Triangular shaped panels

[Worcester]

Polys : The 'Square' panels are based on a 7 x 8 (56 cell) module and the "triangular" 7 x 7 (7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 28 cells) so they are not 'handed' both 156x156mm cells
Monos: The 'Square' panels are based on a 8 x 9 (72 cell) module and the "triangular" 8 x 8 (8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 36 cells) so they are not 'handed' both 125x125mm cells

 

[Ian-LS]

Still need to get my head around which inverters can be used with them, not sure they would make sense financially if you had to use solar edge.

 

[Gavin A]

any string inverter.

the cells are identical, the ampage is identical, the voltage on the triangular panel is exactly half the voltage on the square panel, so it's no different at all to having 3 strings of 20 cells connected in series in a standard 60 cell panel.

If segen really were saying they thought they needed solar edge, then they need to get some better trained technical staff.

what you couldn't do is to run a triangular and a square panel in parallel for battery charging or something, which is really where a lot of the ingrained folk memory of panels needing to have identical voltages comes from I think.

 

[t4sltd]

Went to Segen training this afternoon and it was very poor. Apparently you can model in PVSys by using the 'square' panel and replacing every 2 triangles with one 'square' one. There is only one triangle module available meaning the cell sub-strings run up-down or left-right depending which way you orientate the panel. This means it is almost impossible to design a system with good shade performance as sub-strings don't all point the same way. The panels made in China from unknown Chinese cells and the mounting system manufacturers have not yet said in writing they support them.

 

[Ian-LS]

That was my conclusion from the training. They are a watch this space kind of panel.

 

[SolarCity]

T4sltd, were you in Nottingham? If so, we were at the same 'training'.

The presentation was more aimed at how to design using the Segen portal. We didn't really get anything from the meeting which we didn't already know or couldn't have found out.

My conclusion: Excellent option for a lot of roofs. They look great but they are problematic when it comes to shading. No issue designing with a string inverter either.
They seemed to make a lot of noise about how the panels clamp to the rail. Seems pretty straightforward to me and I can't see any issue with it. I doubt the mounting system companies will have an issue with it either.

 

[Ian-LS]

Should have called it segen design tool training with a few its about triangle panels

 

[SRE]

I had a quick look at Segen again yesterday, to see the triangular panels but all of Segen's stock is just so expensive I haven't bought off them other than when I'm desperate for about 12 months now.

I asked them to review pricing again yesterday, out of interest more than anything else and they came back to me and said as I bought more the prices would reduce and pointed out my 6.5% discount. I pointed out that 6.5% discount was equivalent almost to what my customers could pick up panels for so it was hardly a discount and I was hardly likely to pay £10/panel extra for my next few jobs until they came in line with everyone else.

How do you all manage to buy from Segen??

 

[Worcester]

Wed don't I've said many a time on this forum that we'd go broke if we did...

 

[Gavin A]

How do you all manage to buy from Segen??

We've only bought a few specific items from them since this time last year when they suddenly ramped up their panel prices for panels they already held in stock in response to the EU actions. blatant profiteering IMO, and it's come back to bite them as installers have deserted them in droves from what I can see.

still not found anyone with a portal that's anything like as good as Segen's though.