Boviet Solar USA is a Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer. Image source: Solar Builder Magazine
Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd is a highly regarded solar panel manufacturing company based in Vietnam. The company also has a Boviet Solar USA office located in San Jose, California.
Not only has Boviet gotten a stamp of approval from Bloomberg Finance by landing a spot on their Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer list, they’ve also been crowned a PVEL Top Performer for three consecutive years.
In order to earn these titles, Boviet had to meet rigorous third-party financial, operational, and production standards. These prestigious awards can really set apart a company as a reliable, high-quality solar manufacturer.
So, we know that Boviet is a trustworthy company, but how do their solar panels actually stack up to their competitors? Should you be putting Boviet panels on your home? Let’s find out.
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Boviet manufactures residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar panels, including bifacial solar modules.
Boviet has one residential solar module product line: the Gamma Series. The panels use half-cut monocrystalline PERC cells. That’s a mouthful, but all that really means is they’re using efficient solar cells. You can choose Gamma Series panels that have 9 busbars, which have power outputs between 355 watts (W) and 370 W, or 10 busbar models, which have outputs between 430 W and 450 W.
The black line, as you can probably guess, has a black aluminum frame and a black backsheet. By using all-black materials, the black line has a more uniform look, so they won’t stand out as much on your roof.
You can choose between a 315 watt (W), 320 W, or 325 W monocrystalline model in each of the lines.
How do Boviet solar panels compare to other solar panels on the market?
| Specification | Gamma Series (9 busbar) | Gamma Series (10 busbar) |
|---|---|---|
| Power rating | 355 W - 370 W | 430 W - 450 W |
| Efficiency rating | 19.2% - 20% | 19.8 - 20.7% |
| Power tolerance | 0 ~ +5W | 0 ~ +5W |
| Cell type | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline |
| Product warranty | 12-year | 12-year |
| Performance warranty | 25-year; 2.5% degradation Year 1; 0.6% annual degradation Year 2 - 25 | 25-year; 2.5% degradation Year 1; 0.6% annual degradation Year 2 - 25 |
Power rating
The power rating of a solar panel is a measure of how much electricity a solar panel will produce under Standard Test Conditions, or ‘STC’. Solar panels installed in the U.S. usually have power ratings between 350 and 400 W.
Boviet offers panels that fall all across that spectrum: the 9-busbar models are closer to 350, while the 10-busbar models exceed 400 W.
Most home solar panel installations will be just fine using the 9-busbar models. However, the more powerful models are great if you have a small roof that limits how many solar panels you can install.
Efficiency rating
The efficiency rating of a panel tells you how much of the electricity that hits a solar panel will actually be turned into electricity. The average range for solar panel efficiency in the U.S. is between 17% and 20%.
Boviet modules fall right within the industry average, but would still be considered ‘high efficiency’. The 450 W model is the most efficient solar panel the company offers, with a rating of 20.7%. This is not the highest efficiency solar panel on the market, but it’s still up there.
Power tolerance
The power tolerance of a solar panel can be a bit tricky to understand.
All solar panels have a power rating, but how much electricity they can produce can actually fluctuate slightly, even if the conditions are the same. The power tolerance rating tells you how much the power rating can actually change.
Most solar panels have a power tolerance rating between -0/+3% and -0/ +5%, meaning the panel won’t operate less than its power rating, but it could produce 5% more than its power rating. Boviet actually lists their power tolerance rating in watts, not as a percentage, so it’s fairly easy to understand.
Boviet’s solar panels will operate at no less than their rated power output, but could operate as much as 5 W higher under STC. This works out to be a little bit lower than that 3%-5% average, but the only thing that really matters is that it will operate at least at what it’s rated.
Tier 1 rating
Boviet is a Tier 1 solar panel manufacturing company.
Getting onto Bloomberg’s Tier 1 solar manufacturer list doesn’t have anything to do with the physical solar panels, it’s a reflection of the company itself. In order to be a Tier 1 solar brand, a company must:
- Have been manufacturing panels for at least five years
- Are publicly listed or have a stable balance sheet
- Use fully-automated production
- Have substantial marketing investments
- Strong reputation for quality
SolarReviews recommends going with Tier 1 solar companies because they’re reliable. This is especially important when it comes to honoring warranties years down the line. You don’t want to choose a solar panel company that won’t be in business in 20 years if there’s a defect with your panels - which will last at least 20-25 years. Having the Tier 1 rating means that the company is financially stable, and will likely stick around for a while.
PVEL Top Performer rating
PVEL is an independent group and partner of DNV GL, an international classification society, that completes third-party testing of solar products.
They use what they call a ‘PV Module Reliability Scorecard’ to test how panels operate under various conditions in order to determine how they will hold up in real-world applications. They look at things like potential induced degradation (PID), thermal cycling, and mechanical load sequencing. You can read more about the PVEL scorecard criteria here.
Boviet has been listed as one of PVEL’s Top Performers for three consecutive years.
How much do Boviet solar panels cost?
You can expect to pay around $20,300 for an average-sized solar system using Boviet modules, before any incentives or rebates are taken into consideration. This works out to about $2.90 per watt of Boviet panels installed.
This is slightly lower than the average cost of solar in the U.S., which is $3.00 per watt as of January 2023.
What kind of warranty do Boviet solar panels have?
Boviet solar panels come with two warranties: a 12-year product warranty and 25-year production warranty.
The 12-year product warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship 12 years after the date of purchase, so long as the panels have been operated and installed as intended. This is a pretty standard product warranty for most solar panels on the market.
Boviet’s production warranty tells you how much electricity you can expect the panel to produce after 25 years. As solar panels age, they lose some of their ability to produce electricity. After one year, a Boviet solar panel will operate at at least 97.5% of its original power rating. A 2.5% drop in production during year one falls in line with industry standards.
For the remaining 24 years of the warranty, Boviet guarantees the panel’s power rating will not drop more than 0.6% per year. This is higher than the average solar degradation rate of 0.5% per year (when it comes to solar degradation, lower numbers are better).
So, what does that mean? Basically, Boviet solar panels will produce less power over time than other competing panels because they have the potential to degrade faster. However, we will say that this is an improvement over Boviet’s older panel warranties, so they are trying to improve!
Should you install Boviet solar panels on your roof?
Boviet solar panels are a solid choice for homeowners looking to go solar. They aren’t the most state-of-the-art, high-end panels, but they’ll get the job done reliably. Boviet’s Tier 1 status and PVEL award can also give you some peace of mind that a Boviet system will operate well. Plus, they come at a pretty reasonable price.
However, Boviet’s performance warranty does fall short of industry standards, so you might want to keep that in mind when you’re comparing solar panel brands.
The best way to find out what solar panels are right for you is by talking to a local solar installer. Your installer will know which panels operate best in your region, what type of solar energy system design is right for your roof, and what modules will work best for your price range.
Key takeaways
- Boviet Solar USA is a Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer that produces both residential and commercial solar modules.
- Boviet has one line of solar panels, the Gamma Series, which comes in 9-busbar and 10-busbar models.
- Residential solar panels from Boviet range from 355 W to 450 W in size.
- Based on their performance warranty, Boviet solar panels may degrade faster than some of their competitors.
- Boviet solar panels cost about $2.90 per watt before incentives, which is lower than the national average cost of solar in the U.S.
Jen Merithew
Written Content Manager
Catherine is the Written Content Manager at SolarReviews, where she has been at the forefront of researching and reporting on the solar industry since 2019.