CertainTeed is a large North American manufacturer of building materials, including solar panels. Established in 1904 as the General Roofing Manufacturing Company, it is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain SA, a 300-year old materials company based in Paris. They typically manufacture their solar products in either Vietnam or the United States.
Whether you’re debating the merits of CertainTeed vs. SunPower panels or simply trying to evaluate your solar PV options, a thorough review of solar panel product specifications is the best way to be confident in your solar investment. EnergySage’s CertainTeed solar panel review breaks down all of the details to evaluate how CertainTeed compares to other solar panel brands on the market.
This is an unbiased review: EnergySage is not paid to review brands or products, nor do we earn money from affiliate advertising in this article. The content of this blog is based on research and information available at the time of writing. Learn more about our mission and how we make money as a company.
Key takeaways
- CertainTeed Solar makes solar panels and solar shingles, with offerings across their CT Series, US Series, and Apollo Series.
- CertainTeed solar products are between 17.2% and 20.3% efficient, and come with a 25-year warranty.
- CertainTeed solar products cost between $2.47 and $2.91/W on the EnergySage Marketplace.
- Shop for CertainTeed solar panels (and many other brands!) today on the EnergySage Marketplace.
CertainTeed Solar: panels, shingles, and tiles
CertainTeed offers several series of solar panels, solar shingles, and solar tiles for residential and commercial systems, including those below:
- CT Series
- US Series
- Apollo Series (for solar shingles and tiles)
EnergySage has reviewed the product specifications of each CertainTeed panel series to make your solar research process easier. As the leading online marketplace for homeowners considering solar, EnergySage is uniquely positioned to evaluate the technical specifications of CertainTeed solar panels and help you compare them to other manufacturers on the market.
How CertainTeed panels compare to other panel manufacturers
There are four key metrics that you should review as you evaluate solar panel quality: efficiency, performance, warranties, and price. EnergySage has developed CertainTeed panel reviews for each metric to help make your solar decision easier. We’ve also created a comparison of CertainTeed panels against other leading panel manufacturers that are frequently featured in offers to homeowners and businesses shopping for solar on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace.
Efficiency
The term “solar panel efficiency” refers to how well a solar panel captures sunlight and converts it into useful electricity. In the same conditions, a high-efficiency solar panel will produce more electricity than a lower-efficiency panel of the same size. For this reason, a higher efficiency rating is generally preferable.
The efficiency of your CertainTeed panels or shingles will vary depending on the specific model that you choose for your system. Panels in CertainTeed’s product line have an efficiency rating between 17.2% to 20.3%.
Performance (temperature coefficient)
For this portion of EnergySage’s CertainTeed solar panel review, we use the temperature coefficient to evaluate solar panel performance. The temperature coefficient is an indicator of how well your solar panel can handle less-than-ideal conditions. Solar panels, like other electronic equipment, perform better when they are kept cool (ideally around 25° C/77° F). The temperature coefficient tells you how much your panel’s performance will change during hot sunny summer days.
For every degree above 25° C (77° F), your solar panel’s electricity production will decrease by its temperature coefficient. For example, the CT330HC11-04 panel from their CT Series has a temperature coefficient of -0.42%/°C. This means that, if the panel’s temperature increases by one degree from 25° C (77° F) to 26° C (79° F), its electricity production will decrease by 0.42%. If its temperature increases all the way to 35° C (95° F), electricity production will reduce by 4.2%.
Your solar panels will likely see more than a few hot and sunny days over the course of each year, so ideally, they will have the lowest temperature coefficient possible. CertainTeed’s solar products have temperature coefficients between -0.36 and -0.42.
Warranties
Whether you’re buying a TV, a car, or solar panels, the manufacturer should stand behind their product with a strong warranty. A solar panel’s materials warranty (sometimes referred to as the product or equipment warranty) is a guarantee from the manufacturer that they will replace your panel if it fails as a result of manufacturing defects or environmental issues.
Most solar panel manufacturers offer a 10-year materials warranty, but some higher-end solar panels come with 25-year warranties (or more!) CertainTeed offers 25 year warranties against any defects in their solar panels, depending on the product line. You can read more about how CertainTeed warranties compared to other top companies in EnergySage’s solar warranties overview.
Check out our in-depth review of CertainTeed’s warranty.
How much do CertainTeed panels cost?
For many homeowners, the final decision around the solar equipment you choose rests on cost. The total price you pay for a solar energy system with CertainTeed panels will vary depending on the other equipment (such as inverters and mounts) used in the installation, as well as the characteristics of your roof.
To identify the range of prices for CertainTeed PV systems, we analyzed quotes including CertainTeed solar panels that homeowners received from installers on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace. Most CertainTeed PV systems are typically priced between $2.47 and $2.91 per watt, which makes them a strong value in the market for home solar.
This means that, for an average 6 kW system, your gross cost (before you subtract any tax credits or other incentives) would be anywhere from $14,820 to $17,460. Additionally, most homeowners end up paying much less than the total gross cost. With the 26 percent federal tax credit for solar, which everyone is eligible for, a 6 kW system with CertainTeed Solar panels would cost anywhere from $10,967 to $12,920. There are plenty of state-level solar incentives and rebates that can help you reduce upfront costs even further.
CertainTeed solar panels are best known in the EnergySage Marketplace for two things: being backed by a 100+ year old company (Saint-Gobain), and their extremely comprehensive warranty, which covers all aspects of the installation.
How to find the best price on CertainTeed solar panels
The best way to determine whether CertainTeed offers the best solar panels for your home is to review multiple quotes with different solar equipment options before making a decision. When you compare all of your options on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, you’ll find the right combination of price and quality that meets your needs.
Many of our qualified, pre-vetted solar installers offer CertainTeed in their quotes to EnergySage users. When registering, simply note in your profile that you’re interested in receiving quotes that include CertainTeed panels for your home.
