A solar panel kit is a solar energy system made of transform solar energy and produce eco-friendly electricity. They manage this with only a few elements and no mechanical components, making them one of the most simple and durable energy-generating devices yet created.
Only four or five years ago, some of the most powerful solar panels available then were 25% less productive, having the highest efficiency of only around 300 watts. However, in 2021, we have seen the launch of a household-oriented solar panel kit with a performance of 400 watts or higher; available and profitable when it comes to producing a generous amount of voltage in any geographic location (learn more about solar panel performance). Let’s take a look at some of the best ones out there.
To power smaller, handheld devices, consider a 100 watt panel kit instead. For middling devices and appliances, such as TVs or even fridge-freezers, try a 300 or 200-watt solar panel. Solar panel arrays can be installed by yourself, or with the help of a trusted solar professional.
Editor’s Picks
Let’s have a quick look at the top three products in each of their specific categories.
Best Overall
Xue-shelf Portable Solar Panel Charger
Xue-shelf Solar Panel Kit is the overall best product. It is a highly energy-efficient kit designed for both outdoor and home purposes. It has a unique foldable design protected with a thick and breathable nylon bag. It is a lightweight and durable kit that can quickly charge your car batteries. It is offered with all the essential gadgets to give you a ready-to-go usage experience. It can easily be set up and used by minors without the fear of injury.
Best Performance
ECO-WORTHY 400 Watt (4 x 100 Watt) Solar Panel Kit
If performance is what you are looking for in a solar panel, the Eco-worthy 400-watt solar panel kit is the ideal choice on our list. The product is built and designed to offer an optimal performance of 1.6kwh per day even on a bad weather day. It also offers you high levels of durability because of its tough construction and usability. They are some of the best and most efficient solar panels for your home, workplace, utility vehicles, cabins, farms, and the like.
Best Price
Newpowa 400W (4 x 100 Watt) Monocrystalline Solar Charge Starter kit
The Newpowa 400W Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel is undoubtedly the best 400-watt panel for customers on a budget. On top of the affordability aspect, it is also designed to offer good efficiency and performance by generating 12 to 24 volts of energy. These panels come with various off-grid applications. You can install them at home for projects like signaling systems, water pumping systems, or on your utility vehicles like RVs, trailers, and boats.
The Best 400- watt Solar Panels Reviewed
Here are the top ten 400-watt solar panels currently available on the market. Take your time to review each solar panel so that you can identify the one that best suits your needs.
#1 Xue-shelf Portable 400W Solar Panel Charger
The top-spot product on our list is Xue-shelf Portable 400W Solar Panel. Weight is integral to the portability of any solar panel and this product is no exception. It weighs only 3.2kg which is a remarkable achievement by its manufacturers. This 18V solar panel is so powerful that it can power all of your mid-sized appliances in a quick time frame. This is because a high-quality monocrystalline solar cell layer is employed in this product to capture solar energy.
This solar kit is purely designed for outdoor purposes, but it’s equally brilliant for home-based usages. The foldable design along with a built-in handle allows you to conveniently pack it and carry it around without the need for an extra briefcase. To increase its durability, this solar panel is protected with a thick and breathable nylon bag on its outer layer.
This product is offered in a complete charging kit. It includes a USB & DC junction box, a 1.5m cable, a DC 12V alligator clip power cable, and a DC 12v cigarette lighter plug power cable. You don’t have to purchase extra clips and cables to power up your electrical devices.
#2 Renogy 400 Watts (4 x 100W) 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Panels RV Kit Off-Grid Kit
Renogy is a popular brand in the renewable energy space. The Renogy 400-watt 12-volt solar panel has been built to offer the best performance, the highest efficiency, the most durability, and the easiest usability levels. The product is offered as a pack of four 100-watt monocrystalline panels to offer you high efficiency per area for different applications. Each panel is designed to offer you up to 98% conversion efficiency and up to 99% tracking efficiency. The entire solar power system features a 4-stage charging system for fast and efficient battery charging.
The product comes with pre-drilled holes on each panel’s back for fast mounting and installation(learn about solar panels installation process). The item is also equipped with ANL fuse components and a waterproof in-line fuse to protect your battery and your solar charge controller for increased durability. The recommended connection mode for this kit is series. So, if you prefer to parallel it, you need to buy an additional MC4Y connector.
#3 ECO-WORTHY 400 Watt (4 x 100 W) Solar Panels
Eco-Worthy has designed and built one of the most outstanding solar panels available. The solar panel kit comes as a four monocrystalline panel system capable of generating 1.6kwh daily under four hours of sunshine. Compared to other brands on our list, this product offers impressive performance levels even on a cloudy day. It comes with a 60A LCD solar charge controller and a Li battery capable of providing an actual power output of either 12 volts or 24 volts. The sturdy design and construction make it easy to install and is highly durable. This item is ideal for various off-grid applications like farms, homes, motorhomes, cabins, camper vans, and many more. It also comes with a one-year warranty.
#4 Newpowa 400W (4 x 100Watt) Monocrystalline Solar Charge Starter kit
Newpowa is one of those brands that offer high-quality solar panels at the cheapest prices. This specific system is one of their signature products that is not only highly affordable than other brands but also offers high levels of efficiency and durability. It features 4 pieces of 100-watt mono solar panels that produce a voltage range of 12 volts or 24 volts. The product also comes with a 30A PWM solar charge controller and two extension cables for wide coverage and increased versatility. For easy installation, the solar energy kit features a pair of parallel connectors and four sets of Z-brackets.
#5 ACOPOWER 400 watts (4 x 100 W) Polycrystalline Panel Solar RV Kit
Acopower is a fairly newer brand compared to other brands on the market that seeks to dominate the renewable energy market with high-quality products. The 400-watt solar panel kit features four 100-watt polycrystalline cell type panels with an actual power output of 12 volts and 24 volts. Its solar charge controller comes with adjustable settings and a multi-function display system for easy usability. This item is compatible with lithium, AGM, lead-acid, and gel batteries. It can be connected in series without connectors or in parallel using branch connectors. The manufacturer offers a 25-year warranty on the panel’s transferable power output and a one-year warranty on the other components.
#6 Renogy 400 Watt (4 x 100 W) 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit
The Renogy brand dominates the market by manufacturing some of the best solar panels available. This particular product is similar in many ways to the one discussed above. But, instead of a 30A PWM controller, it comes with a 40A MPPT controller for more power and efficiency. The product features four 100-watt mono cell type panels with an output of between 400W and 800W. The solar panel kit also comes with a starter kit to help you get the most out of your system. During the sun’s peak hours, this item offers up to 97% peak efficiency and over 21% solar cell efficiency. When you order this product, it is delivered in multiple packages, unlike other solar panels.
#7 ECO-WORTHY 400W (4 x 100Watt) 24V Complete Solar Panel Kit
The 400-watt ECO-worthy solar panel is designed to offer great performance for a variety of applications. Like the rest, this kit features a four monocrystalline panel system with an inverter that can generate approximately 1.6kwh daily. It comes with a Li battery and a 60A LCD solar charge controller that provides an output of between 12 volts and 24 volts. The item is built in a sturdy design and quality construction that makes it highly durable.
Buyers’ Guide
Although most solar panels look similar from the outside, it’s the interior that makes each one unique. These essential off-grid power systems are different and come with features and built-in technology that determine their specific capabilities. This allows customers to buy them at different prices. Here are a few considerations you should make when choosing solar panels (explore various solar panel types).
Price
Price is the first element that more or less tells you the quality of a particular product. Although this is not always the case, it is a compelling factor most of the time. If you are searching for a cheap 400- watt system, you are most probably looking at a product with limited features.
Explore our comprehensive solar panel cost guide to assist you in planning your budget for purchasing solar panels.
Durability
Installing a solar energy system is a huge investment. Ideally, such huge investments should offer you service and meet your needs over a long period to give you value for your money. Different manufacturers use different materials to design and build their solar panels. You should choose a solar power kit with sturdy and high-quality construction for better durability. Always remember to check for the type of material used to make the product before purchasing it. That way, you are guaranteed to use your system effectively for a long time while withstanding extreme weather conditions. Explore our article to discover how many years solar panels last.
Efficiency
The efficiency levels of a solar panel determine how well it meets your specific needs. Highly efficient solar panels allow you to conserve solar energy and use it when you need it the most without experiencing any hiccups. Efficiency levels also determine how well your solar system converts solar energy into electricity and how much electricity it provides. In most cases, solar installations with fewer panels store, convert, and produce less energy even during peak sun hours. To make the most out of your system, you should go for a solar panel that offers excellent levels of efficiency.
Read also: How much Power do Solar Panels Generate?
Range
The range of coverage that a solar panel system offers is another important element to consider before choosing a specific product. Invest in a system based on the desired use and area of coverage. If you are a homeowner looking to install a solar system for your house, invest in a system that has wide coverage and different applications. If you are looking to install one in a smaller space like an RV (see our guide to installing solar panels on an RV), invest in a system with a low range and a few applications.
Warranty
Solar panels are built with light, expensive materials, and the chances of malfunctioning are very probable. In case of any faults in your system, a warranty is what enables you to return faulty solar panels and claim a new one within a specified period. Thus, it’s only prudent to invest in a solar panel system with the longest warranty and the best terms and conditions.
Battery
The quality of a solar energy system’s battery is a critical differentiator when choosing the ideal solar panel system. Invest in a product with a long-lasting battery when fully charged especially if you live in a geographical location with bad weather and low sun peak hours.
Read also: Solar4America Solar Panel Manufacturer Review
Reviews
Online reviews are important indicators of what to expect from your solar energy system particularly if you are not making a physical purchase. Ensure you check out the product’s reviews to get an idea of the quality and performance of a complete system.
Final Verdict
There are just a few products that meet all the requirements mentioned in the buyer’s guide. Finding a complete package is a difficult task. We have researched all the products listed in this article and we can safely say that the Xue-shelf Solar Panel Charging Kit is the best product that is currently listed on the market. This product is loaded with all the essential plus extra specs and features that truly justify its price tag. A layer of polycrystalline solar cells is integrated into this solar panel to increase its operational capacity of energy generation.
Xue-shelf has hit the boundaries to make this product highly portable and extremely user-friendly to its users. It weighs only 3.2kg. You can easily carry it without pulling a muscle. It has a unique foldable design plus a carrying handle. You’ll not need an extra carrying bag for its protection.
Lastly, this product is offered in a complete charging kit with all the essential cables and clips so that you don’t have to spend extra time and money to bring them into operational condition. It is a great product that you can utilize for both outdoor purposes and home-based applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need constant sunshine for my solar panels to work?
Not really. Solar panels work effectively in all daylight conditions and weather. Most solar panel systems work optimally at 10ºc. In fact, some solar panels start working inefficiently when the weather becomes too hot.
How long do solar panels last?
Most solar PV systems don’t have moving parts except the inverter. As such, they have a very long life span. In most cases, your inverter should last for more than 10 years while the panels can last for over 25 years. The best part? You can purchase an extended warranty for a few hundred bucks.
Does my solar panel need cleaning?
Yes. Most solar panel systems are self-cleaning when installed at an angle of over 15 degrees. However, you should visually inspect your panels frequently and rinse them whenever necessary.
Must my roof face south for my solar panels to work?
Not necessarily. Most solar PV systems function well when installed on a roof facing south, southwest, or southeast. However, it is better to place solar panels facing south because they perform at only 86% efficiency when they are installed facing west or east.
