AIKO has been on our panel line-up for a while. What’s new for 2026 is the NeoStar 3 Series, and two fresh models from it land at PSW Energy: the all-black NeoStar 3S+ and the higher-output NeoStar 3P. Same cell platform, two different briefs. We preference the all-black 3S+ on most roofs, and we’ll explain why. We also think the 3P is one of the more interesting pieces of panel engineering to reach the Australian market this year. Here’s what both models are, where the breakthrough sits, and how to choose between them.
TL,DR
- The AIKO NeoStar 3 Series arrives at PSW Energy in 2026 in two new models: the all-black 3S+ (490W) and the 3P (500W).
- Both run N-type ABC (All Back Contact) cells with silver-free copper metallisation, the platform that removes the front gridlines and lifts efficiency.
- The 3S+ is our default pick: all-black face, dual-glass build, IEC Class A fire rating, a 35mm hail test, and a 30-year product warranty.
- The 3P is the engineered headline: 500W at 25% module efficiency in under 2m², which AIKO says is a world first for a panel this size.
- Ten watts separates them on paper. Build, warranty and looks separate them in practice. We design either into a system on request.
Contents
The NeoStar 3 Series is AIKO’s current-generation residential platform, and both 2026 models share the same foundation: N-type ABC cells, 108 of them, in a panel just under 2m². ABC stands for All Back Contact. Every busbar and gridline sits behind the cell instead of across its face. That does two things at once. More of the front surface collects light, which is where the efficiency comes from. And the face becomes a single uninterrupted surface, which is where the looks come from.
There’s a quieter piece of engineering underneath, and it’s the part worth understanding. AIKO is the first manufacturer to mass-produce back-contact cells with silver-free copper metallisation. The conductive pathways are plated copper rather than the silver paste used across most of the industry. Copper bonds to the silicon with more mechanical strength and flexibility, which AIKO credits with cutting microcrack risk, the slow and invisible failure mode that quietly costs conventional panels output over the years. This is the platform both the 3S+ and the 3P are built on. Where they differ is what AIKO has done with it.
The all-black 3S+
our initial recommendation for your roof
| Spec | Neostar 3S+54 (490W) |
|---|---|
Rated output | 490W (0 to +3% power tolerance) |
Module efficiency | 24.5% |
Cell type | N-type ABC, 108 cells |
Construction | Dual glass (2.0mm + 2.0mm), black anodised aluminium frame |
Temperature coefficient (Pmax) | -0.26%/°C |
First-year degradation | No more than 1% |
Annual degradation, years 2–30 | No more than 0.35% |
Dimensions | 1762 x 1134 x 30mm (just under 2m²) |
Weight | 24.2kg |
Hail rating | Tested with 35mm hail at 23m/s |
Fire rating | IEC Class A |
Why lead with the 3S+ when its sibling carries the bigger number? Because for the kind of homes we fit out across Perth and the rest of Western Australia, it’s the better-balanced panel.
Start with the part you see from the street. Both models wear a black anodised frame, but the 3S+ pairs it with an all-black face and a glass back to match. On a dark tile or Colorbond roof it reads as one clean panel rather than a grid. The 3P shows a white backsheet between its cells. That’s a real visual difference, and on a premium panel we think the looks should match the performance you’re paying for.
The build backs the choice up. The 3S+ is a dual-glass panel: 2.0mm glass on both faces, which seals the cells against moisture far better than a polymer backsheet. It carries an IEC Class A fire rating, the datasheet hail test runs to 35mm at 23m/s, and the product warranty is a full 30 years. For a panel that will sit in the weather for three decades, those are the numbers that decide how it ages, not the headline wattage.
The 3P
the technological breakthrough
The 3P is where AIKO has pushed the platform hardest, and it earns the attention. It puts 500W and 25% module efficiency into the same sub-2m² footprint as every other panel in the series. AIKO says that combination is a world first for a panel this size, and on the published datasheets it’s hard to find a residential module that matches it. At 25%, it’s the most efficient panel in the 3 Series.
Why does that matter beyond bragging rights? Power density. Every panel sits in a fixed physical footprint on your roof, so the watts you fit into that footprint set the ceiling on how much a given roof area can generate. Most quality residential panels going on roofs across WA right now sit between 440W and 460W in the same space. The 3P fits 500W into it. On a roof where space is the binding constraint, and plenty are, that gap compounds across every panel you lay. It can be the difference between a system that covers your usage and one that falls a little short.
The 3P also earns the breakthrough label in cell engineering. Taking back-contact cells with copper metallisation to 25% module efficiency at production scale is a real step, not a spec-sheet rounding exercise. It’s the highest expression of the ABC platform AIKO has shipped.
It isn’t a free lunch, and we wouldn’t pretend otherwise. The 3P uses a front-glass-and-backsheet construction rather than dual glass. Its datasheet hail test is 25mm against the 3S+’s 35mm, the fire rating is IEC Class C rather than Class A, and the product warranty is 25 years rather than 30. It’s also the lighter panel at 20.6kg, which can matter on some roof structures. None of that makes it a lesser panel. It makes it a different trade: maximum output and lighter weight, against the tougher build and longer product cover of the all-black 3S+.
The 3S+ and 3P
side by side
Same cell technology, same footprint, two different briefs. Here’s how they compare on the published datasheets:
| Spec | Neostar 3S+54 (our pick) | Neostar 3P54 (custom order) |
|---|---|---|
Rated output | 490W | 500W |
Module efficiency | 24.5% | 25.0% |
Cell type | N-type ABC, 108 cells | N-type ABC, 108 cells |
Appearance | All-black face, black frame | White backsheet visible, black frame |
Construction | Dual glass (2.0mm + 2.0mm) | 3.2mm front glass with backsheet |
Product warranty | 30 years | 25 years |
Performance warranty | 30 years (88.85% minimum at year 30) | 30 years (88.85% minimum at year 30) |
Datasheet hail test | 35mm at 23m/s | 25mm at 23m/s |
Fire rating | IEC Class A | IEC Class C |
Temperature coefficient (Pmax) | -0.26%/°C | -0.26%/°C |
Weight | 24.2kg | 20.6kg |
Dimensions | 1762 x 1134 x 30mm | 1762 x 1134 x 30mm |
Datasheet |
Why does that matter beyond bragging rights? Power density. Every panel sits in a fixed physical footprint on your roof, so the watts you fit into that footprint set the ceiling on how much a given roof area can generate. Most quality residential panels going on roofs across WA right now sit between 440W and 460W in the same space. The 3P fits 500W into it. On a roof where space is the binding constraint, and plenty are, that gap compounds across every panel you lay. It can be the difference between a system that covers your usage and one that falls a little short.
The 3P also earns the breakthrough label in cell engineering. Taking back-contact cells with copper metallisation to 25% module efficiency at production scale is a real step, not a spec-sheet rounding exercise. It’s the highest expression of the ABC platform AIKO has shipped.
It isn’t a free lunch, and we wouldn’t pretend otherwise. The 3P uses a front-glass-and-backsheet construction rather than dual glass. Its datasheet hail test is 25mm against the 3S+’s 35mm, the fire rating is IEC Class C rather than Class A, and the product warranty is 25 years rather than 30. It’s also the lighter panel at 20.6kg, which can matter on some roof structures. None of that makes it a lesser panel. It makes it a different trade: maximum output and lighter weight, against the tougher build and longer product cover of the all-black 3S+.
Tested for Australia
AIKO has put its Australian range through an extreme-weather certification program built around Australian conditions and testing methods. Three certifications stand out:
- Cyclone wind loading. Certified for high wind load in Australian wind regions C and D, the cyclonic zones that cover WA's northern coastline.
- Hail impact. TÜV Rheinland HW4 certification, tested with 40mm hail balls, a step beyond the standard module test.
- Salt mist. IEC 61701 Severity Level 6, the rating relevant to homes 50m to 500m from the shoreline.
For a Perth coastal suburb, the salt mist rating is the one to notice. Panels live in sea spray from Quinns Rocks to Rockingham, and corrosion resistance is what keeps a 30-year warranty meaningful in those streets.
How they handle environment
Western Australia's conditions
Efficiency on a datasheet is measured at 25°C. A Perth roof in February is not 25°C. Every panel loses output as cell temperature climbs, and the rate of that loss is the temperature coefficient. The 3S+54 loses 0.26% per degree, against the 0.29% to 0.34% typical of mainstream panels. Across a 40°C summer week, the cooler-running maths quietly adds up in your favour.
Shade behaviour is the other quiet strength. ABC cells include partial shading optimisation at the cell level, so a shadow from a TV aerial or a neighbour’s tree clips less of the panel’s output than it would on a conventional layout. No panel is shade-proof. This one just degrades more gracefully when shade arrives.
The dual-glass build matters here too. Glass on both faces seals the cells against moisture better than a polymer backsheet, which is part of how AIKO can put a 30-year product warranty behind this panel.
Warranty
AIKO covers the all-black 3S+ with a 30-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty. The 3P carries a 25-year product warranty and the same 30-year performance warranty. On the performance side, both guarantee no more than 1% degradation in year one and no more than 0.35% a year after that, landing at a minimum 88.85% of rated output in year 30.
A 30-year product warranty is rare. Most premium panels pair a 25-year product term with a 30-year performance term, which is exactly where the 3P sits; the 3S+ extends the product side to 30. These are AIKO’s manufacturer warranties under their published terms, and they sit alongside the consumer guarantees you hold under Australian Consumer Law regardless. Check AIKO’s current Australian warranty document for the full conditions before you commit.
Which one is right
for your home
For most homes, we’d fit the all-black 3S+. It’s the better-looking panel, it has the tougher build and the longer product warranty, and at 490W and 24.5% it gives up very little to its sibling. That’s the one we’d put on our own roofs, so it’s the one we lead with.
The 3P is the panel to reach for when roof space is tight and you want every available watt out of it, or when the lighter weight matters for the structure. It’s the frontier of the residential market right now, and the engineering behind it is the real thing. If that’s the panel you want, tell us when you ask for a quote and we’ll design the system around it.
Both models are available now through PSW Energy. If you want a system built around panels that sit at the top of what’s commercially available, and you’re willing to weigh looks, build and output against each other properly, the NeoStar 3 Series is the one to look at. Request a quote, and we’ll size it for your home and your roof.
