efficiency. More importantly, being a popular brand in the UK generally means that access to customer support is much better.
Many of Perlight’s solar panels come with a 30-year warranty.
Looking to get a quote on your solar panel setup?
Use our clickable quote form here and get prices on-screen within a matter of 90-seconds.
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