Solar system

[Elmix]

I am considering pre-odering this product:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ge/description.
But I have zero expertise in solar. Can you, please, check it out and give pros and cons compared to the products currently available on the market? I will be starting my conversion this summer so not too worried about potential delays with delivery.

[Bearded_Steed]

I cant help too much because I'm in the same boat... I did do a little research in the different types. Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline solar cells. Monocrystalline is more efficient then Polycrystalline silicon.

The link you provided did not say which type it is but the price looks about the same if you were to go to Home Depot.com. That said, with this one being on Kickstarter, the company maybe new to the market, and so is their product... may not be as reliable as other manufacturers with years in the solar industry...

Just my opinion. Hope you find what you need.

[geminusprime]

Remember with kickstarter and gofundme and the other startup funding sites, make a few assumptions regardless of the product/service.

Can I afford to lose this money with no possibility of it being returned?

Can I still afford to purchase a known product if the initial product is faulty/not rendered?


In addition, with the money they are asking for some of the 300 watt systems, you could get several thousands of watts in an existing system. While the higher priced packages do include a larger wattage rating for the inverter, you'll still have to purchase the additional panels to meet that capacity.

$485 per 300 watts is $1.62 per watt, which is quite pricey. This is not factoring in any of the inverters or charge controllers, only the individual panels. Try to stay under $1 per watt, which is still high. For example, a 24v 300W Renogy panel is $306 ($1.02 per watt) and these are some of the better panels that come at a price. Generally their sale items go for around $0.75 to $0.85 per watt. Low quality panels reach $0.50 per watt, and often actually work.

All that aside, it also seems you'd be paying for features that wouldn't really be applicable in a skoolie or other mobile platform. Granted, if it works as it claims it'd be amazing for off grid homes or even conventional homes, but it does seem to be specific for static structures.

I'd recommend looking at some dedicated RV solar systems, which are similarly sold in full kits. You can also look into tiny home, off grid, and conventional home solar panels, but remember to account for the additional forced being on a vehicle will impart.