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Last updated: 21 November 2024

JA Solar Panels Review: Costs + Pros & Cons (December 2024)

JA Solar panel reviews
  • JA Solar panels cost between £80 - £170, making them an affordable option considering their high output.
  • JA Solar panels are well-reviewed, with multiple outlets and consumers highlighting their affordability and reliability.
  • The biggest advantage of JA Solar’s panels is the quality compared to the price, however, they may not be available in many regions.

When it comes to solar panels, UK consumers have a lot of options. One of the most promising these days is JA Solar, a Chinese company that has been making waves in the solar industry since 2005. Find out more about what their panels cost, where they stand, where they lack, and what the solar panel community has to say about them.

If you’re researching the best solar panels available in the UK, you should first contact an installer to get an idea of what’s available in your area. This can ordinarily take days of calling up companies and assessing their prices by yourself, but there’s an easy alternative. With our service, you can easily get up to 4 free, non-binding quotes from trustworthy local installers.

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About JA Solar

JA Solar was founded in China in 2005, producing solar cells, modules, monocrystalline and poly/multicrystalline systems. The company sells to multiple regions, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Spain, South Korea, the United States, and select countries in Eastern Europe. JA Solar grew exponentially in 2009 as China began investing heavily in green technology proliferation.

The company has kept its prices low by manufacturing in its home country. While it isn’t as big as many other companies from the region, it has received great reviews from customers and professional institutions such as the Photovoltaic Evolution Laboratory. The company is known for reliability and affordability.

JA Solar’s panels provide high outputs and efficiencies, especially in recent years when their JAM66 series has provided a great balance between cost and quality. Aside from solar panels, they also produce their own solar battery storage systems with high efficiency and capacity levels.

Solar panel modules available from JA Solar

JA Solar modules

JA Solar’s flagship panels are the aforementioned JAM solar modules. These are all part of its DeepBlue 3.0 and 4.0 series, although it has had multiple other solar panel series on the market before. These panels vary in terms of output and efficiency, with both getting higher along with the price.

JA solar UK prices
Model name Price Power output Efficiency
JA Solar JAM66D45 £100 - £150 595W - 620W 22% - 23%
JA Solar JAM54D40 £80 - £140 580W - 585W 21.9% - 22.9%
JA Solar JAM72D42 £120 - £170 615W - 640W 22% - 22.9%

The efficiency between the various models doesn’t vary by much so it can be considered a less important factor when choosing between JA Solar models.

JA solar panel prices

JA Solar panel prices start at £80 and go up to £170 in the UK. Higher output models are generally more expensive. The panels might be subject to import fees depending on where you live, so exact prices may vary. Compared to other companies, they are fairly affordable.

The table below compares some of the most popular solar panels in the UK.

JA Solar module price comparison
Company/model Price Power output Efficiency Product warranty
JA Solar JAM £80 - £170 595W - 640W 22% - 23% 25 years
Trina Vertex N £70 - £185 685W - 710W 22.1% - 22.9% 12 years
REC Alpha Pure-RX £95 - £150 390W - 470W 22.60% 25 years
AIKO COMET 3N72 £90 - £125 620W - 670W 25.2% 25 years

When factoring in all the costs of components and labour, the costs can come down to roughly £5,000 - £6,000 for the average 3-bedroom home. The table below shows the prices that you can expect for the average solar panel system in the UK, with all associated costs added.

Solar panel prices
House size System size Number of panels Total costs
1 to 2 bedroom 3kW 5 - 6 £4,500 - £5,500
2 to 3 bedroom 4kW 7 - 8 £5,000 - £6,000
3 to 4 bedroom 6kW 9 - 11 £9,500 - £10,500

It’s important to keep these averages in mind since installers will charge higher than the purchase price of panels. You can also consult our page “Are solar panels worth it” to decide whether they are suitable for your home.

The prices listed above are just estimates. For a more accurate solar panel cost, it’s important to contact a reliable installer. However, finding one you can trust takes time and effort if done on your own. Our service can be the best way to do that since we have a network of installers all over the UK, and you can obtain up to 4 free, non-binding quotes by filling out a 30-second form.

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Pros and cons of JA solar panels in the UK

Pros:

  • Quality for price: Like many Chinese solar companies, JA Solar offers a great price. Many low-priced solar panels do not match the output JA Solar provides. In comparison, more expensive panels like the SunPower Maxeon can cost upwards of £400 upon purchase.
  • Great warranty: The product's warranty is comparable to some of the best on the market. They offer a 30-year performance guarantee along with a 25-year product warranty. The performance warranty ensures less than 0.6% degradation every year following the second year, which is a very low loss in efficiency over time.
  • Well-reviewed: Professional institutions like the Photovoltaics Evolution Laboratory have given the company accolades every year for the past decade. It also receives great word-of-mouth on forums, considering them great value for money.

Cons:

  • Availability: As a non-UK company, JA Solar’s products will not be as widely available as others and may come with extra import fees. This can depend on where you buy it from. Some companies bring them in for the listed price (£80 - £170, depending on the model). Other companies may add a mark-up as high as £30 to the added cost, judging by prices on some online retailers.

JA Solar reviews

JA Solar Panel Reviews reviews

JA solar reviews are generally favourable, garnering 4 to 5 stars on multiple reviewer platforms. The Independent Advisor surveyed 1,544 JA Solar customers and found that 91% of customers thought the panels either met or exceeded their expectations.

Similarly, the Photovoltaics Evolution Laboratory has consistently performed well on its top performers list. They performed well on the Thermal Cycling, Damp Heat, Mechanical Stress Sequence, Hail Stress Sequence, Potential Induced Degradation, and Light Induced Degradation tests. Overall, the lab acknowledges the JAM series as a solid product in multiple measures.

JA solar panel reviews in the UK have been positive among consumers as well. Examining solar forums, the panels receive quite a lot of praise along with the microinverters that come with them.

Customers have stated:

“[The solar panels] regularly produce at or over their rating almost every day. I paid 1015.00 including shipping from Savannah, GA to Cape Coral, FL. So far I have nothing but good things to say about them.”

Are JA solar panels worth it?

JA Solar panels can be worth it since they provide great value for the price. They can have high output and decent efficiency levels. On top of that, they have a great warranty that covers 25 years of the product itself and promises low degradation for the years following installation. The only downside is that they may have limited availability in certain areas of the UK.

While there are more powerful panels on the market, these other modules may be more expensive or not provide as great a warranty. In this sense, JA Solar’s panels are a good choice for a reasonably priced and reliable system.

Since they also provide batteries, you can also get a storage system that is compatible with the panels if you choose to. While the solar battery cost can push the total installation price up, it is worth it to obtain even higher savings and use energy at night.

Ultimately, the price of the solar panel system you buy will depend on the installer you hire. Installation and other components can drive the price up, which is why it’s important to find a reliable installer who won’t overcharge you.

Finding professional services can be a hassle that takes days of research and calling up companies. If that sounds like too much of a hassle, why not let us take the wheel? Fill out a short 30-second survey and we’ll provide you with up to 4 free, non-binding quotes.

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