PVCompare.net is the first free platform made for users by users in order to address the problem of asymmetric information that has always characterized the energy sector.
Through the huge amount of data we have collected, we are now able to provide you with some insights.
For this research we resorted to our 35,000 outputs from as many plants around the world, isolating only those from the UK territory. We did not set tilt or orientation, but we made the comparison in absolute terms.
The comparison is based on the historical production data we detected in the year 2014. Therefore at the end of this year it will be a possible amendment of the current ranking.
Overview of the UK PV-Market:
In 2014 the UK Market has been the fourth market in the world in terms of new PV capacity installed after China, Japan and USA.
Solar power almost doubled in the last year with 650,000 installations ranging from solar farms to panels on homes. By the end of 2014 there was almost five gigawatts (5GW) of solar photovoltaic panels installed, up from 2.8GW at the end of 2013, as the Department of Energy and Climate Change figures showed.
The solar industry said there were now enough panels installed in the UK to supply the equivalent of 1.5m homes.
Who is the best manufacturer in the UK?
Let's see which have been the best manufacturers of photovoltaic panels in 2014 according to our data:
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Yingli is a leader in new solar energy technology, publicly listed on the NYSE, headquartered in Baoding (China) with more than 30 branch offices and subsidiaries globally with local expertise and over 19,000 employees worldwide. With almost 10% global market share, it is the world’s largest panel manufacturer. Ranked amongst the 5 best solar panels in world by PHOTON and TÜV Rheinland, solar panel reviews have rated Yingli Solar panels highly for performance, quality and durability. Yingli solar systems are supported with 25-year linear power output and 10-year product warranties.
This producer is placed in first position in the year 2014 with an efficiency of 1052 kWh/kWp.
Compared with pvgis - Photovoltaic Geographical Information System – this product produces eleven percent (11%) more than the estimates of a plant with the same characteristics, calculated through the excellent tool produced by the European Commission.
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Sharp Corporation has built its credibility upon its long history of solar development: Sharp has put efforts in research and development since 1959. These efforts have led to ground-breaking solar solution. Starting from 1959, when the founder Tokuji Hayakawa started developing solar cells, Sharp has achieved many different successful results: it also contributed to the development of the solar cells that power the satellites in Japan’s national projects. Sharp’s solar business spans across the globe: Europe, US, Middle East, Asia and Oceania. This producer is placed in second position in the year 2014 with an efficiency of 1053 kWh/kWp, with a (irrelevant) difference of only 1 Kwh in one year.
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SolarWorld AG is a German company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing photovoltaic products and one of the largest solar companies worldwide, with about 3,400 employees. It has location in all key target markets: this reduces transport costs and facilitates cost-optimised production processes. The bases for meeting the challenge of global competition are uniform quality standards and high-tech manufacturing.
SolarWorld AG rapidly grew from a wholesale company to a solar provider with processes along the entire value chain – from raw materials to solar wagers, solar cells, solar modules right up to high-quality turnkey solar power plants – in a very short period. This producer is placed in third position in the year 2014 with an efficiency of 1035 kWh/kWp, - 18 Kwh .
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Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd, headquartered in Wuxi (China), is recognized worldwide as a best-in-class multinational company. It has been founded in 2011 and has supplied more than 8 GWs photovoltaic panels to more than a thousand customers in more than 80 countries. EuPD Research, solar industry’s research institute, awarded Suntech Top Brand PV, making Suntech the first company in China to win this award. For its contribution to environment protection, Suntech received awards from the UNCCC (United Nations Climate Change Conference), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the World Economic Forum and worldwide top media outlets. This producer is placed in fourth position in the year 2014 with an efficiency of 969 kWh/kWp, - 85 Kwh .
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SANYO Electric Co., Ltd is an electronics company subsidiary of Panasonic (since 2009) whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi City, Osaka, Japan. Through the photovoltaic system business, SANYO Electric contributes to solving environment and energy-related problems with sophisticated technologies to effectively create energy resources from the blessing of the sun. Based on the management philosophy “We are committed to becoming an indispensable element in the lives of people all over the world” SANYO offers also other safe and high-quality products and services through different lines of business: Smart Energy System, Rechargeable Battery, Commercial/Medical Equipment, White Goods/Navigation System, Digital Products, Electronic Component. This producer is placed in fifth position in the year 2014 with an efficiency of 969 kWh/kWp,- 101 Kwh
Our research is based on absolute-level data, which do not allow a precise and detailed plant comparison. To make comparison among pv plants with similar characteristics (location, tilt and azimuth), we invite you to use our free comparison tool on PV-Compare.
Eliana Canavesio