Note: Solar Choice is not a solar installer and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another.
Overview of Talesun Solar – Company History
Talesun Solar is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zhongli Science and Technology Group which is a Chinese manufacturer of industrial components including fibre optic cables. The Zhongli Sci-Tech Group made an initial investment of USD 850 million into Talesun Solar in 2010.
According to their website (which seems a bit out of date), Talesun’s annual manufacturing capacity has grown to 2GW of silicon cells and 2.8GW of Solar Panels making them a mid-tier manufacturer in terms of size. Most of their panels are sold domestically in China (1.8GW) and have sales networks established in Europe and Japan.
Talesun Solar panels are not commonly used in Australia, however, they do have a supply agreement set up with Sol Distribution. Talesun does not have an Australian-focused website or an Australian office.
Bloomberg’s infamous tier 1 ranking is NOT a measure of Solar Panel quality in any way. It is simply an indication of the bankability of the manufacturer based on publicly released information on the financial health of the company. This should give you an idea if the company is a large, well-known manufacturer.
PV Evolution Labs with support from DNV GL independently test solar panel reliability. The tests are voluntary, with solar panel manufacturers paying to participate in the testing. This testing process is internationally renowned and is an accurate reflection of the solar panel’s performance.
Talesun Solar Panels are currently NOT ranked in the PV Evolution Labs Top Performers across the annual tests in the latest report (2024)
Most solar panel manufacturers entering the Australian market first set up their distribution channels and worry about customer service later. This has led to many unhappy customers who are left trying to contact Chinese head offices to claim their 10-year product warranty.
Relying on your solar installer is not always an option as since 2011 we’ve seen over 700 residential solar installers (including the large ones) go out of business well within the lifetime of the systems they are installing.
At this stage, Talesun Solar do not have an Australian office.
How Much Do Talesun Solar Panels Cost?
Based on Solar Choice’s database we have provided the below-average costs as an indicative guide of the wholesale costs of Talesun’s solar panels. These prices are only available to solar installation companies, not to end customers.
Description
Modules
Price Range
Price (per watt)
TALESUN 330W
MONO HALF CUT
M330HC
$140–$150
$0.42–$0.46
TALESUN 380W
MONO 144 CELL
M380HC
$160–$170
$0.42–$0.45
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Talesun Solar Panels – Points of Difference
There are many solar panels out there, what makes Talesun solar panels stand out?
Vertical Integration
Many solar panel manufacturers acquire solar cells and package them together into their panels. Talesun manufactures solar cells and solar panels in-house giving them more control over the supply and quality of the panels.
Additionally, Talesun has extended its services beyond simply manufacturing solar panels, to designing and installing solar projects predominantly within China. This gives the company an end-to-end understanding of the challenges to overcome in a solar project and informs their research and development.
Talesun Solar Panel Technologies
Talesun Solar currently has 40 solar panels approved by the Clean Energy Council in Australia under the name “Suzhou Talesun Solar Technologies Co Ltd”. This is a requirement to be eligible for the federal STC solar rebate.
Talesun Solar has two main series of solar panels, which they currently sell into the Australian market with diversified solar modules to meet the different needs of customers.
BISTAR Series
Talesun BISTAR series is their flagship offer to the Australian market utilising monocrystalline PERC half-cut solar cells. The panel comes in various sizes ranging from a 60 cell (360 watt) option suited to residential projects and a 78 cell (670 watt) option suited to utility scale applications. Thes panels feature a maximul efficiency of up to 21.6% (TP8F66M) which we would consider competitive with the latest solar panels in the market in 2023.
Some of the BISTAR series have as many as 9 busbars which decreases efficiency losses within the panel’s electrical circuits. BISTAR series also offers a full-black option for customers who are looking for an aesthetically pleasing option for their roofs.
BIPRO Series
BIPRO series is a bifacial solar panel, meaning the product has a glass backsheet enabling power to be generated from sunlight that is reflected to the underside of the panel as well as the topside. Generally this technology only makes a meaningful difference for panels that are tilted and installed on a light or reflective surface like white gravel.
This series uses the same technology as the BISTAR series with half-cut monocrystalline PERC cells. The panels have a wide range of power for different applications (280Wp to 665Wp).
Independent Testing of Talesun Solar Panels by PV Labs Australia
The ACT Government paid PV Labs Australia in 2023 to complete some independent testing of solar panels. They sampled 121 solar panels from 14 manufacturers by borrowing them from suppliers in the market.
The solar panels were tested via a visual inspection, STC power, electroluminescence, wet leakage and potential induced degradation.
Talesun’s solar panels did not perform well in this testing. Overall, the Talesun 370 Watt (TP6L60M-370) solar panel scored a 75 out of 100 which was the 2nd worst overall score.
Talesun offer a standard 25 year performance warranty and 10-12 year product warranty (depending on the model). This is on par in length with most panel manufacturers offering products to the Australian market. The value of warranty depends on much more than these 2 numbers.
The performance warranty guarantees a certain level of output for the lifetime of the panel – typically guaranteeing 80-85% of the nameplate output after 25 years. Talesun’s solar panels come with a range of different performance warranties depending on the model type. Their standard monocrystalline panels come with a guarantee of 84.8% of the nameplate value at the end of the 25th year, which is on par with most cost effective solar panels in the market.
Talesun’s warranty document for Australia is a grammatical nightmare, and appears to be a Google Translation gone wrong. The most concerning part of this warranty is the missing information on how to actually claim the warranty:
“How to obtain warranty If the customer according to “standard PV products limited warranty” can make legitimate claims, complaints and belong to completely reasonable warranty scope, should be immediately in written notice of the complaint to the following address, Talesun, electronic mail or email to the following.”
It’s safe to say that, if your installer was no longer around to apply pressure to the product distributers, you would have a pretty tough time claiming anything from Talesun given they do not have an Australian office, phone number or website.
Vertically integrated across supply chain of solar panels
Small market share compared with some of the other
Did not test well in PV Labs Australia independent testing
Chinese solar panel manufacturersNo office in Australia and poor warranty offer
Comparison of Talesun Solar Panel Specifications (common modules)
Talesun Bistar 380W
TP6H60M
Talesun Bipro 380W
TD6160M
Cell Number
120 Cells
120 Cells
Cell Type
Half-cut Monocrystalline
Half-cut Monocrystalline
Power Output
380W
380W
Nominal Power Voltage
35.5V
35.5
Panel Efficiency
20.9%
20.9%
Dimensions
1755*1038*30mm
1755*1038*30mm
Weight
19.5 kg
23.5 kg
Product Warranty
12 Years
12 Years
PerformanceWarranty
25 Years
30 Years
Operational Temperature Range
-40℃-+85℃
-40℃-+85℃
Made in
China
China
So, Should I Buy Talesun Solar Panels?
Although some of Talesun’s solar panels offer competitive technical specifications, given the companies lack of presence in Australia, there are many better options to go for with proven performance characteristics. In Solar Choice’s view, the challenges that may arise under a warranty claim do not seem worth it, even if this solution was offered at a discount to a bigger and more reputable brand.
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BISTAR Series
BIPRO Series
