Silfab was founded in 2010, but in just a little over ten years it achieved prominence in the solar industry. Despite being a young company, Silfab actually had 40 years of experience in the industry to build upon – all thanks to its founders. Ten years after the company was started, PVEL called it a ‘top performer’, giving its products high scores in four different categories.
Silfab has been a steady source of innovation for the solar industry. For example, we have this company to thank for the Metal-Wrap-Through technology, which added to the efficiency of solar panels and made them more aesthetically pleasing at the same time.
Silfab is one of the few truly North American solar brands. The company pays a lot of attention to adapting the modules’ performance to a wide range of different climates across the North American continent. The company is famous for the 30 year performance warranties that cover all their products. Silfab can afford it – the two state of the art facilities in the US and Canada are highly automated and keep the quality at a consistently high level.
Silfab Solar Panels
In North America, Silfab is a leader in solar panel manufacturing. The main feature of the company’s products is very high power density, making it the first choice of people who wish to make the most from every available square foot. Silfab is one of the very few companies that develop and manufacture their products in North America. And this is what makes the company really stand out. The brand optimizes the performance of solar panels to fit a wide range of often harsh climates across the North American continent.
About Silfab company
Founded in 2010, Silfab still has the advantage of vast experience in the solar industry. This is due to the company’s founders who each brought expertise from an important field. This included engineering and manufacturing, product development, etc. In just a decade, the company achieved huge success. In 2020 it was named ‘top performer’ by PVEL, achieving high scores in four different categories.
The company releases new technologies into the North American market on a regular basis. It was Silfab that came up with the Metal-Wrap-Through technology, removing the extra metal that would otherwise be interfering with optimal light absorption. At the same time it made Silfab solar panels more aesthetically pleasing, giving them a more uniform look without unnecessary gaps between the cells.
The solar panels, considered by many as premium, are made by two plants: one in the USA and another in Canada. The facility in the state of Washington, USA, recently doubled its capacity and is now capable of producing more than 2.5 million solar panels per year.
Silfab solar panels for sale
Silfab 370W Solar Panel 120 Cell SIL-370-HC
Specifications:
Condition — New
Backsheet color — black
Cell number — 120 cell
Connector Type — MC4
DC/Charger Volt Compatible — 12v, 24, 48v
Dimensions LxWxH — 69.4 x 40.8 x 1.37 in
Frame color — black
Manufacturer — Silfab
Model — 370WSIL-370-HC
Normal Operating Cell Temperature — -40 °F to +185 °F
Rated Efficiencies — 20.2%
Scope of application — Residential, Commercial, Boats and RV systems
Use — Grid-Tie, Off-Grid
Weight — 44 lbs
Price per Watt — $0.93
Rated Power Output — 370 W
Voltage (VOC) — 41.75
Cell Type — Monocrystalline
Warranty — 12-year product and 30-year performance warrantyDelivery Time — 5-7 business days across the US
Few things put quality at risk more often than human factor. Silfab has resolved this issue by fully automating their manufacturing lines. They comply with a very well-known quality management standard – ISO 9001-2015. This obsession over quality allows Silfab to offer longer performance warranties than most manufacturers.
When it comes to efficiency, Silfab solar panels perform on par with the modules from market leaders such as Sunpower and LG. Silfab Elite series achieve an efficiency of 21.4%. Coupled with a low temperature coefficient of 0.36%, as well as PERC and back contact technologies, this allows Silfab solar panels to show consistently high real-world performance.
Warranty And Service
The performance warranty offered by Silfab is hard to rival. Very few companies are ready to guarantee the performance of your solar panels for 3 decades to come. Not only is the warranty good, but the performance figures are also impressive. 30 years after the purchase, your Silfab panels are guaranteed to perform at 82.6% or more of their original capacity.
Unlike many other manufacturers, Silfab extends the same warranty over all the models they manufacture. The company offers a solid 25-year guarantee, but with a condition. To make sure the panels are installed properly, Silfab incentivizes the customers to contract professionals registered with the company. If the condition is met, the default 12 year product warranty will be extended to 25 years.
What to look for when choosing a Silfab solar panel
Silfab doesn’t make that many different solar panel models, but it’s nice to know how to identify the best one for your particular conditions. People usually guide their decision process by the following four things:
Price per watt of capacity. Due to different output ratings, some models may seem more expensive at a first glance. The only way to objectively compare prices of different models is looking at how much they cost per watt
Snow and wind loads. Most solar panels can resist very harsh weather without any consequences. This is especially true of Silfab solar panels. The brand takes into account the climates across North America to adapt their products. Still, you can use maximum wind and snow loads from the datasheets to find out which model is more resistant
Shading. Even partial shade can significantly affect the performance of your system. Hence, the performance of a given PV module in these conditions is of crucial importance. If you want to safeguard against this issue, look for panels marked as good performers in shaded conditions. A higher number of bypass diodes is also associated with better performance when part of the panel gets shaded
Nameplate capacity. With the more powerful panels usually being more efficient, it pays to go with the higher nameplate capacity. Note, however, that it comes with increased size and weight and make sure you are okay with those
FAQ
Q: Do Silfab solar panels meet the requirements of the Buy American Act?
A: Since Silfab manufactures a large quantity of PV modules on the US soil, it makes them fully compliant with the Buy American Act. It’s also worth mentioning that Silfab has been a supplier for the military and other US governmental agencies for quite a long time, which further proves the point.
Q: Is Silfab 30 year warranty a default or are there conditions to meet?
A: A 30 year power warranty is a default for all solar panels manufactured by Silfab. Only the product warranty is subject to extension on the condition of using the services of a Silfab-certified solar installer.
Q: Why are Silfab solar panels so cheap if it’s a premium brand?
A: Silfab sells a number of different solar panel series. The important characteristics and features vary from series to series, with some models being more affordable than others. Silfab allows you to find the perfect balance of efficiency/features and affordability.
