Guide To Trina Solar Panels

Review: Trina Solar Panels

Trina Solar is a company founded back in 1997 in Changzhou, China. They've grown from nothing to a green energy powerhouse, with revenue over $12bn (£8.98bn) per annum. 

The company is well known for producing high quality, durable and highly efficient solar panels, as well as full PV systems that include storage. 

Popular products in their solar panel range include the likes of the Vertex S+, Vertex N and Honey PV modules (which we'll review below). 

Trina released a record breaking HJT module in 2025 which achieves 25.44% efficiency. Whilst most of the panels in their range won't see anything close to this, their efficiency ratings are up there with the best solar brands including: LONGi, Sunpower and Jinko. 

Check out our detailed review of Trina solar panels below. 

Alternatively, you can get a quote for your system using our solar panel quotation tool here. 

The Cost of Trina Solar Panels

Below we’ll uncover the cost of Trina solar panels. We’ll split this section down into the expected cost of panels only, plus the total cost of installation. 

For those interested, we’ll also uncover the expected costs of a solar storage battery.

Prices for Trina Solar Panels

Whilst not as popular in the UK as LONGi, Trina are still used by some installers in the UK. Typically, they’re considered an entry level and low budget option.

The average UK property is going to need a system that’s somewhere in the 5-6kW range. Depending on the output of each panel, this is going to mean you’ll need a 10-12 panel system. 

Looking at the Trina range, you’d be looking at something like their popular 455W Vertex S+ panels. Typical prices online for these PV modules sits in the region of £110-£120 (per panel). 

However, if your installer specialises in Trina solar panels, it’s likely they’ll be paying under £100 per panel from their supplier.

These prices are comparable to LONGi, where you’ll find panels from online retailers in the £80-£100 range.

Installation Costs

A competitive solar panel installer will be able to offer a 5.16kW (or similar) system including installation costs - without a storage battery - for around £6,000.

Given LONGi and Trina solar panels are similar in price, you’d expect a system that’s at least 5kW for this price. 

But what should a system like this include? Regardless of the brand of panels you choose, you should expect the likes of: 

• Panels totalling at least 5kW total output
• Long warranty of 20+ years (25 is on offer from LONGi)
• Hybrid inverter (keeps your system efficiency high during the event of shading or a broken panel)
• Bird guard
• Application for the Smart Export Guarantee scheme (so you can sell energy back to the grid)

We’ve got a detailed installation cost guide here. 

Battery Costs

One thing worth considering is if you’ll couple your Trina solar panels with a storage battery.

For a typical household, a 5.16kW solar panel system is going to cover about 59% of your electricity needs when using a small solar battery. 

By comparison, you'll only see approximately 25% of electricity needs covered if you're using a solar panel system without a battery. 

Expect solar battery costs to be: 

Whilst a considerable investment, generally we’d suggest having a small battery as an absolute minimum.

Check out our guide to solar storage battery costs here. 

Or, build your perfect setup using our clickable solar panel tool here.

Current Trina PV Range

Trina have 3 main offerings:

• Vertex S+: Perfect for residential installations
• Vertex N: Suitable for commercial installations
• Honey: The go-to choice for low budget installations

Vertex S+

The Trina Vertex S+ is one of the most popular PV units for residential properties in the UK. It uses a compact 30mm frame, keeping its overall weight down to 23.5kg per unit (output dependent). This is on par with other leading brands such as LONGi and Sunpower Maxeon.

Efficiency is comparable to their competitors, sitting at 22.3%. By comparison, the Hi-MO X6 sits at 23.2%. 

And, it's durable, thanks to the 1.6mm dual glass it's constructed from, helping protect it from any debris that might fall from neighbouring trees. 

The confusion comes when you dig into the warranty.

The basic warranty is only 12 years. This covers manufacturing defaults such as problems with the lamination or glass. You'll get a much longer 15 year warranty when using a manufacturer such as LONGi.

That said, you'll also get a power warranty. This is typical with solar panel manufacturers. It basically means if a panel loses a certain amount of performance during a set period of time (known as a degradation rate), they'll replace it for free. 

For most Vertex S+ units, they get a 30 year performance warranty. 

During year 1, anything over a 1% drop in performance is covered. From years 2-30, this is cut back to 0.4%. Ultimately this means even after 30 years, your Trina solar panels should be working at 87.4% of their original capacity.

Vertex N

The Trina Vertex N tends to be more common in commercial solar energy developments rather than residential.

Modules are high power, with up to 725W on offer. With efficiency ratings of up to 23.3% on offer (output dependant), the Vertex N range is one of the most efficient solar panels available in the UK market.

Like the Trina Vertex S+, the Vertex N comes with a basic 12 year product warranty, as well as a 30 year performance warranty which covers specific degradation rates.

In year 1, expect to lose a maximum of 1% of initial efficiency. From years 2-30, the degradation rate shouldn't average any higher than 0.4%. This is in line with other leading manufacturers offering solar panels in the UK such as Maxeon, Jinko and LONGi.

Honey

The Honey range is specifically designed for small space and low budget installations. Whilst you'll see the benefits of utilising small spaces for solar panels and saving cash, that's about where the benefits stop, especially in comparison to the likes of the Vertex S+. 

These panels use a combination of polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules. Typically, that's going to mean you'll see lower efficiency and less durability than if the unit was simply made from monocrystalline modules. 

Expect 18.3% efficiency when delivering 300W, which is well below the industry standard. And whilst you'll get a 25 year linear performance guarantee, you'll be down to 80% of initial efficiency at year 25. 

Higher quality panels (including the Vertex units mentioned above) will be closer to 90% at year 30. 

Trina Solar: FAQ

Is Trina A Chinese Company?

Yes, Trina Solar Co., Ltd. is a Chinese company founded in 1997. The majority of solar panel manufacturers were either founded (and operate) in either China or Australia.

Which is better, Sunpower Maxeon, LONGi or Trina?

Sunpower Maxeon panels offer the best efficiency, but have the highest cost attached (nearly double that of LONGi and Trina).

LONGi and Trina are similar in price, yet LONGi offers higher levels of efficiency and therefore energy production. 

Overall, LONGi offers the best balance of cost, durability and efficiency.

What's the expected lifespan of Trina solar panels?

Based on their warranty, expect panels to last at least 12-15 years. If they don’t, they’ll be covered by their basic product warranty. 

Efficiency wise, the majority of their efficiency is protected by a performance warranty. 

How does Trina Solar compare to other brands?

Low cost, but generally offers lower efficiency and slightly shorter warranty compared to other leading brands. 

They’re a top choice for low budget installations. Or, in the case of the Honey module, small space installations.

And that’s it for our Trina solar panel review. Get your fixed price for your installation using our clickable solar panel tool here.