Winaico - Solar Panel Reviews

About Winaico

Founded in 2008, Winaico is a Taiwanese company that sells bifacial solar panels.  They used to manufacture in Taiwan but now their panels are made in China.  Their residential ones have product and performance warranties of 30 years.  They're also the only manufacturer that provides insurance covering everything from hail damage to emus kicking in your panels.  It's only 2 years, but it's free and can be extended to 5 years for a fee.  

The company has had a physical local presence here since 2012 - a very handy thing for tech support and warranty issues. Winaico's Australian office is in Sydney. 

Winaico Reliability

Winaico says only 0.01% of their panels installed in Australia have had a warranty claim made against them.  That's one in 10,000 panels.  This doesn't mean the chance of a panel failing over the course of a 30 year warranty is only 1 in 10,000, but even if the actual failure rate is five times as high, those are still excellent odds.

All Bifacial

All of Winaico's panels are bifacial.  This means they have glass on the front and back and can make use of light hitting either side.  When mounted in angled racks this can increase generation.  But for rooftop solar the panels are normally only cm above the roof, so very little light can get in from the sides.  This means they'll provide little or no benefit.  But there's no harm in using them -- there just won't be any noticeable increase in output.

Winaico Residential Panels

At the time of writing in September 2024, Winaico has three residential panels available, but they say they have another coming soon.  The main difference between residential panels and ones aimed at commercial and utility installation is size.  Winaico's residential panels are 1.72m x 1.13m while their others are much longer.  Because their residential panels are the ones most likely to go on Australian roofs, I'll give details on them below. 

On the Winaico Australian website, they include a 2.09m long panel in both their residential and commercial categories, but I'll stick to giving information on their 1.72m long ones.

High Efficiency

The capacity of Winaico residential panels ranges from 435-450W and their efficiencies range from 22.5% to 23%.  Currently, I consider anything over 22% to be high efficiency.

The more efficient a panel is, the more energy it can generate from a limited amount of space.  If you have more roof space than the solar system you want requires, then efficiency isn't an important consideration.  (But you may want to consider getting a larger solar system.)

Typical Heat Tolerance

Heat reduces solar panel efficiency.  The output of Winaico residential panels declines by 0.3% for every 1°C panel temperature exceeds 25°C.  Many modern panels suffer similar losses, so this is typical.

Can Handle Minor Shading

Page 10 of the Winaico Installation Manual says:

"The mounting site should be as free as possible from shade of any kind."

It goes on to say...

"A module is regarded as free of shade if the entire surface is free of shade throughout the year, and with unhindered exposure to sunlight over a period of several hours per day, even on the most unfavourable days of the year."

This means the panels are suitable for installation where they will suffer from minor shading early and/or late in the day, making them suitable for most roofs.  This is superior to some panels which prohibit any shading at all.

At Least 15° Tilt Recommended

Winaico recommends a panel tilt of at least 15 degrees so rain will effectively clean them.  Most Australian roofs have slopes of either 15° or 22.5°, so this normally won't be a problem. Winaico allows panels at an angle less than this provided they're regularly cleaned.

Performance Warranty

Winaico residential panels have a 30 year performance warranty which promises that -- in relation to their original rating -- their output will degrade by no more than 1% in their first year and no more than 0.4% each subsequent year.  So after 25 years they will have a minimum of 89.4% of their original capacity and at 30 years they'll have at least 87.4%.  This is a low rate of permitted degradation, but isn't exceptional for modern performance warranties.  But the 30 year period is longer than the 25 years many panels have.

Product Warranty

Winaico residential panels have a 30 year product warranty that protects against defects in materials and construction.  This is longer than the 25 years that many panels now have and twice as long as the 15 years of some panels.

2 Years Free Insurance

Winaico is the only company I know that provides their panels with free insurance protecting against damage, loss of generation, and loss of income.  It lasts for two years, but if you are willing to pay you can extend it to 5.  Just some of the types of damage it covers are:

• Hail
• lightning
• Flooding
• Theft
• Accidents
• Gnawing, pecking, and biting

One thing it doesn't cover is damage from "nuclear power".  But I don't know if that's the sort that raises electricity bills or levels cities. 

You can also receive limited compensation for loss of output. 

Warranty Claim Procedure For Orphaned Customers

If you have an issue with your Winaico panels you should contact your installer first.  But if they've gone out of business, Winaico becomes responsible for handling warranty claims. Their contact number is 02 8091 2771 - and they have advised they have a network of installers that can handle the process from start to finish.

In addition to Winaico's warranties, you are also protected by Australian consumer law and Winaico has stated they understand and respect Australian consumer protections. 

My Recommendation

Winaico panels have demonstrated reliability under Australian conditions and have a low failure rate.  The 30 year product and performance warranties of their residential panels provide extensive protection, and they also have 2 years free insurance covering most types of damage.  For these reasons, we have no problem including Winaico panels among the ones we recommend.  

Find out how Australians with these panels are faring in the reviews below - and if you're an owner of these modules, please feel free to add your own Winaico solar panels review.