LONGi Vs Trina - Which panels are better for you?

Find out the differences between LONGi and Trina and which panels are more suited to your home.

LONGi Solar and Trina Solar are both tier 1 solar panel manufacturers and are considered very reputable companies in the solar industry. However, when you compare between two specific models, one from each manufacturer, you can spot the differences and make an educated decision on which solar panel to choose for your project.

Trina solar 390 Wp panels can be considered better as they provide more power per module than LONGi 350 Wp panels. The price of the solar panel is another key decision making factor when deciding to pick one of the two solar panels.

This article explores the difference between the panels based on power, product and system certificates, efficiency, and dimensions of the solar panels.

LONGi Solar

LONGi Solar was established in 2000 and has an annual operating revenue of 8.41 billion USD. The solar company is headquartered in Shaanxi, China and supplies more than 30 GW of high efficiency solar wafers and modules worldwide, about a quarter of global market demand. LONGi produces monocrystalline silicon wafers and modules and delivers solutions for distributed and ground mount power systems.

LONGi Solar – LNG-LR6-600PH0350M

LONGi Solar modules are highly efficient and reliable, they are proven to have an average cell efficiency of 20%. The most advanced module manufacturing technologies are applied to get lower LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy), excellent performance at Light Induced Degradation (LID) and to ensure the power generation and investment revenue for customers. 

The solar panel comes with system and product certifications including IEC 61215 and IEC 61730. The solar panels have a 12-year product warranty covering materials and processing and a 25-year linear power output warranty. Annual degradation is less than 2% in the first year (light induced degradation losses) and 0.55% from year 2 to 25. 

Figure 1: LONGi Solar warranties (source - data sheet)


The solar panel has a length of 1,762 mm and a width of 994 mm. The panel weighs 19 kg and is 35 mm thick. The solar frame can withstand snow load of up to 5,400 Pa on the front and wind loads of up to 2,400 Pa on the rear side. The cell orientation is 6 parallel and 2 series. The Junction box is IP67 rated, and the output cable size are 4mm2 in cross section. 3.2mm coated tempered glass is used to protect the solar cells.

The solar panel has an operational temperature between -40°C to +85°C. The power output tolerance is 5 W, the maximum system voltage is 1,500 VDC and maximum series fuse rating is 20 A. 

Figure 2: Solar panel size (source - data sheet)

Trina Solar

Trina Solar was established in 1997 and has an annual operating revenue of 4.26 billion USD. The solar company is headquartered in Changzhou, China and has supplied more than 70 GW of solar modules worldwide. As a vertically integrated company, Trina Solar ensures the strictest standards of quality for PV systems across the entire supply chain.

Trina Solar – TSM-DE-390W

Trina Solar modules are efficient and reliable, they are proven to have an average cell efficiency rate of 19.2%. Trina uses multi busbar technology combined with mono PERC cells to have a higher power output. The solar panel has received consistently high bankability ratings from BNEF (Bloomberg New Energy Finance), banks and investors. The panels are highly reliable as they undergo over 30 in house tests, many of which go beyond certification requirements. In addition, the panels are certified to withstand challenging environmental conditions covering solar mist corrosion, ammonia corrosion and blowing sand.

The solar panel comes with complete system and product certifications including IEC 61215 and IEC 61730. The solar panels come with 10-year product workmanship warranty and 25-year linear power output warranty. 

Figure 3: Trina Solar warranties (source - data sheet)


The solar panel has a length of 2,024 mm and a width of 1,004 mm. The panel weighs 22.8 kg and is 35 mm thick. The solar frame can withstand snow loads of up to 5,400 Pa on front and wind loads of up to 2,400 Pa on the rear side. The Junction box is IP68 rated, and the output cables are 4mm2 in cross section. 3.2mm coated tempered glass is used to protect the solar cells. The solar panel has an operational temperature of -40°C to +85°C. The maximum system voltage is 1,500 VDC and maximum series fuse rating is 20 A. 

Figure 4: Solar panel size (source - data sheet)

Comparison

Product and system certificates

SpecificationLONGi 350WpTrina 390 Wp
IEC61215 (Design and Qualification approval)YesYes
IEC61730 (Global standard for PV module safety)YesYes
ISO9001 (Quality management system)YesYes
ISO14001 (Environment management system)YesYes
OHSAS18001 (Occupational health and safety)YesYes

The solar panels from Trina solar have all product and system certificates that LONGi has and in addition Trina also has UL1703, IEC61701 and IEC62716 certificates, making Trina solar more reliable than LONGi. 

Product warranty

SpecificationLONGi 350WpTrina 390 Wp
Product warranty1210
Liner power performance warranty2525

Both Trina and LONGi offer 25-year linear power performance warranty, however LONGi in addition offers 12-year product warranty as opposed to 10 years offered by Trina. 

Electrical characteristics

SpecificationLONGi 350WpTrina 390 Wp
Maximum power (Pmax)350390
Open circuit voltage (Voc)38.548.5
Short circuit current (Isc)11.8110.3
Voltage at maximum power (Vmp)31.840
Current at maximum power (Imp)11.019.75
Module efficiency (%)20%19.20%

The above electrical characteristics are observed at standard test conditions (STC) of 1,000 W/m2, cell temperature of 25C. The solar panel from Trina has a higher maximum power rating than the solar panel from LONGi. However, LONGi has a higher efficiency than Trina at STC.

Mechanical characteristics

SpecificationLONGi 350WpTrina 390 Wp
Solar cellsMono crystallineMono crystalline
Module dimensions (mm)1762 x 994 x 352024 x 1004 x 35
Weight (kg)1922.8
Glass3.2 mm coated tempered glass3.2 mm coated tempered glass
Encapsulant materialEVAEVA
Back sheetWhiteWhite
Frame35 mm anodized aluminum body35 mm anodized aluminum body
J-boxIP67 ratedIP68 rated
Cables4.0mm24.0mm2
ConnectorMC4TS4

The notable difference in mechanical characteristics lies in the dimension and weight of the solar panels. As Trina panels have more power, their dimension and weight are much higher compared to LONGi.

Most of the other parameters are similar, however Trina offers IP68 rating on the junction box as opposed to IP67 by LONGi. 

Maximum ratings

Specification
LONGi 350Wp
Trina 390 Wp
Operational temperature
-40 to 85C
-40 to 85C
Maximum system voltage
1,500 Vdc
1,500 Vdc
Max series fuse rating
20 A
20 A
Snow load
5,400 Pa
5,400 Pa
Wind load
2,400 Pa
2,400 Pa

The maximum ratings are the same for both brands of solar panels. 

Verdict

Both Trina Solar and LONGi Solar are tier 1 manufacturers. Tier 1 solar manufacturers use the best grade of silicon to produce solar cells. Higher the silicon grades the better the solar panel will perform. The solar panels from both suppliers are similar in many ways, however the key differences can be summarized as follows:

  1. Solar panel from Trina packs more power into the module
  2. LONGi offers longer product warranty than Trina
  3. LONGi has better efficiency at STC
  4. Trina panels are heavier and slightly larger than LONGi

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