Have a read of some of the posts on this forum:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/143?g=371From what I could tell opinions on solar panels are like buttholes - everyone has one...
People seem to talk about "Tier 1" solar panels. Some folk see Tier 1 panels as being good quality panels others say the Tier 1 is a reference to the 'value' of the mother company that makes the panels.
Three also seems to be lots of solar installers surreptitiously promoting their favorite products and slagging off the competition (at least on Aussie forums).
I have Jinko brand panels on my roof. They are a 'Tier 1' panel. They get good reviews but some folk bag them.
I figure a 10 year odd warranty is pretty good seeming my system will pay for itself in about 2.5 years.
Prior to the Jinko panels I had some cheap no-name Chinese panels that worked fine and were still going strong after 5 years with no issues.
There's also some useful information on this site. It's Aussie focused but it should apply anywhere the sun shines.
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/Some folk seem to try to wring the last Whr our of their system by mixing / matching as some panels cope with shade better than others.
I suspect a lot of this is enthusiasm based and may make little difference for run of the mill installations.
My system was cranking 5.1kW this morning so I'm pleased.