Are some PV panels better than others?

[jason121]

How many of you on this forum have Apple Iphone or IPADs were do you think they are made.

 

[Gozoman]

What I really need to know here is this. I have been quoted for a system which has 8 Linuo P235W panels having a total system size of 1880 Watts. The panels are Chinese which I certainly don't want and the system efficiency is stated as being 11.8% which okay I'm no expert but that doesn't sound great given there are panels on the market with over 20% efficiency. Given the footprint of these 8 Linuo P235W panels as that appears to be my limit area wise are there other panels I could request which would give me a better efficiency and a higher overall output? Also can anyone comment on the inverter which they propose fitting in this system which is a Samil Power Co. SolarRiver 1600TL 1.5kw? I suppose this is more Chinese made stuff? I may seem to be coming down hard on the Chinese here but I really don't want to trust my property or my life to an electrical component made in China where quality and health and safety are nil!

 

[Gozoman]

Point taken Jason as I have a new iPhone 5. However I didn't have a choice in the matter as it was a present from a friend and I don't think there is a possibility that it will malfunction to the degree where it might burn my house down!

 

[Vegelen]

:leaving:

 

[Vegelen]

I don't think there is a possibility that it will malfunction to the degree where it might burn my house down!

That's what Beko fridge freezer owners said.....:ihih:

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[Gozoman]

Sorry you feel that way Vegelen. Personally I thought that was the idea of the forum, to provide an opportunity for people with the necessary knowledge and experience in a particular subject to help others by passing that knowledge and experience on. Personally if someone with your attitude called at my house to quote for a job I'd tell you where you could go!

 

[Vegelen]

Earlier in the posting I provided you with a number of website's showing you solar panels, their efficiency, size etc to help you find the best solar panels for your roof.

You indicated that you didnt like Chinese products and wouldnt buy them.

You mentioned that you'd been offered Chinese manufactured Samil Inverters and Chinese manufactured Linuo solar panels, which you asked forum members for opinions on.

A 5 second internet search would tell you about the provenance of Samil inverters and Linuo panels.

 

[SolarCity]

I don't have much to add to this discussion (as I'm on a sporadic hotel Wifi connection for a start), but I will say that "Cheap Chinese crap" isn't a very accurate description of most imported panels.

Linuo are great panels. If you decide against these and choose to install British made instead, then there is a very high probability that you will pay more for a lesser quality item.

But as you suggest earlier in this thread, you may buy British out of loyalty anyway.

 

[Gozoman]

To be honest Solarcity I didn't know that panels were manufactured in Britain, but now that I do I would probably agree with you that the quality might not be up to some of the more established makers. And it's not a case of buying British out of any form of loyality. I would probably be more inclined to buy German as I have always found the quality of German products to be better. But that the whole point of my original post. I could run a search on the web and find these great write-ups about German panels or French panels or Swiss panels or whatever but where would that get me? I thought that people who were installing them for a living and had been doing so for years would be able to give an honest opinion of what to go for. I have no doubt there are quality products coming out of China but practically every fake product in this country was made in China. If you were fitting wall sockets in a house would you go for a trusted make like MK or would you be happy fitting MK fakes made in China which have been shown to catch fire under load? As an electrician you would probably be able to spot the difference but they would look the same to me. I can't see me going with the Chinese manufactured Samil Inverter and Chinese manufactured Linuo solar panels because I just wouldn't trust them. And when the panels are only rated at 11.8% efficiency they wouldn't be worth it anyway.

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[Vegelen]

SMA are very high quality German inverters with a long operational reliability record - expensive but good.
The Chinese Solar panel manufacturers undercut the German solar panel manufacturers and many German companies went bankrupt, due to the Chinese dumping solar panels in Europe at very low prices. The manufacturing equipment from many of these factories was shipped overseas to China.
Now some German panels are made in China, to the same standards they were made in Germany, on German production lines.
The Chinese solar industry is currently over producing solar panels and prices have reduced as supply is far exceeding demand.
China is trying to stimulate its internal solar market to try to mop up some of this excess oversupply.
It is a good time to buy solar hardware due to current low prices.
If you feel very strongly about buying Chinese hardware, there are a few European factories that still manufacture panels.

 

[Gary K]

You need to make a decision as to how much cash you are prepared to spend. If you want a decent system for as little as possible then it is very likely you will end up with chinese panels but as already stated, they are in the whole not a bad product. If on the other hand you want to cram as much output as possible on your smallish roof,then you will have to pay out for premium panels like Panasonic(sanyo) or Sunpower which have efficiency getting on for 20% but as always for quality gear, you may end up paying getting on for double(at a guess) what the cheaper system costs.

 

[Gozoman]

I'm beginning to see that this is going to be a minefield if German branded panels are coming out of China! I often think what a better world it would be if China sank!

 

[Gozoman]

Thanks for that Gary. I have read that Sunpower are very good but as you say very expensive to match. As you say my problem is a small roof so I really need to get as much output as possible. Not sure I could stretch to double my present quote to achieve that though!

 

[Vegelen]

Focus on finding the right solar panel for your limited roof space, with a good efficiency, at an acceptable price and quality.
The links I specified earlier, will help you do this.
I'd personally install Monocrystaline solar panels, in preference to Poly's but thats a personal choice as many good Polycrystaline panels exist.
Canadian Solar, Linuo, Panasonic, REW Premium Plus, Suntech, Sunpower, Znshine are excellent panel manufacturers.
Be careful which panels you choose from a chosen manufacturer as panel efficiency / quality can and does vary from brand to brand.

 

[Gozoman]

Thanks Vegelen.