How to Identify Fake or Low-Quality Solar Panels?

Published: 29 Oct, 2025 | By Solar

Let’s think of a scenario when you have been saving money for a very long time because you wanted to install solar panels for home. You researched and talked to a few people and heard how solar panels help you save money, how they save your electricity bills and all that freedom you get of using clean energy and just then a local seller comes to you and offers you panels at a price so cheap that you feel like you have hit a jackpot.

Fast forward two years, your off grid solar system that was supposed to last 25 years has already stopped giving proper power. The company that sold it to you? Vanished. The panels? They were fake solar panels.

Sadly, this is not a rare story. At Spectra Solar Power, we’ve met many families and business owners who lost their hard-earned money like this. That’s why knowing how to identify fake solar panels is as important as knowing the right solar system for home price.

Let’s walk through the signs, stories, and tips that can help you avoid duplicates and always buy genuine products.

Why Fake Solar Panels Are Everywhere?

The solar industry in India is booming. More people in tier 2 and 3 cities are asking about solar panel for business and solar panels for home. But with rising demand, there are also sellers who cut corners. They sell low-quality solar panels that look fine from the outside but fail quickly.

Why does this happen?

• Cheaper parts: They use low-grade glass, frames, and wiring.
• No certification: They skip testing and approvals like IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 solar certification.
• No service: They disappear after selling the product.

The result? Customers who thought they were saving money end up spending more on repairs or replacements.

Common Signs of Poor-Quality Solar Panels

Here’s how you can spot trouble before it’s too late.

1. No Certifications

If your solar panels are from a good and known seller and are actually genuine, they will always come with certifications like BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) and IEC. These are the certifications that one can only get after passing the tests that prove that the panel can survive heat, rain, wind and dust.

• Genuine vs fake solar panels: The genuine ones will always have certification papers. Fake ones will make excuses like, “Sir, this is the same technology, certification doesn’t matter.”

2. The Price Is Too Tempting

We all love a good deal, but if the solar system for home price seems unrealistically low, it’s a red flag. Remember, good technology comes at a fair cost. If someone is offering panels at half the price of a branded one, you should be suspicious.

3. Weak Physical Build

Hold the panel, look at it closely. Does the glass look uneven? Is the frame loose? Are the wires thin and badly fixed? These are clear low quality solar panels signs.

4. No Real Warranty

Branded panels usually offer 10–12 years product warranty and 25 years performance warranty. Fake ones either give no warranty or just promise things verbally. A seller saying “don’t worry, I’ll take care of it” without a written warranty is a big danger sign.

5. No After-Sales Service

A proper solar company provides solar panel maintenance services. If the seller doesn’t even have a service team or an office you can visit, don’t buy from them.

Real-Life Example: Ramesh from Kanpur

Ramesh is a small business owner who lives in Kanpur, and he wanted to cut his electricity bill by installing an off grid solar system for his shop and actually save some money and probably have a more reliable source of energy so that the power cuts do not affect his business. Then he found a local vendor who told him that he could sell him solar panels at a very low price and so Ramesh bought panels from him.

At first, everything seemed fine, but then within 18 months, the panels stopped generating enough power. When he called the seller, the number was switched off. Ramesh later learned that his panels were duplicates.

Had he invested in branded panels from the best solar panel company in India, he would still be saving money today.

Best Way To Verify Solar Panel Quality

So, how do you avoid what happened to Ramesh? Here’s a simple solar panel quality check anyone can do:

• Ask for Certification: Check if the panel has BIS and IEC certificates. Without them, don’t buy.
• Check the Brand Online: A good brand like Spectra Solar Power will have a website, reviews, and customer stories.
• Compare ROI: Branded panels may cost more upfront, but their return on investment (ROI) is much higher because they last 25 years.
• See an Existing Installation: Ask the seller to show you another place where they have installed the same panels. Talk to the customer there.
• Buy Only from Trusted Companies: If you want peace of mind, go to a company known for solar panel maintenance services and genuine support.

Branded vs Local Solar Panels India:

Let’s compare branded vs local solar panels side by side:

So, while the off grid solar system price for a branded panel may be slightly higher, the long-term benefits make it the smarter choice.

Tips to Avoid Duplicate Solar Panels

If you live in a tier 2 or tier 3 city, these tips will help with duplicate solar panels detection:

• Don’t buy based only on the cheapest solar panel for home price and look for certified and branded solar panels only.
• Always ask for certification papers and if they don’t have certification papers, do not buy from them.
• Stick to known companies that also provide service and one of those companies is our Spectra Solar Power.
• Avoid roadside or unknown sellers and only go to the ones you know.
• Check reviews before you decide, if they are working for others or what other people have been feeling about them.

Final Thoughts

Buying solar is one of the smartest decisions you can make, for your wallet and for the planet. But don’t let fake solar panels or low-quality solar panels spoil your investment.

Think about it: would you rather spend less today and replace your panels in 3 years, or spend wisely once and enjoy 25 years of free sunlight power? The answer is clear.

At Spectra Solar Power, we help families and businesses get genuine solar panels for home, solar panel for business, and even industrial solar panels. Our focus is not just on installation, but also on long-term support with proper solar panel maintenance services. That’s why many of our customers call us one of the best solar panel company in India.