Seraphim vs Jinko Solar Panels: Here’s What We Would Choose
Seraphim and Jinko solar panels are two very popular panels across Australia. But when it comes to comparing them, is there an obvious winner?
Well, it depends on a lot of factors really. Please don’t forget how each solar panel might suit different homeowners better as well.
Straight away, you can see that Jinko solar panels offer a longer warranty but also some higher end technology. Does this justify enough to be better than Seraphim?
Seraphim solar panels also provide an extremely quick payback period, enough to make you consider them above all else.
Let’s take a dive and find out, Seraphim solar panels vs Jinko solar panels, which one are we going to choose?
If you are interested in any of these solar panels, get a design consultation from my engineers here. We’ve got specific pages for Jinko solar proposals and Seraphim solar proposals.
Both Seraphim And Jinko Solar Panels Are Manufactured In China
Ok, to get started both of these solar panels are manufactured in China. This is totally normal as a large portion of the world’s solar panels come from China. It’s quite nice to know we’ve got a competition between 2 Chinese companies.
Either way, what this tells us is we can expect the same manufacturing conditions for each of these panels. As far as quality control and testing goes I can imagine these two are pretty similar.
One thing to note is I believe Jinko is larger and therefore manufacturers more panels. This could suggest they are more popular and therefore higher in demand. In fact, by 2019 they were the world’s biggest distributor.
It’s important to remember the level of quality in the manufacturing process to ensure the panel won’t break after a short period of time, leaving you in need of your warranty.
Jinko Solar Panels Come With a Better Warranty Period
Speaking of warranty periods, one thing for sure is that Jinko offers a better one than Seraphim solar panels. There isn’t too much in it, however some of the modules Jinko solar panels provide come with a longer warranty than Seraphim.
If we take Seraphims new S4 solar panel, we can see it comes with a pretty outdated 15 year warranty. Jinko seems to be taking the lead and initiative with their Tiger 370w series offering a strong 20 year warranty.
You may not think it, but those extra 5 years can make one big difference. For me this is important because it shows that Jinko has 5 more years of confidence in their solar panel compared to Seraphim.
It also allows homeowners 5 extra years of peace of mind, knowing that if this solar panel broke it would be covered under warranty. So, if you are interested in a longer term investment with a higher warranty, Jinko would be the best panel for you here.
Modules Available:
What I Like About It...
Overall, one of the best solar panels you can buy in the industry right now. It’s certainly giving Seraphim a big run for its money. The use of N Type technology is fantastic because it allows for a high performance and long lasting warranties.
It comes with a 20 year product warranty which is higher than Seraphim 15 year warranty. Of course it’s has a good efficiency rating and all round quality components of the panel, as shown with the 9 busbar technology.
Specifications:
20 Year Panel Warranty
30 Year Performance Warranty
370w Output Size
Operating Temperature(℃) -40℃~+85℃
Power Tolerance 0~+3%
19.67% Panel Efficiency
N Type Cells
Anti Reflection Tempered Glass
9BB Technology
What I Like About It...
This S4 has been around since 2020, however just recently in April 2022 Seraphim released another dual glass version which seems to come with some excellent specifications as well.
Overall, this panel is a high performer and going to provide you with a big and speedy return on investment. Being quite large in size allows you to maximise the available space you have on your roof to get the most energy from your system.
Specifications:
15 Year Panel Warranty
30 Year Performance Warranty
400w Output Size
Operating Temperature(℃) -40℃~+85℃
Power Tolerance 0~+3%
20.48% Panel Efficiency
P Type Cells
Anti Reflection Tempered Glass
Both Solar Panels Have High End And Budget Modules Available
Something that did impress me was the diversity of modules both Seraphim and Jinko manufacture. Both of them provide high end solar panels, like the Seraphim S4 module and the Jinko Tiger 440w or 370w N Type series.
Not only this, they also provide some amazing affordable budget solar panels such as the Jinko Cheetah 370w series and Seraphim S2/S3 series. This is excellent for homeowners who are looking to accomplish a goal.
Whether you want to get a quick payback period for a low cost budget system, you can achieve this with either one of these solar panels. On the other hand, if you are interested in looking for a long term system you can choose a higher end panel.
Overall, it suggests both these companies are trying to adapt and shape the solar industry to provide for all areas of homeowners. This way quality is maintained, without having to increase the price of solar overall.
Jinko Uses N Type Cells Which Makes Them The Most Efficient
One thing that did impress me was the technology used by Jinko. For their Tiger series they used N Type cells, which are the same used in solar panels like Sunpower and previously LG.
This is some of the best advanced technology that is used in solar in this day and age. Right now, on a commercial scale the manufacturing of N Type cells means Jinko has an advantage over Seraphim in terms of performance and quality.
Of course, this explains the reason why Jinko solar panels have a higher warranty period than Seraphim because of the N Type cell technology that is used.
I suppose one thing to take from this is how Jinko is investing with the times and using high end, advanced technology compared to Seraphim who still seem to be using standard mono/polycrystalline cells.
This puts Jinko into a brighter future as it suggests they are looking to focus on high quality technology for their solar panels and maybe move away from the lower end, budget technology.
Jinko Solar Panels Has Been Around For Longer Than Seraphim Solar Panels
Which moves me onto my next point quite well. Jinko has actually been around for longer than Seraphim solar panels. Jinko started in 2006 whereas Seraphim started in 2011. These extra 5 years could have allowed for bigger funding and a reputation.
Not only this, but it allowed Jinko extra time to research and advance their solar panels to where they are today. I know there isn’t much in it, but it still could make quite a difference.
Another thing to mention is how long both of these panels have been around for. This shows resilience and quality in the company. It also shows that you can be confident that neither of these solar panels are going anywhere, so your warranty is safe.
Start-up companies come with a high risk, so it’s delightful to see both of these have been around and are low risk, blue chip companies worth investing in their products.
Both Of These Solar Panels Can Provide You With a Very Fast Payback Period
As well as having such high quality solar panels, both Jinko and Seraphim are two panels that can give any homeowner a very fast payback period.
For me, if a homeowner is only interested in affordable options for a quick payback and massive returns I’d suggest either of these two solar panels.
This is mostly due to the affordability from Jinko and Seraphim. Due to them being manufactured in China, us Australians are able to get a fantastic price on these panels. The more affordable they are, the quicker the payback period.
Right now, with energy prices on the rise it’s best to consider a system like this to maximise your returns.. I’ve explained all in my post about “installing solar now or waiting”.
Overall, if your goal is to get some high quality solar panels that pay themselves off in just a few years then these two would be something you should highly consider.
Which One Would We Choose?
It’s a very tough call. To be honest, you really can’t go wrong with either of these solar panels and therefore we hate to choose a winner.
Don’t forget, no 1 solar panel module is best for every home. Each homeowner is different and each solar panel can perform a task differently to the rest. Therefore, cookie cutter solar is always going to end in an expensive mistake.
However, on paper I’d probably say the Jinko N Type because I’m such a big fan of N Type technology. It’s high performing and focuses on long lasting solar which is where the long warranty comes in.
Don’t be fooled though, you might find when speaking to a design engineer that they recommended Seraphim, this doesn’t mean Jinko is bad, it just means Seraphim might suit your home and your goals better.
Overall, both of these panels are Tier 1 which is the best you can get in Australia and both of them have won several quality and performance awards in the solar industry. I suppose it’s your personal preference.
Conclusion
So, that’s my comparison between Jinko and Seraphim solar panels. Like I mentioned above, you honestly can’t go wrong with either one of these solar panels.
Both of them are going to give you amazing payback periods and both come with pretty good warranties.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Are you a proud owner of either of these panels? Share what you think of them with everyone else below.
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Written By:
Luke Cove
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Electrical
2 thoughts on “Seraphim Vs Jinko”
Thanks for your great blog posts. I do have a request: in future posts of solar module specifications, could you please include the following important panel parameters: the percentage power loss per year over time (the very best panels keep up to 92% of their original power after 25 years), the temperature sensitivity (the very best panels lose only -0.24% per degree C higher temperature, at Pmax), and the power density (the very best panels get up to 220 Wp per square meter).
Thanks!
I had sephrem panels installed 3 years ago and can’t fault them. In the beginning I was always checking the power output of each panel and they were working as they should, that is output. It’s a 6.6kw system with a Solar edge inverter. In the summer time I regularly get 30 to 42kw per day. I only use 10/12kw per day so in spring summer I really do well. Autumn Winter I am still very much ahead but they obviously don’t produce as much. I’ve never had a bill since installing them and have always been in credit.