Note: Solar Choice is not affiliated with REC Solar Panels or any solar installer and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another.
Overview of REC Group – Company History
Founded in Norway in 1996, REC Group is one of the original manufacturers of solar photovoltaic modules with a focus on premium quality. Originally production was completed in Norway and Sweden. In 2010 they became fully automated, producing 26 million solar panels in their production plant in Singapore. In 2015 Norway’s Elkem Group (Bluestar Investment Co. Ltd) acquired REC. Elkem is a world leader in silicon production, which aided the development of REC’s integrated photovoltaics in the global market. More recently in 2021 REC has been acquired by Reliance New Energy Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Reliance is India’s largest private sector company with activities spanning hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, retail and digital services.
REC Group now has 8 offices across the globe including an Australian office in the Melbourne CBD. The REC Certified Solar Professional Program enables solar installers to become ‘certified’ with them enabling them to offer longer warranty periods to their customers including a product and labour warranty of up to 25 years.
For those looking for an independent REC solar panels review, we’ve done our research and written extensively on this topic:
Key Indicators
| REC Group Solar Panels | |
| Bloomberg Tier 1 Ranking | Yes |
| PV Evolution Labs Top Performer (2024) | No |
| Office location in Australia | Yes |
What is a Bloomberg Tier 1 Solar Panel?
Bloomberg’s infamous tier 1 ranking is NOT a measure of Solar Panel quality. It is just 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.
REC Group were ranked on the Bloomberg tier 1 list as of Q4 2020.
See full list of Bloomberg Tier 1 Solar Panels
What is PV Evolution Labs Top Performer?
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.
REC solar panels are currently NOT ranked in the PV Evolution Labs Top Performers in the latest 2024 report.
See full list of PV Evolution Labs Top Performing Solar Panels
Why is office location in Australia Important?
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 on their 10-year product performance warranty.
Relying on your solar installer is not always an option as we’ve seen many residential solar installers (including the large ones) go out of business well within the lifetime of the systems they are installing.
REC has an Australian office located in Melbourne.
Compare quotes from up to 7 installers in your area now.
How much do REC Solar Panels cost?
Based on Solar Choice’s database we have provided the below-average costs as an indicative guide. These prices include:
- Full turnkey Solar System with REC Solar Panels
- Installation from a pre-vetted reputable installer from Solar Choice’s network
- Small Scale Technology Certificates (STC) rebate and GST
| System Size | Average Fully Installed Cost |
| 6kW | $7,659 |
| 8kW | $10,556 |
| 10kW | $13,896 |
Important Note: Prices will vary depending on location, inverter brand and which installer is used
REC Solar Panels – Points of Difference
There are many solar panels out there, what makes REC solar panels stand out?
Long Product Warranty
Now that LG have dropped out of the market, REC is one the leading premium solar panel manufacturers. They aim to lead the market in quality and reliability, and as a result offer an industry leading 25 year product warranty. REC solar panels have been shown to be more resilient in corrosive coastal conditions and are tested independently to higher standards than most panels. For example they have been called a top performer by PV Evolution Labs solar module scorecard.
Lower Degradation Rate
REC’s top quality Alpha Pure series solar panels lose only 0.25% of their power annually after the first year and still retain over 92% of their nameplate value after 25 years. At the time of writing, the only other solar panel on the market to match this degradation rate is the Sunpower Maxeon 5. This means this REC solar panel will deliver significantly more power than other solar panels on the market through the course of its 25-year lifetime.
REC’s Warranty Offer for Australian Customers
Solar panels in the Australian market come with a performance warranty and a product warranty.
The product warranty is probably the more important one as it covers manufacturing defects and most problems experienced with solar panels. The new series of REC Alpha Solar offers 25 years for their limited product & labour warranty* on their panels that are sold in Australia which is just about as good as it gets for residential solar panels. While the other series of REC panels offer a 20 year product warranty which can be extended to 25 years if the installer is a ‘REC accredited installer’.
The performance warranty of REC solar panels is also industry leading. The Alpha and N-peak 2 series offer a guarantee that the solar panels won’t degrade more than 2% in the first year and 0.25% per year thereafter for another 24 years. That means they will be performing to at least 92% of their nameplate value after 25 years. The twin-peak 2 series has a slightly lower guarantee of 0.5% per year for years 2-25 landing at 86% of the nameplate value after 25 years.
REC have a very clearly documented process to claim a warranty directly if your solar installer is no longer around to help you.
Unlike most solar panel warranties REC will also cover the labour required during a warranty claim process if the solar panel is installed by an ‘accredited REC solar installer’.
*REC warranty conditions apply
Click here to read REC’s full Australian warranty document
REC Panel Technologies
Half-cut cells are the innovation that REC is best known for. The split module design allows for a more efficient solar panel than the standard cell design, providing a number of advantages. Many other manufacturers are developing their own half-cut cell panels. The REC Group has opened a patent infringement lawsuit against Hanwha Q Cells in China, over the half-cut cell technology.
REC Alpha Pure Series
The REC Alpha Pure series features REC’s leading technology which offers greater performance characteristics that almost all solar panels available on the market.
The solar panel is made up of 80 half-cut heterojunction solar cells utilising N-type silicon. The solar cells are connected using lead-free and gapless technology, and are encased in 3.2mm glass and a black aluminium frame.
This all leads to an maximum efficiency rating of 22.3% (REC430AA Pure-R) and a degradation rate of only 0.25% per year after the first year. Most solar panels degrade at 0.5% to 0.7%, so this is a clear advantage of the REC Alpha Pure Series.
The REC Alpha Pure features a temperature co-efficient of -0.24 %/°C which means there will be minimal loss in performance in very hot or cold climates.
REC TwinPeak 5 Series
The TwinPeak 5 series is REC’s other solar panel model sold in Australia which offers slightly lower performance characteristics than the Alpha Pure R.
The TwinPeak 5 series ranges from 395W to 410W utilising 132 half cut P-type solar cells. As a result the solar panel max efficiency rating reaches up to 20.8% which is more in the mid-range of what is available on the market.
The solar panel does still feature the two back supports on the frame. REC also offers a 25-year product warranty on this series if the panel is installed by a ‘REC Certified’ installer.
This solar panel comes with black or silver frame which can align with the customer preference for the appearance of the system.
Compare quotes from up to 7 installers in your area now.
REC Solar Panel Specifications
| REC TwinPeak 5 REC410TP5 | REC Alpha Pure R REC410AA Pure-R | |
| Cell Number | 132 half-cut cells | 80 half-cut cells |
| Cell Type | Monocrystalline Cells | Heterojunction Cells |
| Power Output | 410Wp | 410Wp |
| Nominal Power Voltage | 38.3V | 49.4V |
| Panel Efficiency | 20.8% | 21.2% |
| Annual Power Degradation | 0.5% | 0.25% |
| Dimensions | 1899 x 1040 x 30 mm (1.97 m²) | 1730 x 1118 x 30 mm (1.93 m²) |
| Weight | 21.6kg | 21.5kg |
| Warranty | 20-25 Years | 20-25 Years |
| Operational Temperature Range | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Made in | Singapore | Singapore |
Pros and Cons of REC Solar Panels
| Pros | Cons |
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Should I Buy REC Solar Panels?
In our opinion you can’t go wrong with any of the REC solar panels offered in Australia. If its in your budget then REC solar panels represent some of the best quality you can get in Australia. REC Solar Panels are best suited to homeowners who plan to be in the property long-term so they can enjoy the hassle-free life of the products.
Example of a REC Commercial Solar Project
In March 2020, REC Group installed the below commercial rooftop system on a farm in the Netherlands. The system REC installed is the largest REC Alpha panel setup in Europe, with the 1,415m² system’s capacity totalling 268.56 kWp.
This system contains 746 REC Alpha panels and has the capacity to generate around 240,000 kWh of power a year. To put it into perspective, this much power could supply 80 average houses with electricity for a year.
Read more product reviews from Solar Choice
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Reviews from Australians who have installed REC Panels
System output seems good, even on cloudy days, the panels are aesthetically good.
Would highly recommend Rec Alpha pure if you want the best, also if you prefer made outside China ( singapore) consider the warranty lifespan performance in harsh climates etc etc they really wont cost you any more and you can rest assured if installed by a great team your home wont go up in flames, something you really want to think about considering thats were you and family live/sleep
Happy with the brand esthetic of black panels on white roof is ok
We have done our research and with the help of Nick we decided to go with REC and its been great so far.
does okay but i dont get the generation i was sold by the rep.
Great performance backed up by a solid warranty.
Really good production
I chose the rec pure panels after the research I did. Happy with the output of these panels
nice looking panels, performance seems pretty good
happy so far
We are very happy with appearance of the panels. We are similarly pleased with the output from the panels and since installation, have had to pay only $51 for electricity used. The installing technician was remarkably efficient. The complete job (panels and installation of inverter) was finished within 2 days and would have been done quicker I'm sure if his offsider had not been unwell on installation day.
They do the job so far..
No issues with panels
Seem to be performing exactly as advertised, very happy with them.
We installed REC Split Cell Panels, and they are brilliant.
Perform well. Clients need to be aware that angle of installation as well as compass points can make a large difference to output of panels. More so in winter.
works as described very happy with output
400kw panels, great technology at a reasonable price point.
Flawless REC Alpha panels on a solaredge system just works every day.
Poor performance
REC are working well, they are split in half so if shading hits one half of the panel, it won't affect the other half or the whole string of panels... bonus
REC have given me 10 years uninterrupted service on my western roof.
very happy with Solar twin peak 2
After discussing a number of options we decided to go with REC as they have fantastic warranty conditions and service support .
works well in low sunlight
We were looking for something that was highly recommended and performed in the top quarter of brands available on the market plus a panel that had a good appearance with black surround. Unlike a neighbour whose silver frames have an overbearing reflection at certain angles of the sun.
Very happy with specifications and technical information provided by the manufacturer.
Panels perform very well, overall reviews been excellent.
Only a week in so hard to say.
I went for the REC Alpha Pure 405w panels
the panels seem to perform very well
Too early to tell if these are good. But the reviews are good.
Not made in China. Look good on the roof. Slimline
So far so good
