Solarworld - Solar Panel Reviews

About Solarworld

SolarWorld was a German manufacturer of tier one solar panels - and like most panel producers in Germany, is no more.

Company Info

SolarWorld was founded in 1988, and in 1998 the company's activities were transferred to SolarWorld AG, which went public in 1999. The company manufactured solar panels from two locations in Germany, and it had a plant in the USA.

SolarWorld had a tumultuous history. Among the firm's woes, its share price tanked in 2006. Around 2008, SolarWorld entered into an agreement with US polysilicon producer Hemlock to buy silicon from them at a set price. After silicon prices fell, Solarworld decided they’d rather not do that and broke their agreement. So, Hemlock sued them. Back in March 2013, Hemlock wanted $83 million US in damages and in 2016 they want $793 million US; or over one billion Australian.

In October 2016 SolarWorld announced an inability to meet revenue forecasts for that year and the month before it announced the company would lay off 500 workers.

In May 2017, SolarWorld AG announced it would be filing for insolvency. Then in August, an agreement was signed for the purchase and transfer of SolarWorld AG, SolarWorld Industries Sachsen GmbH, SolarWorld Innovations GmbH and SolarWorld Industries Thüringen GmbH to SolarWorld Industries GmbH. Not part of the deal was SolarWorld Americas, which continued to do its own thing.

The new company took on the warranty obligations of the old SolarWorld.  More on these two events can be found here.

But the company continued to have problems and was also battling increasing headwinds from cheaper Chinese imports. Meanwhile, SolarWorld Americas was put up for sale in 2017 to help resolve the debts of its parent company. In 2018, SunPower Corp acquired some of SolarWorld Americas' assets, including the Hillsboro, Oregon plant; and at a bargain basement price.

Just months after it was resurrected as SolarWorld Industries GmbH, the new company filed for bankruptcy.

SolarWorld Panels In Australia

SolarWorld’s standard sized 60 cell solar panels that were last available in Australia were in the 280 to 300 watts range and were up to 17.9% efficient.

The company also produced a bifacial panel called Bisun. A bifacial panel is one that that instead of glass on one side and an opaque backsheet, the solar cells are sandwiched between two sheets of glass. In addition, rather than having a light blocking coating on one side that reflects back through the solar cells, this panel has none and so and could benefit from light coming from the front and from behind.

Warranty Information

All Solarworld panels had a 20 year product warranty. They also had a 25 year performance warranty, except for their Bisun panel, which was 30 years.

SolarWorld did not have an Australian office, which means the company that imported the panels is responsible for their product and performance warranties - unfortunately, we're not sure who that is or was. But the party who installed the panels is the first port of call for any warranty related issues.