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AIKO Solar Panels, Northern Rivers NSW

Sun Connect Solar installs AIKO solar panels across the Northern Rivers, with our own electricians and a 25-year workmanship warranty on our installation work.

AIKO is one of the two panel brands we fit, along with Jinko. We design every system from your real power bills, visit your home face to face before every install, and do the work ourselves. We’re an SAA-accredited installer and a fully licensed NSW electrical contractor.

Get a free energy assessment · Call 0483 903 020

★★★★★ Rated 5.0 from 49 Google reviews · read them on Google

AIKO Neostar all-black back-contact solar panel (AIKO product image)
AIKO Neostar all-black panel. Image: AIKO.

What is an AIKO panel?

AIKO is a solar panel manufacturer with an Australian support office in Melbourne. It builds its panels on ABC (all back contact) cells, where the electrical contacts sit on the back of each cell rather than the front. With no metal lines across the face of the cell, more of the panel catches light, and the panel looks cleaner on the roof. AIKO’s Neostar range is its residential line, available in black-frame and all-black versions.

Why we choose AIKO

  • Built-in partial shading optimisation. AIKO’s newer back-contact modules have their own way of coping with shade, built into the panel’s cell design. It’s one of the reasons we reach for AIKO on roofs with a tree, a chimney or a nearby building.
  • High efficiency. AIKO publishes efficiency up to 25.0% for the Neostar 3P54. More output per square metre matters when roof space is tight.
  • Installers rate it. In SolarQuotes’ 2026 Installer’s Choice Awards (published 30 June 2026), 125 SolarQuotes-vetted installers were asked which brand they would put on their own roof. AIKO came first, for the second year running.
  • It looks good. The all-black Neostar versions have a clean, uniform face with no visible cell lines.

How the shade feature works, in plain English

In an ordinary panel, if one cell is shaded, the shade can pull down the output of a whole section of cells. AIKO calls its answer partial shading optimisation. It is designed so the rest of the cells in the string keep working while the shaded cell drops out. AIKO cites a TÜV Nord test showing higher output than conventional panels with one cell fully shaded.

To be straight about it: this reduces shading losses, it doesn’t remove them, and it isn’t the same as panel-level optimisers or microinverters, which manage each panel separately. If your roof is shaded for much of the day, we’ll talk through the options at the site visit rather than rely on one feature.

AIKO key specs

Range Neostar (residential). Example: Neostar 3P54, 470 to 500 W
Cell technology N-type ABC (all back contact)
Efficiency Up to 25.0% (Neostar 3P54, per AIKO)
Temperature coefficient -0.26% per °C (per AIKO)
Shading Partial shading optimisation, built into the cell design
Degradation Up to 1% in year one, then up to 0.35% a year (per AIKO)
Manufacturer warranty 15-year product (extendable to 25), 30-year performance (Neostar 3P54, per AIKO)
Australian support AIKO office, Melbourne

Specs are the manufacturer’s published figures for the example model. The exact panel for your home is named on your proposal. See AIKO’s Australian product range for datasheets.

Who AIKO suits

  • Limited roof space. Higher efficiency means more output from fewer panels.
  • Shaded roofs. Trees, chimneys and neighbouring buildings are common across the Northern Rivers hinterland.
  • Hot, humid summers. A low temperature coefficient means less output lost as panels heat up.
  • Coastal homes. AIKO states its ABC modules are built to resist salt mist. We also check mounting and cabling for the exposure.
  • Anyone who wants the cleanest look. The all-black versions are very neat on the roof.
AIKO Neostar 3P54 back-contact solar panel, front and rear (AIKO product image)
AIKO Neostar 3P54, front and rear. Image: AIKO.

AIKO with a Sigenergy or GoodWe battery

We design panels and battery together. Our premium option is a Sigenergy battery system, and our mid-tier option is a GoodWe battery system. AIKO makes the panels; Sigenergy and GoodWe make the inverter and battery. We size all of it from your actual usage, with the rebates built into the design. Already have solar? See adding a battery to existing solar.

AIKO or Jinko?

Both are N-type panels and both did well in SolarQuotes’ 2026 installer survey, with AIKO first and Jinko second. AIKO is our pick for tight roof space, shade and the highest efficiency. Jinko is a proven, well-regarded panel that suits many straightforward roofs. We’ll recommend one for your home and tell you why. Read about Jinko panels.

Warranties

  • Panels: AIKO’s manufacturer product and performance warranties. Your proposal states the terms for your panel.
  • Inverter: 10-year replacement warranty.
  • Battery: 10-year battery warranty, if you add one.
  • 25-year workmanship warranty from us, covering our installation work.

Rebates and finance

We build the federal solar rebate (STCs) into every design, and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate if you add a battery, taken off at point of sale. We handle the paperwork. See your rebates. The battery rebate steps down on 1 January 2027, set by install date.

The NSW Home Energy Saver program offers a 0% interest loan up to $15,000 for solar and batteries, through Brighte, for up to 10 years. Rebates come off first. Eligibility criteria apply; subject to lender approval.

How it works with us

1. Free energy assessment: send 1 to 2 recent power bills. We size the system from your real usage.

2. Custom design: a proposal with rebates built in.

3. Site visit: face to face before every install. We check the roof and shading, the switchboard (including any RCBO upgrades), and where a battery would go.

4. Install: usually one day, by our own electricians, then monitoring set-up. We handle the grid application, and connection typically follows in 1 to 3 weeks.

AIKO solar panel FAQs

Who installs AIKO solar panels in the Northern Rivers?

Sun Connect Solar. Our own in-house electricians design and install every system, with no subcontractors. We’re an SAA-accredited installer, a fully licensed NSW electrical contractor, and we back our installation work with a 25-year workmanship warranty.

Are AIKO solar panels good?

AIKO makes back-contact (ABC) panels, and installers rate them highly. In SolarQuotes’ 2026 Installer’s Choice Awards, published on 30 June 2026, AIKO came first when 125 SolarQuotes-vetted installers were asked which brand they’d put on their own roof. It was also first the year before. We choose AIKO for its build quality, its efficiency and its built-in partial shading optimisation.

Do AIKO panels work in shade?

AIKO’s newer panels include what AIKO calls partial shading optimisation, built into the cell design. When one cell is shaded, the rest of the cells in that string are designed to keep producing, instead of a whole section dropping out. It reduces the loss from things like a branch, a chimney or bird droppings. It does not make shade harmless, and it is not the same as panel-level optimisers or microinverters. We check shading on the site visit and design around it.

Is AIKO better than Jinko?

They suit different roofs. AIKO is our pick when roof space is limited, when partial shading is a factor, or when you want the highest-efficiency panel and the cleaner all-black look. Jinko is a very well regarded N-type panel that suits many roofs. Both came in the top two in SolarQuotes’ 2026 installer survey. We recommend the one that suits your roof and your usage, and explain why.

Are AIKO panels made in Australia, and who looks after the warranty?

No. AIKO is a Chinese manufacturer and its panels are made overseas. AIKO has an Australian support office in Melbourne, and we deal with the manufacturer on your behalf if a panel ever needs attention. Our own 25-year workmanship warranty covers our installation work.

What warranty do AIKO panels have?

The panel warranty is AIKO’s. For the Neostar 3P54, AIKO publishes a 15-year product warranty (extendable to 25 years) and a 30-year performance warranty. The terms for the exact panel on your design are the ones that apply, and your proposal states them. Separately, we give a 25-year workmanship warranty on our installation work.

Can I add AIKO panels to my existing solar system?

In many cases, yes. It depends on your current inverter, how many panels it can take, and your roof space. New panels are normally wired as their own string so they don’t drag down older ones. We check your system and your bills and tell you whether it’s extra panels, a battery only, or both.

Can I pair AIKO panels with a Sigenergy or GoodWe battery?

Yes. We design the panels and the battery system together. Sigenergy is our premium battery option and GoodWe is our mid-tier option. We also install Sungrow, Solax and Tesla batteries.

Are AIKO panels suitable near the coast?

AIKO states that its ABC modules are built to resist salt mist, heat, hail and cyclonic wind. The panel is only part of the picture, so we also look at the mounting, cabling and roof on the site visit. Tell us how close you are to the water.

Is AIKO a Tier 1 manufacturer?

AIKO describes itself as a Tier 1 BloombergNEF PV module manufacturer. Tier 1 is a measure of bankability, meaning how likely a manufacturer is to be around to honour a warranty, rather than a quality rating. It is one reason among several, alongside installer feedback and the panel’s design.

Where we install AIKO panels

We install across the Northern Rivers, from Tweed Heads south to Evans Head and west to Lismore.

Not sure if you are in our area? See the areas we service or call 0483 903 020.

Related guides: Adding more solar panels to an existing system | AIKO vs Jinko solar panels | Bilambil Heights case study: 19 kW solar and a Sigenergy battery

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