--- title: "Solar panel articles and analyses | ComparePV" description: "Long reads on solar panel datasheets and economics, each one built on figures computed from the modules in the ComparePV catalogue." source: "https://comparepv.com/articles" --- # Articles Analyses and guides on what a solar panel datasheet says and what it is worth. Every catalogue figure is computed from the listed modules when the page is served, and each article shows its method and sources. ## 01. All articles Newest first. #### Gross or net: why two shop prices are not comparable [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/gross-or-net-shop-prices) Which solar panel shops print prices with VAT and which without, market by market, and how to turn any shop price into a figure you can compare. - Prices - 8 October 2026 - 8 min read - Bart Szablowski #### How big are modern solar panels [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/how-big-are-modern-solar-panels) Length, width, weight, watts per square metre and per kilogram for every module in our catalogue, and what the common formats mean for roofs and lifting. - Specifications - 8 October 2026 - 7 min read - Bart Szablowski #### How many solar panels does a household need [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/how-many-solar-panels-does-a-household-need) Yearly kWh, your site's yield in kWh/kWp and one module's power give the module count. Worked for Warsaw, Munich and Seville, with the catalogue spread. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 8 min read - Bart Szablowski #### How to read a solar panel datasheet [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/how-to-read-a-solar-panel-datasheet) A field by field guide to the solar module datasheet, with typical values from our catalogue and three arithmetic checks that catch a figure that is wrong. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 10 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Is a bifacial solar panel worth it? [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/is-a-bifacial-solar-panel-worth-it) When the back of a bifacial module pays off, ground mount or roof, how bifaciality factors are spread in our catalogue and what bifacial modules cost per watt. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Pallet or single module: which is cheaper per watt? [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/pallet-or-single-module) How much cheaper per watt is a pallet or multipack of solar panels than a single module? Live shop offers, same shop and same module, with counts. - Prices - 8 October 2026 - 7 min read - Bart Szablowski #### How to choose panels for a hot climate [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/panels-for-a-hot-climate) Temperature coefficient or NOCT in the hottest hour of the day, with a worked example, catalogue spreads and what a better coefficient costs in shops. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### How to choose panels for a small roof or a balcony [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/panels-for-a-small-roof-or-balcony) On a small roof or balcony, module size sets how many whole modules fit. A worked example with catalogue formats, efficiency bands and Polish shop prices. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Product warranty versus performance warranty [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/product-warranty-vs-performance-warranty) How long solar module product and performance warranties run across our catalogue, how they differ by cell technology and maker, and what each one covers. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### The same module, different shop: how much prices differ [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/same-module-different-shop-price-spread) How far apart shop prices sit for the exact same solar module, measured on live offers before VAT, and what stock status and shop habits add to the gap. - Prices - 8 October 2026 - 8 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Solar panel price per watt by market [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/solar-panel-price-per-watt-by-market) What a rooftop solar module costs per watt before tax in each market, from live shop offers, with the spread inside each country and what it means for a buyer. - Prices - 8 October 2026 - 8 min read - Bart Szablowski #### STC power versus what you actually get [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/stc-power-versus-real-output) Why a solar panel rarely delivers its rated power, and how much heat, weaker light and power tolerance take away, from catalogue figures and PVGIS. - Performance - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### TOPCon or PERC when buying today? [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/topcon-or-perc) TOPCon or PERC? Efficiency, heat losses, warranted ageing and price per watt compared across our module catalogue and live Polish shop offers. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Voc, Isc and your inverter: reading voltage and current [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/voc-isc-and-your-inverter) Where Voc and Isc sit on a datasheet, how far cold raises the voltage and heat the current, and which inverter limits they are checked against. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 8 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Warranty terms across manufacturers [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/warranty-terms-across-manufacturers) Which manufacturers state the longest product and performance warranties in our catalogue, counted per company with a minimum number of datasheets each. - Buying - 8 October 2026 - 8 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Which power class is cheapest per watt [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/which-power-class-is-cheapest-per-watt) Does a watt cost less on a bigger solar module? Live shop offers split into five power classes, in Poland and across markets, with spreads and shop counts. - Prices - 8 October 2026 - 9 min read - Bart Szablowski #### Cell technology and the temperature coefficient [Read article](https://comparepv.com/articles/cell-technology-temperature-coefficient) Datasheet temperature coefficients grouped by cell technology across our catalogue, with medians, spreads and what the gap is worth on a hot roof. - Technology - 7 October 2026 - 7 min read - Bart Szablowski --- Source: https://comparepv.com/articles