Panel brands
REC solar panels: the Alpha Pure-RX for Melbourne roofs
In Melbourne, the REC solar panel in our panel comparison is the Alpha Pure-RX: a full-black heterojunction panel rated 450 to 470 W at up to 22.6% efficiency that loses 0.24% of its power per degree of heat (the least of the panels we list), about 8.2% on a 35°C Melbourne afternoon. REC, founded in Norway in 1996, makes it in Singapore.
Our previous site listed REC, and your written quote confirms the brand and model. The product warranty is 20 years, or 25 under REC ProTrust when an REC Certified Solar Professional installs and registers the panels; either way, REC guarantees 92% of the power in year 25.
Updated
REC Alpha Pure-RX: datasheet specs
REC’s current datasheet lists the Alpha Pure-RX in three power classes, each with 88 half-cut REC heterojunction cells behind a black frame and backsheet, so it looks all black on the roof. NMOT, the nominal operating temperature, is closer to a sunny day on a roof than the standard test. REC’s Australian importers also bring in the REC Alpha Pure-R and REC Alpha Pro M; this page covers the Pure-RX.
| Model | Power | Efficiency | Power at NMOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| REC450AA Pure-RX | 450 W | 21.6% | 342 W |
| REC460AA Pure-RX | 460 W | 22.1% | 350 W |
| REC470AA Pure-RX | 470 W | 22.6% | 358 W |
| Cells | 88 half-cut heterojunction (HJT) cells, N-type monocrystalline |
|---|---|
| Size and weight | 1,728 × 1,205 × 30 mm (2.08 m²), 22.7 kg |
| Temperature coefficient | −0.24%/°C of power |
| NMOT | 44°C at 800 W/m² of sun, 20°C air and a 1 m/s breeze |
| Hail | 55 mm at 33.9 m/s (Kiwa PVEL hail stress sequence); certified to IEC 61215 with 35 mm hail |
| Test load (4-point clamping) | +7,000 Pa front, −4,000 Pa rear; design load is the test load ÷ 1.5 |
| Made in | Singapore |
How efficient are REC panels, and how do they handle heat?
Efficiency runs from 21.6% for the 450 W panel to 22.6% for the 470 W. It is the share of sunlight a panel turns into electricity, and it decides how many watts fit on your roof. The Alpha Pure-RX isn’t the most efficient panel we list: Canadian Solar TOPHiKu6, Winaico NCX48 glass-glass and Phono Solar Quasar are rated higher, up to 23.8%.
Heat is where it stands out. Panels are rated with their cells at 25°C and lose power as the cells warm up. For every 10°C above that, the Alpha Pure-RX loses about 2.4% of its power, against 2.6% to 2.9% for the other panels we list. In REC’s NMOT test (800 W/m² of sun on a 20°C day with a light breeze) the cells reach 44°C, and the 470 W panel is rated 358 W.
The PVGIS model gives about 639 to 667 kWh a year from one 450 to 470 W panel on a north-facing roof in Mount Waverley, Melbourne (20° tilt, 14% system losses). The model treats every silicon panel alike, so it doesn’t credit REC’s lower heat loss.
REC ProTrust warranty: the certified-installer condition
Every Alpha Pure-RX carries REC’s standard warranty: 20 years on the product and 25 on power (98% of rated power in year one, then at most 0.25% lost a year). REC ProTrust lifts the product warranty to 25 years and adds labour cover at no extra cost, but only when an REC Certified Solar Professional installs the panels and the installer registers them with REC.
| Warranty | Installer | System size | Product | Power | Labour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Any installer | All sizes | 20 years | 25 years | None |
| REC ProTrust | REC Certified Solar Professional | Under 25 kW | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years |
| REC ProTrust | REC Certified Solar Professional | 25 to 500 kW | 25 years | 25 years | 10 years |
- Labour: under ProTrust, REC pays a fixed labour fee to an REC Certified Solar Professional installer for approved claims. The standard warranty doesn’t cover on-site labour to remove a faulty panel and install the replacement.
- Selling the house: the warranty passes to a later owner of the property, as long as the system stays installed there and isn’t altered or moved.
- If the installer closes: ProTrust stays valid if the original installer goes out of business.
- Making a claim: claims go through the distributor or seller the panels were first bought from, with proof of the original purchase (and of any later sale that passed the warranty on), a description of the fault and the panels’ serial numbers.
- Your consumer rights: REC’s warranty adds to the guarantees you have under the Australian Consumer Law; it doesn’t replace them.
Whether REC panels on your quote get ProTrust depends on whether we are an REC Certified Solar Professional, and your quote says which: if we are, 25 years of product and labour cover; if not, REC’s standard 20-year product warranty. You can check any installer on REC’s installer locator.
Are REC solar panels a good choice for Melbourne?
The points that matter on a Melbourne roof, from REC’s own documents and the Clean Energy Council’s approved list:
- Heat. The lowest temperature coefficient of the panels we list, −0.24%/°C, which counts on hot summer afternoons.
- Slow ageing. The smallest guaranteed yearly loss of the panels we list: 0.25%, with 92% of rated power guaranteed in year 25.
- Hail. Rated for 55 mm hail at 33.9 m/s in the Kiwa PVEL hail stress sequence, against 35 mm in its IEC 61215 certification.
- Approved for STCs. The Clean Energy Council approved modules list has Alpha Pure-RX models from 440 to 475 W (certificate 40055660); the 450 to 470 W models are listed until 9 July 2029. STCs need panels on that list.
- Local support. REC has an Australian office in Melbourne, and REC’s warranty names Metal Manufactures, Solar Juice, Energy Spurt and Tradezone as the Australian importers of the Alpha Pure-RX (as at 26 October 2026).
- The trade-offs. A standard product warranty of 20 years, against 25 to 30 for the other ranges we list (ProTrust brings it to 25), and at 2.08 m² it is the largest panel here.
REC vs the other panels we list
How the Alpha Pure-RX compares with the other ranges on our panel page, on the makers’ own datasheets (checked October 2026):
| Panel | Power | Efficiency | Heat loss | Product warranty | Power guaranteed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REC Alpha Pure-RX | 450 to 470 W | 22.6% | −0.24%/°C | 20 years (25 with ProTrust) | 92% after 25 years |
| Canadian Solar TOPHiKu6 | 445 to 475 W | 23.8% | −0.29%/°C | 25 years (Australian warranty statement) | 87.4% after 30 years |
| Winaico NCX48 glass-glass | 465 W | 23.3% | −0.28%/°C | 30 years | 87.4% after 30 years |
| Phono Solar Helios | 435 to 440 W | 22.53% | −0.26%/°C | 30 years for homes (25 for commercial systems) | 88% after 30 years |
| Phono Solar Quasar | 475 W | 23.27% | −0.26%/°C | 30 years for homes (25 for commercial systems) | 88.5% after 30 years |
In short, REC has the lowest heat loss and the smallest guaranteed yearly loss in this table. Canadian Solar TOPHiKu6 fits the most watts on a roof. Winaico NCX48 glass-glass, Phono Solar Helios and Phono Solar Quasar have the longest product warranty, 30 years, though their performance warranties guarantee a lower share of power at the end of a longer term.
How to buy REC panels with the full warranty
- Get the model on the quote. Ask for the full model, such as REC470AA Pure-RX, and check it on the Clean Energy Council approved modules list.
- Check the installer’s REC status. ProTrust needs an REC Certified Solar Professional: ask, and look the installer up on REC’s installer locator.
- Confirm the registration. The installer has to register the panels with REC for ProTrust to apply, so ask for confirmation after install day.
- Keep the paperwork. File the invoice and the panels’ serial numbers with your home’s documents: a warranty claim needs both.
REC panels in our packages
Our package cards count panels, not brands: the 6.6kW package lists 16 panels of about 413 W. With 450 to 470 W REC panels the same system takes about 14 to 15 panels (6.58 to 6.75 kW) and about 29 to 31 m² of roof before gaps and edge clearances. Your quote gives the exact count and confirms the panel brand.
We don’t publish a price for REC panels or for a package with them. After a free inspection we give you a fixed installed price with every federal rebate your home qualifies for already taken off, and the quote names the panel model.
Market data, not our price: the Solar Choice Price Index puts typical panels at about $80 to $300 or more each (October 2026), depending on the brand and wattage.
REC solar panels: your questions
Are REC solar panels any good?
On REC’s own figures the Alpha Pure-RX is strong where Melbourne summers test a panel: it loses 0.24% of its power per degree of heat, the least of the panels we list, and REC guarantees 92% of its power in year 25. It is on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list. The trade-offs are a 20-year standard product warranty (25 with ProTrust) and lower efficiency than some of the other panels we list.
Where are REC solar panels made?
REC’s datasheet says the Alpha Pure-RX is made in Singapore, where REC has its operational headquarters. The company was founded in Norway in 1996 and is still headquartered there. REC has an Australian office in Melbourne, and REC’s Australian warranty names four companies that import the Alpha Pure-RX.
What is the REC ProTrust warranty?
REC ProTrust is REC’s extended warranty, at no extra cost to you. On a home system under 25 kW it gives 25 years each of product, power and labour cover, against REC’s standard 20-year product warranty, 25-year power warranty and no labour cover. It applies only when an REC Certified Solar Professional installs the panels and registers them with REC. How solar warranties work
Do REC panels qualify for STCs?
Yes, when the rest of the system meets the rules. STCs need panels on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list, and the Alpha Pure-RX is listed from 440 to 475 W under certificate 40055660; the 450 to 470 W models on REC’s datasheet are listed until 9 July 2029. An SAA accredited designer and installer must also design and install the system. How the STC rebate works
How many REC panels make a 6.6kW system?
About 14 to 15. The Alpha Pure-RX comes in 450 to 470 W, so 14 panels of 470 W make 6.58 kW and 15 of 450 W make 6.75 kW, covering about 29 to 31 m² of roof before gaps and edge clearances. Our 6.6kW package card counts 16 smaller panels; your quote gives the exact count. The 6.6kW system
REC panels through a Melbourne summer
Melbourne’s summer afternoons are where the Alpha Pure-RX’s low heat loss counts. Going by its 44°C NMOT, its cells run at about 51°C on an average January afternoon (26.8°C) and 59°C on a 35°C day, so at 0.24% a degree it gives up about 6.2% and 8.2% of its output. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Melbourne (Olympic Park) station averages 9.2 days a year at 35°C or more and 33.2 at 30°C or more. Over a whole year one 470 W panel makes about 667 kWh facing north (PVGIS, Mount Waverley, Melbourne).
REC has an Australian office in Melbourne, but a warranty claim goes through the distributor or seller the panels were first bought from, so keep the invoice and serial numbers with the house papers. ProTrust’s 25-year cover needs an REC Certified Solar Professional to install and register the panels: ask about it at the inspection.
Get a quote that names the panel model
Free inspection, no obligation. Every federal rebate your home qualifies for comes off before you see the price.
Talk to us about REC panels
Locally owned, locally installed. Call, email, or send the form and we’ll come out and inspect the property.
- Phone
- 0485 000 015
- Workshop
- 8/41 Ricketts Road,
Mount Waverley, VIC 3149