Solar panels

[TheRoanBus]

What's your favorite solar panel?

RIDGID (efficient but not aerodynamic and stable) or FLEXIBLE panels (not as efficient but streamline and easy installation)?

Did you buy the kit or parts?

I was thinking of getting 6 Giosolar flexible monocrystalline 100watt 12v panels,$165 ea, but I down to hear otherwise!


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[lucasd]

On a purely dollar per watt basis, those are not going to be winners. Your better deals are usually found in the larger panels targeted at the grid-tie market.

For example, take a look at this one. It's a 340 watt panel for $250 (plus maybe 30-ish for shipping). That works out to a delivered cost of 82 cents per watt vs $1.65 per watt for the ones you pointed out. Mind, these would require an MPPT charge controller to attach them to a 12v battery bank, but that's not really a bad thing in my mind, and the higher panel voltage (24v+) will mean less power loss on your wire runs from the panels to the charge controller.

[Iceni John]

Definitely the big grid-tie panels are the cheapest per watt, as long as you have the space for them. I have eight Sharp 255W 60-cell panels running through two Morningstar MPPT charge controllers - PWM controllers are inefficient for larger systems because they simply waste excess voltage, compared to MPPT controllers that convert excess voltage into usable amps. Flexible panels are also probably not durable - how well will they be working in ten or twenty years (if at all)?

Don't cheap out. Buy the good stuff, then you won't regret it later.

John

[ourmefa]

Originally Posted by lucasd

On a purely dollar per watt basis, those are not going to be winners. Your better deals are usually found in the larger panels targeted at the grid-tie market.

For example, take a look at this one. It's a 340 watt panel for $250 (plus maybe 30-ish for shipping). That works out to a delivered cost of 82 cents per watt vs $1.65 per watt for the ones you pointed out. Mind, these would require an MPPT charge controller to attach them to a 12v battery bank, but that's not really a bad thing in my mind, and the higher panel voltage (24v+) will mean less power loss on your wire runs from the panels to the charge controller.

I had not heard about this company before. Looks like they make quality stuff. At least there promo video looks good -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6v2lDa8Hos

- I have that same truck in the video, and it is no small feat to park a truck that size on panels like that. I will be adding them to my list of potential suppliers.

They get good reviews here as well - http://www.solarreviews.com/manufacturers/solarworld/

[ourmefa]

Apparently they also make a 38V panel - SolarWorld SW340 XL Silver Mono Solar Panel - Wholesale Solar