Most custom panel projects do not fail on the panel. They fail on the six weeks spent finding someone who will answer a technical email about a 137 × 92 mm module at all.
What usually goes wrong before you get here
- There is no cheap way to test. Custom panels are a production business everywhere, so minimums are real. What stalls a project is having no step between "one drawing" and "a full production run" — no sample you can hold, no way to check the supplier before you commit.
- 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.
None of those is a cell or lamination problem. They are specification and follow-through problems, and 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 China-based B2B supplier of custom & OEM solar panels, solar cells and mounting hardware. Panels are manufactured to your drawing by partner production lines; we handle specification, samples, pre-shipment checks and export. We say so plainly 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, 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 from partner production lines, with pre-shipment checks 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Skip the sample and go straight to production | Saves the tooling fee | A full run of a revision you will change; the most expensive way to learn a dimension was wrong |
| 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 time | 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. There is no fixed catalogue MOQ for custom panels — send your target quantity with the drawing and the quotation states the minimum and the unit price at that volume. To prove a design before committing to a production run, order a stock sample from inventory or ask for a custom sample; sample terms are stated in the quotation. 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
- A sample round before production, so a design decision rests on a part you can hold, not a render.
- 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 on every batch.
- Test us before you commit — buy a stock sample from inventory, or take a custom sample before the production order; sample terms are stated in the quotation.
- 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.
What to check before you order custom panels from a China supplier
These are the points to hold any supplier to, us included. If one of them gets a vague answer, that is the answer.
- A written specification before you pay for production: outline dimensions, Vmp and Imp, cell type, lamination, connector and tolerances. A price without these is not a quote.
- The cell type in writing. Cell type and brand vary by model and project, so get the one going into your build named before you order, not after.
- A sample you test in your own enclosure, not a photo of someone else's panel.
- Someone who answers the electrical questions: output at high temperature, whether the panel can drive your rail directly, which parts of your drawing are manufacturable as drawn.
- A pre-shipment check against that specification.
- Who handles export and what one shipment covers: panels, connectors and mounting hardware on one invoice, or three suppliers to chase.
Drawing ready? The custom mini panel drawing and RFQ checklist lists what to put in it.
How a custom order works
- Share the requirement. A drawing, an outline dimension, a target voltage, or just the device you need to power, plus the quantity you have in mind.
- Review the options. You get back a written specification (dimensions, Vmp, Imp, lamination, connector, tolerances) and a quotation at your quantity. Minimum order, sample and production timing are stated in that quotation for your design.
- Test a sample. Check fit and output in your own product before anything goes into production.
- Confirm, then checked before shipment. Every order is checked against the confirmed specification before it ships.
- Export. Goods ship from China with one proforma invoice and one shipment. Email is the fastest way to reach us: [email protected].
Questions we get before the first order
What is the minimum order for a custom solar panel?
There is no fixed catalogue MOQ for custom panels — the minimum depends on the size and build, so tell us your target quantity and the quotation states the minimum at that volume; larger runs get better unit pricing. Stock items can be ordered from inventory without a custom minimum. To test a design before a custom production run, buy a stock sample from inventory or ask for a custom sample.
How long do samples and production take?
Sample and production timing depend on the design, the lamination and the production line's current load, so they are stated in the quotation for your build rather than promised on a web page.
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 made by partner production lines, with pre-shipment checks 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?
LinkSolar is a China-based B2B supplier of custom & OEM solar panels, solar cells and mounting hardware. Panels are manufactured to your drawing by partner production lines; we handle specification, samples, pre-shipment checks and export. Mounting brackets and hardware are made in our own bracket factory. 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, our bracket factory — 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 .