Most custom panel projects do not fail on the panel. They fail on the six weeks spent finding someone who will answer an email about a 137 × 92 mm module at a quantity of 20.
What usually goes wrong before you get here
- The MOQ conversation kills it. You need 20 pieces to prove a product. The quote comes back at 1,000, or does not come back at all. The project stalls at the exact point where it was cheapest to change direction.
- You get a price without a specification. A number arrives with no wall thickness, no cell type, no lamination detail — nothing you can put in front of an engineer, and nothing you can hold anyone to later.
- "Custom" turns out to mean "we print your logo on it." The dimensions are still fixed, the voltage is still 6 V, and the connector is still the one they have in stock.
- Samples take two months. By the time the first article arrives, the enclosure design has moved on and the panel no longer fits.
- Nobody will engage on the electrical side. You ask what happens to output at 60 °C, or whether the panel can drive a 3.3 V rail directly, and the conversation goes quiet.
Every one of those is a sourcing problem, not a manufacturing problem. That is the part we take off your desk.
What we actually change for you
| You need | What we can change |
|---|---|
| A size that does not exist | Any outline dimension. Cut-to-size cells, non-rectangular shapes, cut-outs for sensors, lenses or fixings |
| A specific voltage | 3 V to 48 V. Cell count set by your target Vmp, not by what is in a catalogue — including odd rails for direct-drive designs |
| A specific connector or cable | JST, MC4, bare tails, custom lengths, right-angle exits, potted glands |
| A surface that survives your environment | PET, ETFE or fibreglass lamination; glass-laminated where rigidity and lifetime matter more than weight |
| Low-light or small-area performance | Back-contact and high-efficiency cell options where you have to get watts out of very little area |
| Your branding | OEM marking, custom labelling, neutral packaging |
Cell type and brand vary by model and project requirements — we confirm exactly what is going into your build in writing before you order, not after.
Working from a drawing? Send the outline and the load figure. You get back a buildable specification with cell layout, target Vmp and Imp, lamination, connector and a price at your quantity — start an RFQ →
Who we do this with, and how it runs
LinkSolar is a sourcing partner on the China side with direct factory-side QA — not a factory owner, and we say so because it changes what you should expect from us. What we own is the specification, the QC and the accountability: one specification review, one pre-shipment inspection with photo and video evidence, one proforma invoice, one shipment.
- Engineering support in the loop — CAD and STEP files, wiring, IP rating, mounting and DFM feedback before tooling, not after the first article fails.
- Anonymous project examples: a UK satellite IoT integrator powering river-gauge nodes; an environmental instrument maker needing a non-rectangular module around a sensor window; a bracket programme requiring non-standard hole patterns at 200-piece batches.
- Components sourced from ISO 9001, CE and RoHS certified partner factories, with pre-shipment QC evidence on every batch. We do not list certificate numbers on a web page — ask and we send the documents.
- Deeper background: our custom mini panel capability datasheet and custom panels for IoT products.
What it costs to be wrong — and what quantity does to price
The cheapest custom panel is rarely the cheapest project. The costs that actually hurt sit downstream:
| Decision | Cheap route | What it costs later |
|---|---|---|
| Prove the design at MOQ 1,000 | Best unit price | Inventory of a revision you will change; the pilot never happens |
| Accept a price with no written spec | Faster quote | No basis for a claim when the second batch differs from the first |
| Skip the sample round | Saves 10 days | Enclosure rework, a delayed launch, sometimes new tooling |
| Under-specify the lamination | Lower BOM cost | Delamination in the field, and a warranty claim per unit shipped |
The realistic reading on lamination is in the real cost of cheap flexible panels and why flexible panels delaminate.
On quantity: pricing improves in steps, not smoothly. MOQ starts at 5 so a design can be proven before it is committed. The meaningful breaks come at pilot volume, first production run, and programme volume — we show you the whole ladder at quote stage so you can plan the ramp rather than re-negotiate at every batch.
How we take the risk off you
- Samples in 7–10 days for custom mini panels, so a design decision is not gated on a two-month wait.
- The datasheet is the agreement. You get a written specification before production — dimensions, Vmp, Imp, lamination, connector, tolerances. Shipped goods are inspected against that document, not against a photo.
- Pre-shipment QC with photo and video evidence on every batch, sent before the goods leave.
- MOQ from 5 — the pilot risk is deliberately small, because that is where you should be allowed to change your mind.
- We will tell you when custom is the wrong answer. If a stock module fits within a few millimetres, we will say so and point you at the mini panel range. A custom tool you did not need is a bad start to a relationship.
Questions we get before the first order
What is the minimum order for a custom solar panel?
Five pieces. That is deliberately low so a design can be proven on real hardware before anyone commits to a production quantity. Unit pricing improves in steps above that, and we show the full quantity ladder at quote stage rather than one number.
How long do samples and production take?
Custom mini panel samples typically ship in 7–10 days. Production is typically 3–4 weeks after the sample is approved, depending on lamination type and cell availability. Integrated systems and non-standard tooling are confirmed at quote rather than promised generically.
What can actually be customised?
Outline dimensions and shape including cut-outs, cell layout and therefore output voltage from 3 V to 48 V, connector type and cable length, lamination material (PET, ETFE, fibreglass or glass), surface finish, and OEM marking. If you send a drawing, we tell you which parts of it are manufacturable as drawn and which need a change.
Do you provide CAD files and engineering support?
Yes. CAD and STEP files, wiring and connector guidance, IP rating and mounting advice, and DFM feedback on your drawing before tooling. The intent is that your mechanical engineer can drop the module into the assembly and check fit before anything is built.
What certifications do the panels carry?
Components are sourced from ISO 9001, CE and RoHS certified partner factories, with pre-shipment QC evidence on every batch. We do not publish certificate numbers on a web page — tell us which markets and standards your product has to satisfy and we send the relevant documents for your file.
Are you a manufacturer or a trading company?
We are a sourcing partner with factory-side QA, and we would rather be direct about that than have you discover it later. In practice it means the bill of materials can span several specialist lines — a panel line, a lamination process, a bracket supplier — and still reach you as one specification, one inspection and one shipment. What we own is the spec and the accountability.
Can you supply the mounting hardware too?
Yes, and it is usually worth consolidating. Brackets, rails and clamps are in solar panel brackets and mounts, with custom fittings covered in custom bracket fittings.
Start with a drawing, a dimension, or just a load figure.
Send the outline size, the voltage or the device you need to power, and the quantity you want for the first batch. You get back a buildable specification and a price at your quantity within one business day — samples in 7–10 days, MOQ from 5.
