Bosch Solar Panels Review (2026): Are They Any Good?
Bosch made solar panels in Germany for a few years and then left the industry in 2013, so you can’t buy new Bosch PV panels today. Bosch panels are still on UK roofs from the Feed-in Tariff years, though. Separately, Worcester Bosch sells Greenskies solar thermal panels that heat water rather than make electricity. This review covers what Bosch panels were like, what Bosch’s exit means for your warranty, how to repair, replace or add to an old Bosch system, what Greenskies is, and the best panels to buy instead.
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Does Bosch still make solar panels?
No. Bosch moved into solar by buying the German manufacturer ersol and taking a 90.7% stake in panel maker aleo solar. It made crystalline cells and modules at Arnstadt in Germany. Then panel prices crashed by as much as 40% in a year as Chinese production took off, and in January 2013 Bosch wrote down around €1bn on the business. The unwinding happened in stages:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 2013 | Bosch announces it will leave the crystalline solar business |
| February 2014 | aleo solar sold to an Asian consortium (Sunrise Global Solar Energy, Pan Asia Solar and Choshu Industry) |
| March 2014 | Arnstadt cell and module production, and about 800 staff, transferred to SolarWorld |
| October 2015 | Bosch announces the closure of its thin-film unit, Bosch Solar CISTech, completing its exit from solar PV |
Neither buyer lasted. SolarWorld filed for insolvency in 2017, and aleo solar stopped production at its Prenzlau factory in mid-2025. We couldn’t find any current Bosch-branded solar PV panels for homes, caravans or camping on sale in the UK. Listings for “Bosch” camping or portable panels are other brands.
Our scores
Our rating
Bosch c-Si M 60 (historic)
★★★☆☆ Solid German panels, but discontinued since 2013
The bottom line: good panels for their time, and most are still generating. But you can’t buy them, the product guarantee has expired and modern panels are far more efficient.
Get my Bosch alternative price →Were Bosch solar panels any good?
For their era, yes. Bosch’s crystalline panels, such as the 60-cell monocrystalline c-Si M 60, were built in Arnstadt with German engineering standards and had a reputation as a step above the cheapest imports of the time. Most were rated around 230–270W, typical of 2010–2013 panels. That’s roughly 15–16% efficiency, against 22–24% for a modern panel of the same size. In 2011 Bosch improved its terms to a 10-year product guarantee and a 25-year performance warranty, which was competitive then.
There was one notable blemish. In 2017 Bosch Solar Services in the US voluntarily recalled about 28,000 roof-mounted c-Si M 60 NA30119 modules. They were made in South Korea and sold in the US between 2011 and 2013, and could overheat. No incidents or injuries were reported, and the recall covered that US model only. Even so, if you have Bosch panels and notice scorch marks, a burning smell or a hot spot on your monitoring, get an MCS installer to inspect them.
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Check My Bosch System →What Bosch’s exit means for your warranty
Bosch didn’t go bust. It closed its solar business, and the wider Bosch group is very much still trading. For UK owners in 2026, that means:
- The product guarantee has expired. Bosch panels were sold up to about 2013, so a 10-year product guarantee would have ended by around 2023 at the latest.
- The 25-year performance warranty may technically still run, to the mid-2030s. But a claim needs proof that a panel has lost more output than the warranty allows, which usually means a lab flash test. Claims on panels from a closed business can be slow, so go through your original installer first if they’re still trading.
- Your installer’s workmanship guarantee has almost certainly expired too, after 12–15 years.
In practice, most owners of old Bosch systems pay for repairs themselves. Keep your MCS certificate and the panel datasheet, because you’ll need them for insurance, any warranty claim and selling the house. See solar panel warranties explained.
Living with an old Bosch system: repairs, inverters and batteries
A 12–15-year-old Bosch system can keep going for another decade or more. Crystalline panels typically lose well under 1% of their output a year. What usually fails first is the inverter, which typically lasts 10–15 years. If your monitoring shows zero output or the inverter shows a fault light, that’s the likely culprit, and a replacement costs £800–£1,500 (inverter replacement, how long inverters last).
If you’re on the Feed-in Tariff, keep it. Most FiT agreements run for 20–25 years and pay far more than today’s export rates. Tell your FiT supplier before changing anything that could affect your generation meter. The best upgrade for most old systems is adding a battery. An AC-coupled battery works alongside the existing inverter without touching the panels (add a battery to existing solar, AC vs DC coupled). See also solar panel repairs and servicing.
Replacing a Bosch panel or adding more
You can’t buy a new Bosch panel, so if one is cracked or failed there are three options:
- Find a close electrical match. An installer can fit a current panel with similar voltage and current ratings. Modern panels are usually bigger and more powerful, so check that the size fits the gap and the inverter can handle it.
- Use optimisers or microinverters on the replacement, so a mismatched panel doesn’t drag down the rest of the string (optimisers, micro-inverters).
- Replace the whole array if several panels are failing. Ten modern panels can produce half as much again from the same roof. Check the FiT position first, because removing panels can affect your FiT agreement.
Adding panels next to an old Bosch system is possible, but the new panels won’t earn Feed-in Tariff. They’re usually best on their own inverter or a hybrid inverter with a battery, earning Smart Export Guarantee payments (SEG tariffs compared). Ask an MCS installer to design it properly.
Worcester Bosch Greenskies: solar thermal, not PV
If you’ve seen “Worcester Bosch solar panels” or “Greenskies”, that’s a different product altogether. Worcester Bosch, the Bosch group’s UK boiler and heating brand, sells Greenskies solar thermal collectors, which heat water in a cylinder rather than generating electricity. The current Greenskies Solar Lifestyle is a flat-plate collector (the portrait model is about 2.0 × 1.2m, 2.37m² and 40kg) that can go on-roof, in-roof, on a flat roof or on a wall. It comes with a 10-year warranty, subject to terms. Worcester Bosch also launched the Greenskies Solar-Lux evacuated-tube collectors in 2011.
Solar thermal can cut hot-water bills, but for most homes solar PV now makes more sense. It powers everything in the house, earns export payments and pairs with a battery or heat pump, and installed PV prices have fallen far further than thermal. If you have a Worcester Bosch boiler or heat pump, any brand of PV panel works alongside it. A diverter can send surplus solar electricity into your hot-water cylinder. See solar thermal vs solar PV and heat pump and solar.
The best alternatives to Bosch solar panels
| If you wanted… | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Premium, high-efficiency panels | Aiko | Back-contact cells, about 24% efficiency, strong shade tolerance |
| A premium brand with a long track record | REC | High-efficiency premium ranges with strong warranties |
| Proven value on a normal roof | Trina, JA Solar, Jinko | Modern N-type cells at 22–24%, 25–30 year warranties, value prices |
| A well-tested brand with a listed, non-Chinese parent | Canadian Solar | TOPCon panels, Kiwa PVEL Top Performer 2023–2026 |
| A European-made panel | Eurener | Spanish manufacturer with residential ranges |
A modern 4kW system of 9–10 panels costs about £5,500–£7,500 installed with 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Rankings across all brands: best solar panels UK and most efficient solar panels.
Replacing or upgrading a Bosch system?
A vetted local installer will check your roof, your FiT position and your inverter, then give you a fixed price for a battery, an extension or a full modern system.
Get My Bosch Alternative Price →Pros & cons
Pros
- German-built crystalline panels with a good quality reputation
- Most systems are still generating 12–15 years on
- 25-year performance warranty that may technically still run
- Bosch group still trading, unlike some failed solar brands
Cons
- Discontinued since 2013, so no new panels or exact replacements
- 10-year product guarantee has expired
- About 15–16% efficiency, far below today’s 22–24%
- US recall of one c-Si M 60 model for overheating
- Worcester Bosch Greenskies heats water only, not electricity
Verdict: are Bosch solar panels any good?
2.9 / 5. Bosch solar panels were good, well-made panels for their time, but Bosch left solar in 2013 and you can’t buy them today. If you have them, there’s no need to rip them out. Keep the Feed-in Tariff, replace the inverter when it fails, and consider adding a battery. If a panel fails, an MCS installer can fit a close electrical match. If you’re buying new, Worcester Bosch’s Greenskies is solar thermal for hot water, not electricity. For PV, choose a current brand: Aiko or REC for premium, or Trina, JA Solar or Jinko for value (how to choose an installer, MCS certification).
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Bosch solar panels: frequently asked questions
Does Bosch still make solar panels?
No. Bosch announced its exit from crystalline solar in March 2013, sold its Arnstadt cell and module factory to SolarWorld in March 2014 and its stake in aleo solar in February 2014, then closed its thin-film unit in 2015. New Bosch solar PV panels aren’t available in the UK. Worcester Bosch still sells Greenskies solar thermal panels, but those heat water rather than generating electricity.
Are Bosch solar panels any good?
They were good panels for their era. Typically German-built 60-cell monocrystalline modules such as the c-Si M 60, rated around 230–270W, with a 10-year product guarantee and 25-year performance warranty. Most are still generating 12–15 years on. But they’re discontinued, about 15–16% efficient against 22–24% for a modern panel, and the product guarantee has expired.
Will Bosch honour my solar panel warranty?
The 10-year product guarantee on Bosch panels has expired, because the panels were sold up to about 2013. The 25-year performance warranty may technically still run, but a claim needs proof of excess output loss, usually a lab flash test, and the solar business has closed. Start with your original installer if they’re still trading, and keep your MCS certificate and datasheet.
What are Worcester Bosch Greenskies solar panels?
Greenskies is Worcester Bosch’s range of solar thermal collectors, which heat water in your cylinder rather than generating electricity. The current Greenskies Solar Lifestyle is a flat-plate collector of about 2.37m² that can be fitted on-roof, in-roof, on a flat roof or on a wall, with a 10-year warranty subject to terms. For electricity, you need solar PV panels from another brand.
What should I replace a broken Bosch solar panel with?
Ask an MCS installer to fit a current panel with similar voltage and current ratings that fits the space, ideally with an optimiser or microinverter so it doesn’t drag down the rest of the string. If several panels or the inverter are failing on a 12–15-year-old system, a new array from a brand such as Trina, JA Solar, Jinko, Aiko or REC may be better value. Check your Feed-in Tariff position first.
Where were Bosch solar panels made?
Bosch made crystalline solar cells and modules at Arnstadt in Germany until 2014, when production passed to SolarWorld. Some models for the US market, including the recalled c-Si M 60 NA30119, were made in South Korea. Bosch’s former panel maker aleo solar was based in Prenzlau, Germany.
Bosch history is from Bosch’s press releases and pv magazine coverage (2013–2015). Warranty terms are from Bosch Solar’s 2011 announcement, and the recall details are from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission notice reported in April 2017. Greenskies details are from Worcester Bosch as of October 2026. Efficiency and output figures for historic panels are typical for the era and vary by model. Prices are typical 2026 UK estimates with 0% VAT, which applies until 31 March 2027. Always confirm details with an MCS-certified installer.