Who are Astronergy? The CHINT connection

Astronergy is a solar panels manufacturer founded in 2006. It’s the solar arm of CHINT Group, a Chinese maker of electrical equipment that was founded in 1984 and is one of the largest companies of its kind in the world. You’ll see the panels sold as Astronergy, as CHINT Solar, or as “Astronergy CHINT solar panels”. They’re all the same product.

Three things matter for a UK homeowner:

• It’s very big. Industry analysts ranked Astronergy sixth in the world for panels shipped in 2025, with between 30GW and 50GW, and sixth again in the first half of 2026. Only LONGi, Jinko, Trina, JA and Tongwei shipped more. Size matters because a 30-year guarantee needs a company that will still be there.
• It has a long testing record. Kiwa PVEL puts panels through accelerated stress tests for heat, damp, freezing, mechanical load and hail. Astronergy was named a Top Performer for the ninth time in 2025.
• You can buy it here. Astronergy panels are stocked by UK retailers and wholesalers. Its European office is in Berlin. We couldn’t find a UK office.

In the UK, Astronergy is a growing sight on quotes, usually where an installer wants a well-backed panel at a keen price. It’s far better known in mainland Europe, Australia and Latin America.

Where are Astronergy solar panels made?

Mostly in China. The Australian review site SolarQuotes lists seven Astronergy factories in China and one in Thailand. The company’s home base is Zhejiang province, where CHINT is headquartered.

That’s the same as almost every mainstream panel fitted in the UK. What matters is the panel’s testing record, the warranty and who stands behind it, not the country on the box (best solar panels UK).

The Astronergy range in 2026

For a house, you want an ASTRO N7s from the first three rows. The “s” matters. An ASTRO N7 without the “s” is a commercial panel around 2.4 metres long, which is too big for most house roofs. N-type TOPCon cells are more efficient, cope better with heat and age more slowly than the older PERC cells (types of solar panels).

All the current home panels are Astronergy bifacial solar panels, with glass on both sides. Most come in an all-black finish.

Astronergy model codes decoded

Take CHSM54RNs(DG)(BLH)/F-BH-450. As far as we can tell from the datasheets:

• CHSM is the prefix on every Astronergy panel. It stands for CHINT Solar module.
• 54 is the number of full cells, cut into 108 halves. 48 means 96 halves of a larger cell.
• N means N-type. Older codes with a P, such as CHSM6610P, are polycrystalline, and an M is monocrystalline.
• DG means double glass. BLH marks the all-black version.
• 450 is the power in watts.

Astronergy solar panels datasheet: where to find it

Astronergy publishes a datasheet for every panel on its website, and UK retailers link to them on each product page. Make sure the datasheet you’re given matches the full model code on your quote, not just the wattage. The next section explains why.

Astronergy CHINT solar 450 watt panels: a closer look

The 450W ASTRO N7s is the Astronergy panel most often sold in the UK. There are two versions at this wattage. They’re the same size and look almost identical, but they aren’t the same inside.

Either is a good panel. The differences that matter are weight and voltage. The 108-cell version is 3kg lighter, about the same as a single-glass panel, and it runs at a higher voltage. The 96-cell version has thicker glass. Your installer designs the system around the voltage, so the two shouldn’t be swapped without redoing the sums. If your quote just says “Astronergy 450W”, ask which one.

The same applies to the Astronergy N7s N-type bifacial 440W all black, which is the same family one step down in power.

Two points on the build. Bifacial means the back of the panel can also generate from reflected light. On a house roof, where the panel sits a few centimetres above the tiles, that adds next to nothing, so don’t pay extra for it. The real benefit is the second sheet of glass, which protects the cells better than a plastic backsheet and should help the panel last (panel types compared, solar panel maintenance).

At 1,762mm, both are 40mm longer than the most common home panel size. On a tight roof that can decide whether an extra panel fits (solar panel sizes, how many panels fit your roof).

Our scores

Astronergy solar panel efficiency and real-world UK output

Astronergy’s ASTRO N7s home panels run from about 22% efficiency at 440W to about 23% at 460W. That’s in line with the mainstream at 22–23%, and a step behind the best panels at about 24–25% (most efficient solar panels). The temperature coefficient is -0.29% per °C, which is good. It means the panel loses less output on a hot roof than older PERC panels did.

In practice, one 450W Astronergy panel on a south-facing UK roof generates roughly 410–460kWh a year depending on where you live. Nine of them make a 4kW system producing about 3,650–4,150kWh a year, worth roughly £700–£795 a year at October 2026 electricity prices if you use half of it at home. You’d get almost exactly the same from a Jinko, JA or Canadian Solar panel of the same wattage. At this level, the differences between brands are in the warranty and the company, not the output. See solar panel efficiency, solar panel output and solar panel payback.

Astronergy solar panel warranty

This matches the big brands line for line. Twenty-five years on the product and thirty on power is the current standard for a good N-type panel, and Astronergy’s own announcement for the latest ASTRO N7s confirms both figures. Warranty terms can differ between countries, so check the document for the panel you’re buying.

As with any panel, the manufacturer’s warranty normally covers the panel, not the labour to swap it. To protect yourself:

• Choose an installer that has traded for several years and is MCS-certified.
• Make sure the workmanship guarantee is insurance-backed, so it survives if the installer doesn’t.
• Keep the datasheet, the warranty document and the panel serial numbers with your handover pack.
• Remember that panels rarely fail. The inverter is far more likely to need attention (how long inverters last, solar inverters explained).

More in solar panel warranties explained.

Astronergy solar panels ranking: Tier 1 and test results

Astronergy solar panels ranking in the world

By the number of panels shipped, Astronergy was sixth in the world in 2025, according to the industry analyst InfoLink, and sixth again in the first half of 2026.

So Astronergy shipped more panels in 2025 than Canadian Solar, a name far better known in Britain.

Tier 1

Yes. Tier 1 is BloombergNEF’s list of panel makers whose products banks are willing to finance on large projects. It measures financial standing, not quality. The published copies of the list for the second and third quarters of 2026 that we checked both include “Chint / Astronergy”.

Independent testing

Kiwa PVEL named Astronergy a Top Performer in its PV Module Reliability Scorecard for the ninth time in 2025. The scorecard is the best-known independent test of how panels hold up over time. Astronergy’s ASTRO N7 range was also named “Overall Highest Achiever” by RETC, an American test laboratory. We couldn’t confirm whether Astronergy appears in the 2026 PVEL scorecard.

Where we rank it

In our own rankings Astronergy sits level with the big names on the evidence and just below them on UK familiarity and support. See best solar panels UK for the full list.

Astronergy solar panel price in the UK

Astronergy is one of the cheapest well-backed panels you can buy in Britain. These were the Astronergy solar panels prices at UK online retailers when we checked in October 2026:

That’s about 15p to 18p per watt before VAT for a single panel. Installers buying by the pallet pay less. Mainstream panels from Jinko, JA and Trina typically cost installers £70–£120 each, so Astronergy sits at the bottom of that range or below it. When a panel is fitted to a home as part of an installation, it’s charged at 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (VAT on solar panels).

Prices in other countries, such as Pakistan or Australia, tell you little about UK prices, because shipping, duties and warranty terms all differ.

Keep the saving in proportion. Panels are only about a sixth of the cost of a fitted system, so a cheaper panel takes a few hundred pounds off the bill, not thousands. What you’ll pay for a complete installation is much the same whichever mainstream panel goes on the roof:

A quote using Astronergy panels should sit in the lower half of those ranges. If it’s at the top, you’re paying a premium-brand price for a value-priced panel. For the full breakdown, see solar panel cost, the 4kW solar system guide and 4kW solar with a battery.

Astronergy solar panels vs Jinko Solar and Canadian Solar

Astronergy solar panels vs Jinko Solar is closer than most people expect. On the roof you wouldn’t notice a difference in output between two panels of the same wattage, and the warranties match. Jinko is the bigger company and the easier panel to find a match for in ten years, because every UK wholesaler carries it. Astronergy is usually cheaper. If the Astronergy quote is lower for the same system, take it. If the prices are the same, Jinko’s wider UK stock tips it.

Astronergy solar panels vs Canadian Solar panels is closer still. Astronergy shipped more panels in 2025, the warranties match and both have long testing records. Canadian Solar is better known and more widely stocked in Britain. Choose on price and on which one your installer knows best.

Read our reviews of Jinko, Canadian Solar, JA Solar, Trina, LONGi and Aiko, and of other good-value brands such as DMEGC, Phono Solar, Risen and Leapton.

Older Astronergy panels: 270W to 415W

Astronergy has been selling panels since 2006, so plenty of older ones are still working on roofs and in fields. If you’ve bought a house with them, or you’re looking at old stock, this is roughly what the common ones are. Sizes and efficiencies are typical for panels of that type and age.

Three things to know about older Astronergy panels:

• The 72-cell panels are commercial. The 325W and 335W silver poly panels are nearly two metres long and were made for solar farms and warehouse roofs. In the UK they turn up as used or surplus stock.
• An exact match will be hard to find. If one fails, an installer can usually fit a modern panel of a similar size and voltage, or rewire the string (solar panel repairs).
• Don’t pay much for second-hand ones. A new 450W panel costs about £80 with a 25-year warranty, makes far more power, and comes with paperwork an MCS installer can use.

Pros & cons

Astronergy solar panels: frequently asked questions

Going Solar UK is an introduction service, not an installer, and has no connection with Astronergy or CHINT. Company details are from Astronergy’s website, its press releases and trade-show listings, checked in October 2026. Specifications are from Astronergy datasheets as listed by UK and European retailers and wholesalers. Efficiency for the 108 half-cell version at 450W is calculated from its rated power and size. Shipment rankings are from InfoLink Consulting as reported by TaiyangNews. Tier 1 status is from a third-party copy of the BloombergNEF lists for the second and third quarters of 2026. Kiwa PVEL and RETC results are from Astronergy’s 2025 announcements, and we could not confirm a 2026 PVEL listing. Factory locations and the Australian warranty are as reported by SolarQuotes. UK prices are from two retailer websites in October 2026 and will vary. Figures for older panels are typical for their type and are not taken from individual datasheets. Competitor figures are typical for current ranges. Installed prices are typical 2026 UK estimates. The rating is our opinion. If anything here is inaccurate or out of date, contact us and we will correct it. Always confirm the exact model, datasheet and warranty with an MCS-certified installer.