Established in 1996 in Norway, REC is an international solar panel manufacturer with a brand that’s synonymous with quality, innovation, and outstanding reliability. Twenty-seven years on, the company remains true to its Norwegian roots with its head office still in Norway and a global network spanning every continent.
The company’s stated purpose is to empower people with clean affordable solar energy. Over the last three decades, they’ve done just that – producing more than 46 million solar panels that power more than 20 million homes and businesses worldwide.
An unwavering focus on innovation is the cornerstone of REC’s undoubted success. With numerous patents for its ground-breaking solar technology, its panels have won multiple industry awards for their efficiency, performance, and reliability.
In Australia, REC has won one of the most coveted accolades in the industry; the #1 Vote for ‘Best Solar Panels’ and ‘Best After Sales Support’ in the Solar Quotes 2023 survey of 500 Aussie installers. And with a top-level 25-year warranty for product, performance and labour, it’s easy to see why Aussie installers give REC a big thumbs up!
Commitment to sustainability
One of the most socially responsible solar energy companies, REC has consciously made the decision to base its manufacturing in Singapore to meet – and beat – international environmental and ethical standards.
Ethical supply chain
A commitment to human rights and ethical working conditions informs every aspect of REC’s supply chain and manufacturing process. The company carefully vets its upstream suppliers and is fully signed up to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2018. In addition, senior company representatives sit on the Clean Energy Council and Smart Energy Council working groups to champion an ethical and responsible supply chain.
One of the world’s first lead-free panels
Virtually all solar panels contain lead which is toxic and causes huge problems when it comes to recycling. REC is one of the first manufacturers to be certified for making lead-free solar panels under the European RoHS Directive (“Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical Equipment”).
What REC is famous for?
Navigating the vast number of solar panel brands can be an arduous and confusing process. For those looking for a high-quality panel, here are five benefits that set REC apart from other panel brands:
- More power with less panels: REC panels generate more power from less space, delivering up to 16 per cent more power than standard panels. With more power from each panel, installation costs are reduced as the installers don’t need to spend as long on your roof and don’t need as many parts.
- Works in partial shade: With standard panels, even a tiny bit of shading on one panel will reduce the power output from that panel to around zero – and worse, potentially cut the power output of the entire row of panels. But thanks to REC’s split cell technology, when part of a panel is shaded, the rest of the panel will keep producing power. And, best of all, other panels in the row won’t be affected. REC’s award-winning Alpha Pure-R panel takes this technology even further with its four-part bypass diodes, ensuring further improved performance under shady conditions.
- Lowest degradation rates: REC solar panels have amongst the lowest degradation rates in the industry. REC panels are warrantied to produce at least 92 per cent of their nameplate power in year 25. This is at least 10 per cent better than the industry average.
- Industry-leading low claims rate: Out of four million panels manufactured by REC each year, just 400 might come back as product claims. This is a claims rate that most other manufacturers can only dream of!
- Best installers / Best warranties: REC handpicks the best installers and trains them to become REC Certified Solar Professionals (RCSP). If you get your panels installed by an RCSP, you will get the top-level warranty from REC – called the REC ProTrust Warranty – which covers you for 25 years on product, labour and performance for complete peace of mind.
Product Design
REC’s design philosophy is based on two key principles: maximising power output and delivering exceptional reliability.
Efficiency and durability
Higher efficiency: When it comes to panel stats, the efficiency stat is the one to check first. That’s because it tells you what percentage of the sun’s rays hitting the panel are converted to electricity. With REC, you get up to 22.3% efficiency compared to the industry standard 19%.
Durability: With two support bars on the back of each solar panel, REC solar panels are almost twice as strong as standard panels and can withstand extreme wind and snow loads of up to 7,000 Pascal.
Corrosion-resistant: REC solar panels also have the highest salt mist anti-corrosion certification level possible (IEC 61701) making them an ideal choice for solar installations near the coast.
Performance metrics
If you want to check out the performance stats of REC versus other panels, here’s a cheat sheet of what to look for in the product datasheets:
| REC Alpha Pure-R Series | Industry Standard | |
| Power output per panel | 430 watts | 390 watts |
| Panel area | 1.93 m2 | 2 m2 + |
| Panel efficiency | 22.3 % | 19% |
| Power density | 223 watts per m2 | 186 watts per m2 |
| Temperature coefficient (Pmax) The closer to zero, the better the panel performs in the heat |
-0.24%/°C | -0.5% |
| Operational temperature | -40 to +85°C | -40 to +65°C |
| Annual rate of panel degradation | 0.25% | 0.8% |
| Manufacturing origin | Singapore | China |
Industry-beating warranty
REC’s ProTrust Warranty is the top level of warranty provided by REC and is exclusively offered by REC Certified Solar Professional (RCSP) installers. There are more than 300 RCSPs across Australia, making it easy for you to choose a top installer with the best warranties for your solar system!
| REC ProTrust Warranty | Industry standard | |
| Product warranty | 25 years | 10 to 15 years |
| Performance warranty | 92% nameplate power output after 25 years | Approx. 80% nameplate power output after 25 years |
| Labour warranty | 25 years for systems up to 25kW; 10 years for systems > 25kW | 0 years |
To qualify for the REC ProTrust Warranty, installations must be registered by your REC Certified Professional Installer via the REC SunSnap app or REC Certified Solar Professional Portal.
A proven industry leader
REC is one of the longest-established solar panel manufacturers in the world and is recognised by Bloomberg New Energy Finance as a tier one solar panel manufacturer. This ranking reflects financial strength and is evidence that the company is well-positioned to maintain its world-leading position for years to come.
Winner of multiple industry awards
When it comes to accolades and industry gongs, REC has a line-up that’s the envy of the solar industry, including:
- Arguably the most coveted award of all – REC won the Intersolar Awards 2015, 2020, and 2022 for innovation and quality in solar panel design and manufacturing
- ‘Best Solar Panels’ and ‘Best After Sales Support’ as voted by over 500 Australian installers in the Solar Quotes 2023 survey
Dedicated Australian support
REC has an Australian office where it provides support and full backing for any warranty claim from its Australian customers. All support enquiries can be directed to REC at (03) 9020 2056.
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- Source: https://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-news/why-installers-recommend-rec-solar-panels/
