We are on the direct-sourcing side, so treat the recommendations below as coming from an interested party. We have tried to write the version we would want to read if we were buying.
What each one is actually good at
| Distributor | Direct sourcing | |
|---|---|---|
| Lead time | Days. Stock is already in your country | Weeks. Production plus freight |
| Minimum order | Often one unit | Varies widely — from 5 pieces to a container depending on who you ask |
| Unit price | Includes their margin, freight, duty and holding cost | Lower, and the gap widens with quantity |
| Specification | Whatever is in the catalogue | Yours — dimensions, voltage, connector, finish, branding |
| Warranty and returns | Local, straightforward | Depends entirely on having a written specification to measure against |
| Import work | None | Yours, unless the supplier handles it |
| Who carries the risk | They do, on stock | You do, on the order |
When a distributor is clearly the right answer
- You need it this week. No production schedule beats stock that is already in the country.
- You need one, or five, of a standard item. Below a certain quantity the freight and admin of a direct order swamp any unit saving.
- A catalogue item fits your requirement. If a stock module fits within a few millimetres of what you need, buying custom is paying a tooling premium for nothing.
- You want someone locally accountable. On a project where a fault means a site visit next week, a local warranty is worth real money.
- You are still deciding what you need. Buy one of something and test it before committing to a specification.
When direct sourcing wins
- The thing you need does not exist in a catalogue. A non-standard size, an odd voltage, a specific connector, a shape that fits around a sensor window. This is the clearest case, and it has nothing to do with price.
- You are putting your own name on it. OEM marking, custom packaging, a product you sell rather than install.
- Quantity has grown. Once you are reordering the same item repeatedly, the distributor margin is a recurring cost against a one-time sourcing effort.
- You need the specification pinned. Direct sourcing lets you fix wall thickness, alloy grade, cell type and lamination in writing. A distributor sells what the manufacturer made.
- You need consistency across a programme. A network of sites installed over two years should get the same part in year two. That is a supply agreement, not a shelf.
The cost comparison people get wrong
Unit price is the least interesting number in this decision. The items that move the total:
| Cost | Distributor | Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Freight and duty | Already in the price | Separate, and quantity-sensitive |
| Capital tied up in stock | Theirs | Yours |
| Time spent managing it | Near zero | Real, especially the first order |
| Cost of the wrong part | Return it | Rework, or a batch you cannot use |
| Cost of a compromised design | Often the largest, and never on the invoice | Avoided |
That last row is the one to think hardest about. Designing around a stock part that is nearly right — a slightly wrong voltage that needs a converter, a slightly wrong size that needs a bracket adapter — adds components, failure points and assembly time to every unit you will ever build.
A middle path most people miss
You do not have to choose once and forever. What works well in practice:
- Prototype from a distributor. Fast, one unit, no commitment. Find out what you actually need.
- Pilot direct at a small quantity. Prove that the specification you now know you want is manufacturable and repeatable. This is where a low minimum order matters — it lets you test the supplier before you depend on them.
- Scale direct once the design is stable. By this point the specification is written down and the risk is mostly gone.
The failure mode is skipping step two: going straight from a prototype to a production quantity with a supplier you have never tested.
Where LinkSolar fits
We are a sourcing partner on the China side with factory-side QA — not a distributor and not a factory owner. That means we are the wrong choice if you need a standard module tomorrow, and the right one if your product needs something a catalogue does not carry.
- MOQ from 5, specifically so a pilot is possible before a programme order.
- Custom specification: any outline size and shape, 3 V to 48 V, connector and cable to your spec, PET / ETFE / fibreglass / glass lamination, OEM marking. See custom solar panels.
- Samples in 7–14 days; production typically 3–4 weeks after approval.
- Written specification before production, with goods inspected against it and photo/video QC evidence per batch.
- Stock formats are also available where they fit — mini panels, flexible panels, brackets and mounts.
- If a stock item fits, we will tell you rather than sell you a custom tool you did not need.
Before committing to any supplier — including us — ask for three numbers on every mechanical part: wall thickness in millimetres, alloy grade, and load rating in PSF or Pa. A supplier who answers precisely is worth more than one who is 15% cheaper.
FAQ
Is buying direct from China always cheaper?
Per unit, usually. In total, not always. Freight, duty, your time, and the cost of a batch that does not fit all land on your side of the ledger. At small quantities of a standard item, a distributor is frequently cheaper once everything is counted. The direct advantage grows with quantity and with how far your requirement sits from a catalogue.
At what order size should I switch to direct sourcing?
There is no universal figure, and treating it as an order-value question is the common mistake. The better test is whether a stock item fits your specification. If it does, quantity is the only variable and a distributor may stay competitive for a long time. If it does not, direct sourcing wins at almost any quantity because the alternative is compromising the product.
What is the risk of buying direct?
The main one is that batch three differs from the sample. It is prevented by a written specification agreed before production, pre-shipment inspection against that document with photographic evidence, and by testing the supplier with a small order before you depend on them. A low minimum order is what makes that test affordable.
Can I use both?
Yes, and most established buyers do. Distributors for standard parts and urgent gaps, direct for the items that define your product or that you buy repeatedly. Trying to force everything through one channel is what creates either slow lead times or compromised designs.
Not sure which route your requirement needs?
Send the specification and the quantity for your first batch. We will tell you honestly whether a stock item already fits — and if it does not, you get a buildable specification and a price at your quantity within one business day. Samples in 7–14 days, MOQ from 5.
