Hi @tjgriff
That’s a good question, whether to buy the premium panels or the “value” brand at a significantly cheaper price. I don’t know the answer. I use to err on the side of the value brand, but have more recently been converted to see the long term benefit of paying the premium price for higher quality. I think it comes down to a personal choice based on whether you have the extra $$$ to spend, and your risk levels (there’s generally less of a chance of anything going wrong if you choose the premium option).
I often think of it in terms of what your brand preference is when buying everyday household products or cars. Do you prefer the performance and comfort of a Mercedes, the reliability of a Toyota, or do you prefer to buy a (insert_cheaper_brand_here), with a lower price tag, but potential that it might cost you more than a Toyota in the long run because there’s more risk it’ll break down, or have some annoying problem. If you are looking for the best options for cheaper products, see here:
Having said that, I argue in our Guide To Buying Solar eBook that the decision of who to buy solar from is much more important. If I was really confident in the company that I was buying from, then I would be more comfortable buying the “value” brand of panels over the premium. Please take a look at the chapter on this:
Ch 2. Who should I Buy Solar From