Every year, All Energy Australia buzzes with big announcements, but LONGi managed to command real attention with two new additions designed for the next chapter of rooftop solar. At the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the company introduced the Hi-MO X10 Guardian Light Design for commercial projects and then surprised the crowd with the official unveiling of its residential EcoLife series. It was one of those moments where you could feel the industry lean in.
Brett Robinson, Senior Manager for Key Accounts across Australia and New Zealand, invited Roshan through the LONGi stand and explained the thinking behind these new products. The message was clear. LONGi is not just upgrading its technology. It is redefining what high performance and long-term reliability should look like for Australian homes and businesses.
EcoLife took centre stage, pairing a sleek black aesthetic with serious durability and some of the strongest shading performance we have seen in a residential panel. Guardian Light Design brought a clever new approach for commercial roofs that would usually struggle with heavy modules. Together, these two releases mark a very deliberate shift into smarter and more refined rooftop solar.
Understanding the Hi-MO X10 series
Hi-MO X10 panels use a back contact cell structure. Instead of having silver lines across the front, all wiring sits neatly on the rear of each cell. This allows the sun to hit more of the active surface and removes the visual clutter that most panels still have.
The engineering creates three big wins. You get better efficiency, more stable performance when the light is uneven and a clean black front that looks great on a roof. It is a technology push that fits the direction the Australian market is moving toward, especially as homeowners look for strong performance without sacrificing appearance.
EcoLife: LONGi’s new premium residential option
EcoLife is LONGi’s newest residential product line, built specifically to handle the demands of modern Australian homes. Based on the Hi-MO X10 platform, it delivers impressive efficiency, higher resistance to heat and shade and a robust design that gives households confidence in long-term performance.
A point of difference
EcoLife combines premium black styling with well-engineered cell behaviour under real-world conditions. Where some panels struggle with shade and heat, EcoLife has been built to keep operating smoothly. The single glass design with coated tempered glass, a black anodised frame and a back contact cell layout gives the panel a refined finish and steady performance throughout the year.
The efficiency numbers speak for themselves. The range delivers between 475 and 495 watts, with the top model reaching 24.3 per cent efficiency. For homes with limited roof space or tricky layouts, that level of performance makes it easier to build a higher-yield system without cramming the roof with hardware.
Why EcoLife suits Australian roofs
Australian rooftops are far from simple. Many homes have partial shading from gum trees, double-storey shadows or awkward lines that create morning and afternoon shading. The EcoLife series tackles this head-on.
The panel can maintain up to 70 per cent of its output when shaded. It also runs up to sixty degrees cooler under shade than conventional designs. Cooler cells reduce the risk of hot spots and support better lifetime performance.
EcoLife also has serious resilience built into the frame and glass. The 3.2 mm tempered surface and the black anodised aluminium frame support high wind and snow loads, but the standout addition is the Swiss VKF HW4 hail classification. The certificate confirms that the panel can withstand 40 mm ice ball impacts, which is a direct response to the hail events seen in parts of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales over recent years.
LONGi also deserves credit for the long-term reliability numbers. EcoLife has less than one per cent power loss in the first year and then only 0.35 per cent per year for the next twenty-nine years. That means homeowners can expect almost 89 per cent of the original output after three decades of operation. Very few modules on the market match that projection.
Under the hood: EcoLife specs
Electrical performance
- Power range from 475 to 495 watts
- Efficiency from 23.3% to 24.3%
- Open circuit voltage between 40.18 and 40.64 volts
- Short circuit current between 15.03 and 15.43 amps
- First year degradation under 1%
- Annual degradation from year two to thirty at 0.35%
- Power tolerance between 0% and 3%
Mechanical features
- Dimensions: 1800 x 1134 x 30 mm
- Weight: 21.6 kg
- 108 cell layout in a 6 by 18 format
- 3.2 mm coated tempered glass
- Black anodised frame
- IP68 junction box
- Mechanical loading at 5400 Pa front and 2400 Pa rear
- Hail certification at the HW4 level
Operating conditions
- Nominal cell temperature at 45 degrees plus or minus two
- Maximum system voltage of 1500 volts DC
- Maximum series fuse rating of 25 amps
- Operating temperature range between -40°C and +85°C
This specification mix positions EcoLife as a robust choice for homes across all climates, from coastal regions to inland heat zones.
Guardian Light Design: the commercial counterpart
Where EcoLife focuses on homes, the Hi-MO X10 Guardian Light Design is built for commercial rooftops, schools, retail centres and industrial sheds. Many commercial roofs in Australia cannot handle the weight of traditional dual glass modules. LONGi responded with a lighter frame that reduces pressure on roof structures without sacrificing power output.
The Guardian Light Design offers up to 560 watts per module, high efficiency and a much lighter build. It helps installers work quickly, reduces engineering upgrades and suits older roofs that would otherwise be considered too risky for solar.
How the two new ranges complement each other
EcoLife and Guardian Light Design share the same Hi-MO X10 DNA. They use the same back contact cell design and both emphasise lower temperatures, strong shading behaviour and long-term reliability. The difference comes down to the intended environment.
EcoLife gives homeowners a premium, visually clean and highly efficient panel that performs well under everyday conditions. Guardian Light Design delivers a lightweight, high-output solution for commercial sites that must balance performance with structural safety.
Together, they give installers and system designers a consistent technology platform across residential and commercial projects. This allows energy professionals to choose the right panel for the roof without compromising on efficiency, durability or longevity.
Final thoughts
LONGi’s unveiling of the Hi-MO X10 EcoLife and Guardian Light Design at All Energy Australia marks a confident step forward for the company and the industry. The EcoLife series, supported by strong shading results, Swiss hail classification and an impressive thirty-year power warranty, brings a new level of performance to Australian homes. The Guardian Light Design provides a smart and practical option for busy commercial rooftops that cannot take heavy loads.
