Hi @Wilko
I think you are on the right track, at this point it will be hard to distinguish between those options. It’s really weighing up risk. As a generalisation, spending the extra money will lower your risk of something going wrong with the panels over their expected 25+ year lifetime. And also maintaining the power output. From that perspective, spending an extra $1k up front probably is worth it.
I won’t comment on the specific make and models here, but I would say that you are better off paying more for better quality panels, it will pay off in the long run. See our article on best solar panels for more specific guidance
Cheers
Marty
See our Solar Power Melbourne page:
https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/solar-power-installers-melbourne-victoria