REC solar panels review
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REC Overview
REC is one of the solar industry pioneers and a leading innovator of solar PV technology. The advanced Alpha series panels, featuring high-performance heterojunction cells, have put REC on the same level as the world's best manufacturers and are some of the most efficient solar panels available. In the highly competitive solar market, the more affordable REC Twinpeak and N-peak panels are great value for money and backed by a 20-year product warranty and above average 25-year performance warranty.
REC Solar Panels Quick Summary
Power rating (Watts): 360W - 450W
Efficiency (%): Very high - 19.5% - 22.3%
Cell technology: N-type and Heterojunction
Price bracket: Med to High $$$$
Most popular panel: Alpha 400W
Product Warranty: Very Good - 20 years
Service and support: Excellent - 5/5
Overall: Highly recommended ☆☆☆☆☆
Company background
REC was founded in Norway in 1996 and grew to become a leading innovator of solar PV technology with over 2000 employees and an advanced manufacturing plant in Singapore producing around 1.5 GW of solar panels per year. REC is still growing although this is still relatively small compared to the massive Chinese solar manufacturers. The company is also one of the industry leaders in sustainability through the use of lead-free soldering and utilising many efficient manufacturing methods to reduce the energy payback time and emissions throughout the production processes.
The operations headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Singapore while the new parent company, as of 2021, is Reliance New Energy Solar which is part of the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries. REC is a fully vertically integrated company which means they produce everything from the silicon ingots, wafers, cells and complete module assembly, thus the company has complete control over the quality and traceability of all components.
REC claims to have the lowest warranty rate in the industry which is a big call and hard to verify, although considering the largely positive feedback we have from Australian solar professionals, they are definitely known to produce highly reliable and great performing panels, especially in the harsh Australian climate with very few known quality issues.
REC Panel and Cell Technology
REC was the first company worldwide to release panels utilising the innovative split module design with half-cut cells, rather than the standard full-size square cells. Due to the many advantages and improved efficiency of the half-cell design, this clever innovation is now becoming an industry standard with many other manufacturers developing panels with half-cut cells. REC also incorporate the high-efficiency PERC cell architecture in the full range of TwinPeak panels.
Leading Innovation of half-cut cells
The half-cut cell and split module design effectively splits the panel into two halves with 60 ‘half-size’ cells in each section resulting in a total of 120 cells. The two halves are joined in parallel at the center of the panel but operate separately which means if one half is shaded it does not reduce the performance of the other half of the panel.
Traditional full size 60 cell panels can suffer up to 40% power loss when a small portion of the panel is shaded. Another advantage of the half-cut cell format is the current is reduced to half per side which in turn reduces resistance and losses by 75% and lowers the potential of hot spot formation from shaded cells. Further to this, due to the lower current the busbars are can be reduced in size meaning less cell shading and further efficiency improvements. All up the half-cut cell and split panel design results in higher efficiency and improved performance over the life of the panel.
The split panel design using half-cut cells increases efficiency and reduces losses from partial shading. Image credit REC group
High performance N-type silicon cells
The release of the N-Peak series in 2018 reinforced REC’s position as a leader in half-cut cell technology. REC was the first manufacturer to develop half-cut cells using high-performance N-type silicon as opposed to the more common lower cost P-type mono or multi silicon wafers. This puts REC in a similar league to LG, Panasonic and SunPower who are some of the few other manufacturers to use the high purity N-type silicon wafers.
In addition to the N-type silicon, REC has included PERT or ‘passivated emitter rear totally diffused’ cell technology. The PERT process improves cell efficiency by using full passivation on the backside of the cell to absorb more light photons and generate more energy.
Heterojunction HJT cells
The Alpha series from REC was the first mass-produced solar panel featuring heterojunction (HJT) in a half-cut cell format. The HJT cells are built on a high purity N-type silicon base with a thin-film layer of amorphous silicon above and below the cell to further increase cell efficiency. The HJT cells also feature 16 micro-wire busbars which boost efficiency and provides exceptional high-temperature performance with a very low-temperature co-efficient of 0.26% which is much lower than the industry standard of 0.38%. The lower temperature co-efficient means the Alpha panels will be operating much closer to the optimum power rating in high temperatures.
REC Range of Solar Panels
REC produces a range of panels for residential and commercial applications utilising half-cut PERC cells with various panel sizes and configurations available. The new Alpha series uses advanced HJT cells while the N-peak series use high-grade N-type monocrystalline silicon cells for increased all-round performance and reliability. The solar industry is moving towards more efficient cells but REC is now leading the way in developing HJT and N-type monocrystalline cells.
REC N-Peak 2 - 360W to 375W
REC Twinpeak 4 - 360W to 375W
REC Alpha Pure - 385W to 410W
REC Alpha Pure R - 410W to 430W
The new range of REC panels available in 2022
REC Alpha Series
REC group first released the Alpha series panels in 2019 which use advanced heterojunction (HJT) cells in a half-cut panel format to deliver up to 380W. The new generation HJT cells also feature 16 micro-busbars to achieve an impressive 21.9% peak efficiency putting them in the same class as the industry leaders in solar panel efficiency SunPower and LG.
REC Alpha series solar panel key Features
High panel efficiency of 21.7% max at 380Wp
First multi-busbar cells with 16 micro wires.
First panels with heterojunction (HJT) half-cut cells.
Extremely good high temperature performance (-0.26%/degC)
High strength frame design with up to 7000Pa front load rating
See the full specification datasheet - REC Alpha series
REC Alpha Pure
The Alpha Pure series was the next step in the evolution of HJT half-cut cells. The Pure series increases power density by using gap-less cell technology and adding an additional row of cells to boost efficiency from 21.7% to 21.9%. The new 132-cell format used on the Pure series is slightly taller than the Alpha series which are built on the standard 120-cell format.
Lead-free manufacturing - Another innovation to improve sustainability and lower the environmental impact is the elimination of lead from all components, including cell interconnections and junction box.
See the full specification data sheet - Alpha Pure series
REC Alpha Pure R
The latest release from REC is the new Alpha Pure R series which is built on a completely new 80 cell format resulting in a wider and shorter panel and boosting efficiency to an impressive 22.3%. Power output also increases from 410W to a maximum of 430W.
See the full specification data sheet - Alpha Pure R series
TwinPeak 4 Series
The next evolution TwinPeak 4 range of panels offer increased power output up to 375W using more efficient PERC monocrystalline half-cut cells with 9 busbars. The Twinpeak series have always been the most affordable option available from REC although they are still covered by the extended 20-year product warranty and an above average performance warranty which guarantees at least 86% power output retained after 25-years.
See the full specification data sheet - Alpha Twinpeak series
N-Peak 2 series
At the mid to high-end are the second generation N-Peak 2 panels with up to 375W power output. The original N-peak series were the first panels developed by REC featuring high-grade N-type silicon cells utilising PERT architecture. Panels featuring the more expensive N-type cells generally come at a premium price, being around 20% more expensive than common mono panels. However, with the higher price comes higher performance and efficiency with lower degradation over the life of the panel. The N-peak 2 panels also feature a reinforced frame structure with extra support bracing across the rear of the panel, plus a longer 20-year product warranty and improved performance warranty with 92% retained capacity after 25 years.
See the full specification data sheet - Alpha N-Peak 2 series
Commercial and Utility Panels
REC offers the same advanced Alpha series HJT half-cut cell technology for commercial applications in the larger 72-cell format, plus the standard Twinpeak P-type monocrystalline panels in the larger 72-cell size.
Alpha 72 series - 430W to 450W - Monocrystalline N-type HJC
Performance and Reliability
REC panels have consistently scored well in the internationally recognised DNV-GL independent solar module testing program scoring as a ‘Top performer’ in all four durability tests. The DNV-GL test results rate the REC TwinPeak modules one of the ‘Top Performers’.
The high-grade N-type silicon cells used in the N-peak panels claim to drastically reduce LID or Light induced degradation which means they will out-perform all common panels using the standard P-type cells. All solar cells slowly degrade over time, with the standard degradation rate of 0.6% to 0.8% per year resulting in around 80% output after 25 years. However, N-type silicon cells have a very low degradation rate of less than 0.5% per year. This means after 25 years the N-peak panels are warranted to still maintain 86% of the original rated output, while Alpha series featuring HJT N-type cells have an impressive 25 year product warrant with an incredible 92% retained power output after 25 years.
REC Alpha Performance Warranty chart with an impressive 92% retained power output after 25 years
High strength frames
Possibly due to several frame issues in the past, REC engineered a new high-strength frame design for the N-Peak and Alpha series panels with two additional cross members to reinforce the entire frame structure (and keep it square). This increases the panel's maximum load-bearing from 5400 Pa to 7000 Pa which is far above the industry standard and makes these some of the strongest panels available.
Warranty and Service
From early 2019, REC began offering a 20-year manufacturer’s product warranty (previously 10 years) together with the standard 25 performance warranty on all TwinPeak and N-peak panels. However, the REC solar installer certification program boosts the product warranty by an additional 5 years, for a total product warranty period of 25 years. Read more about the REC solar professional program here.
Click to enlarge
The new warranty was a big step up from the previous 10 year product warranty, but it’s not surprising considering REC’s good reputation and low failure rates. The N-peak panels will with come with a 20 year product warranty and 25 year performance warranty to 86% retained power output while the new Alpha series have an impressive 25 year product warrant with 92% retained power output after 25 years. With global support offices in the US, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore and a support office in Melbourne, REC have a quite good reputation and service in the event of a warranty issue or claim.
REC warranty comparison chart - Standard 20-year warranty on all TwinPeak, N-peak and Alpha panels
Summary
With a solid track record and low failure rates, the REC Twinpeak range of panels has been a reliable choice and a regular favourite among customers and installers, especially when partial shading is an issue. The impressive new Alpha series has cemented REC’s place as an industry leader in PV cell technology and is helping fast-track the development of next-generation, high-efficiency heterojunction cells. The 20 and 25-year product warranties and increased performance warranties put REC ahead of most other manufacturers and highlight the long-life characteristics of premium N-type HJT cells.
With the release of the new high-grade, extra-strength N-peak 2 and Alpha Pure series panels, REC has moved into the premium class of manufacturers. However, premium panels do come at a premium price, but the relatively small additional cost for high-performance panels brings much greater performance, reliability and increased generation and savings over the life of the system.
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