Solar panels
LONGi Hi-MO X6 Scientist (LR5-54HTB) Solar Module
This is a national, editorial, whole-system estimate — not this specific module's price. This catalog's real, seller-observed prices (P3c) are per-module, in the low hundreds of dollars, because that is the only scope real retail sellers publish for individual panels. The two numbers describe different things and must never be shown as if they were the same figure.
Back-contact (HPBC) cell module substituting for Panasonic EverVolt in this catalog, since Panasonic exited residential solar manufacturing in April 2025.
Our take
Panasonic's EverVolt line — still referenced by plenty of 2024-and-earlier buying guides — is discontinued with no successor brand; existing owners are still covered but no new units are being made. LONGi's back-contact cell design is the closest current technology to what Panasonic offered, but it comes with two real trade-offs versus the rest of this catalog: the shortest product warranty here (12 years, versus 25-40 elsewhere) and the weakest temperature coefficient (-0.35%/°C, meaning it gives up more output on hot afternoons than any other panel in this set).
Best for
Buyers specifically drawn to back-contact cell technology, in climates without extreme summer heat.
Watch out for
The 12-year product warranty and -0.35%/°C temperature coefficient are both weaker than every other panel in this catalog — this is a real trade-off, not a rounding difference.
Compare against
Canadian Solar HiKu7 Solar Module
21.6-22.7% efficient module positioned on cost per watt rather than peak specification.
JA Solar DeepBlue 4.0 Pro (JAM54D41) Solar Module
22-22.8% efficient module with a notably shorter product warranty than every other panel in this catalog.
JinkoSolar Tiger Neo (JKM-N-54HL4R-BDB) Solar Module
21-22.5% efficient N-type module substituting for LG in this catalog, since LG exited solar panel manufacturing in June 2022.
Maxeon 7 Residential Solar Module
24.1% efficient module with a 40-year warranty and the lowest degradation rate on the market.
Before you buy this
Ask what the production estimate is based on — an actual shading analysis or a rule of thumb — and what export rate it assumes; net metering rules move the payback more than any panel spec. Confirm the quote isn't still claiming the 30% federal credit: it expired for anything placed in service after 31 December 2025. If financed, ask for the all-in cost including interest, not just the monthly payment.