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Ultra cheap (~20 cents per watt) Tier 1 solar panels from a new solar distributor

I tried to throw a pallet in the cart to see what the shipping would be but it only offers me free pickup. Do they ship? Have you bought from them?
 
I put a skid in, put in my address, it came up with shipping fee. Did say no shipping option available while it was working on it.
 
I did finally get it to work, shipping is not cheap to the middle of the country.
 
@Will Prowse your last video said to let you know if there were "better priced panels" than the aptos.
I guess this is a good one to look at.
They have the hyperion ones which I saw on signature solar too.
 
I am very suspicious of these new panels because of their low price and Wills comment on the lower weight.
We need some ProjectFarm type testing on these panels to see how durable the frame and the glass and mainly the seals on the frame edges. The whole thirty year warranty thing means nothing. Even if they lasted 20 years I would have long upgraded them. Not to mention that I doubt in 10 years time these companies will exist.
 
robby said:
I am very suspicious of these new panels because of their low price and Wills comment on the lower weight.
We need some ProjectFarm type testing on these panels to see how durable the frame and the glass and mainly the seals on the frame edges. The whole thirty year warranty thing means nothing. Even if they lasted 20 years I would have long upgraded them. Not to mention that I doubt in 10 years time these companies will exist.
Click to expand...
Maybe panels are getting so much cheaper because the newer TOPCon ones are replacing them?
 
robby said:
I am very suspicious of these new panels because of their low price and Wills comment on the lower weight.
We need some ProjectFarm type testing on these panels to see how durable the frame and the glass and mainly the seals on the frame edges. The whole thirty year warranty thing means nothing. Even if they lasted 20 years I would have long upgraded them. Not to mention that I doubt in 10 years time these companies will exist.
Click to expand...
What kind of testing should I do to them? Throw rocks at them and twist them?
 
Will Prowse said:
What kind of testing should I do to them? Throw rocks at them and twist them?
Click to expand...
No need for you to spend your time doing that... I heard that FedEx offers that type of testing already...

stackpanelsbroken-jpg.219990


diysolarforum.com

Fedex is NOT getting a Christmas card this year (Sig Solar order destroyed)

1.) Pallet has big yellow cone with sign DO NOT STACK ON TOP that was crushed by the item they stacked on top, crushing inverter and destroying top panel. 2.) Pallet had signs stating USE LONG FORKS ONLY, driver used short fork to take off truck, tilting pallet and dug fork into bottom panel. I...
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Will Prowse said:
What kind of testing should I do to them? Throw rocks at them and twist them?
Click to expand...
Once mounted, there won't be any twisting other than shipping and handling. Twisting might actually be beneficial for vehicle mounted systems, not a negative feature to worry about.

Up here along Lake Superior I have seen panels blown off from ground mounts. They were bolted down through the frames, not captured like clamps would be. The bolts actually tore through the aluminum frame. Id like to see some frame testing from manufacturers. In high wind areas I like the REC panels, they tend to put extra effort into their frames and add 2 bars across the back for strength.

Another topic has been hail. A test would need to be controlled / measurable in some fashion. Like a baseball pitching machine sending a known weight at different speed settings might work?
 
seneysolar said:
Once mounted, there won't be any twisting other than shipping and handling. Twisting might actually be beneficial for vehicle mounted systems, not a negative feature to worry about.

Up here along Lake Superior I have seen panels blown off from ground mounts. They were bolted down through the frames, not captured like clamps would be. The bolts actually tore through the aluminum frame. Id like to see some frame testing from manufacturers. In high wind areas I like the REC panels, they tend to put extra effort into their frames and add 2 bars across the back for strength.

Another topic has been hail. A test would need to be controlled / measurable in some fashion. Like a baseball pitching machine sending a known weight at different speed settings might work?
Click to expand...
Integrarack has some crazy test videos. Pulling on them with a forklift with thousands of pounds. The big issue is hail because it can crack it. But I don't think anything else is going to hurt panels.

Oh, Puerto Rico during hurricanes can kill panels.

Out here in the desert we have huge solar farms I drive past every single day and the winds they have to handle is crazy.
 
Danke said:
Fantastic Price, what makes them “ Tier 1?”
Click to expand...

Can't speak to "Tier 1", but you call that "Fantastic"?

I've got your "Fantastic" right here!

diysolarforum.com

First Time ordering from Solar Sovereign - a pallet of panels

I've been eyeing Solar Sovereign for quite some time now. I finally placed an order today because of the free shipping promotion they are running right now. I ordered a full pallet of NE Solar mono 370W panels (total 11.47kw, 31 panels) for the advertised price of $2604. That comes to $84 per...
diysolarforum.com diysolarforum.com

1717779971179.png
 
Will Prowse said:
Integrarack has some crazy test videos. Pulling on them with a forklift with thousands of pounds.
Click to expand...
Did they say what panels they were pulling on?
Will Prowse said:
The big issue is hail because it can crack it. But I don't think anything else is going to hurt panels.

Oh, Puerto Rico during hurricanes can kill panels.

Out here in the desert we have huge solar farms I drive past every single day and the winds they have to handle is crazy.
Click to expand...
Yeah I've just noticed some differences between panel brands in regards to the aluminum frame. For instance the Canadian Solar panels have a great snow loading but the frames seem to be brittle. They were the ones that blew off with pieces of the frame still under the nut on the mount. Not torn or bent or anything, just broke. Seen 2 separate occasions, both were Canadian Solar.

The south shore of Lake Superior with north winds can be brutal in the winter. South facing panels, near vertical for winter, they take direct wind from behind. Perhaps just a unique scenario.
 
Will Prowse said:
What kind of testing should I do to them? Throw rocks at them and twist them?
Click to expand...
Frame Strength Test:
For instance if you look at Project Farm videos he would test the Frame by clamping it halfway sticking out across a bench and then seeing how much weight can be added pound by pound on the far end of the unsupported side until the panel bends and breaks the glass.
He would then do that with other brands and see how well they hold up in the same test.

Water Seal Test
Rest down three different brands of panel flat on a table and put water onto the glass until it fills to the rim.
If there are corner leaks then seal the corners. The idea is to have the top of the glass submerged and see how well it holds up after a week. You want to see if water is creeping in to the inner board.


Hail Impact

This would be more tricky but if you have a compressor and some PVC pipe and a dump valve you could make one.
Simpler idea might be to just freeze bigger ice balls and just drop them from a ladder onto a flat PV panel below.
The main task is just to find out if these new panels break easier than the heavier older type panels that you have lying around your property.

 
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If anyone in the Denver/Front Range area wants go to in on a pallet, let me know! I'd be looking at ~6-8
 
Danke said:
Fantastic Price, what makes them “ Tier 1?”
Click to expand...
Bloomberg publishes a Tier 1 list of manufacturers that is based on a variety of criteria, not only in regard to the panel but also the financial standing of the manufacturer and the volume they are producing per year. As far as I understand, most utility scale or large projects require in the contracts for the panels to be off the Tier 1 list. I've heard arguments, however, that it's an inappropriate "end-all-be-all" because they don't do as much mechanical testing.

seneysolar said:
Once mounted, there won't be any twisting other than shipping and handling. Twisting might actually be beneficial for vehicle mounted systems, not a negative feature to worry about.

Up here along Lake Superior I have seen panels blown off from ground mounts. They were bolted down through the frames, not captured like clamps would be. The bolts actually tore through the aluminum frame. Id like to see some frame testing from manufacturers. In high wind areas I like the REC panels, they tend to put extra effort into their frames and add 2 bars across the back for strength.

Another topic has been hail. A test would need to be controlled / measurable in some fashion. Like a baseball pitching machine sending a known weight at different speed settings might work?
Click to expand...
Oh you a yooper, eh?? Gitche Gummee doesn't play around!

InTheHills said:
I tried to throw a pallet in the cart to see what the shipping would be but it only offers me free pickup. Do they ship? Have you bought from them?
Click to expand...
Yes, they're shipping across the US. Had a long conversation with them. I mentioned this forum and Will's review videos. @Will Prowse they said they are bringing a new 5KWH rack style battery to the market and were gunna reach out for review.
 
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