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Hyundai 300w Solar Panels - Thoughts?

S

SolarOhio

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May 22, 2020
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I have an opportunity to snag some new Grade A 300w Hyundai panels by driving a few hours away. I don’t really see enough reviews/prices on them to know if they’re worth the effort, but $180 +tax each seems pretty tempting. I have plans for future residential application. Anyone familiar with Hyundai solar equipment? Seller via Craigslist, but these are the panels: https://www.ecodirect.com/Hyundai-HiS-S300RG-BF-300-Watt-Mono-Solar-Pane-p/hyundai-his-s300rg-bf.htm

I’m sure if I should buy just a pair or enough to raise a lot of questions from my wife ?
 
194.4/300 = $0.65/W - not bad. About a year ago, I obtained 18 Talesun 330W panels for $159 each delivered as part of a group buy of two pallets (54) of panels.

It's not a bad deal, but it doesn't seem like a great deal.
 
snoobler said:
194.4/300 = $0.65/W - not bad. About a year ago, I obtained 18 Talesun 330W panels for $159 each delivered as part of a group buy of two pallets (54) of panels.

It's not a bad deal, but it doesn't seem like a great deal.
Click to expand...
Is mono glass panel technology really at a point where I should just focus on price per watt and brand doesn’t make too much of a difference in performance or lifetime?
 
"Mono" is just a word they use to charge more than "poly". In extremely limited situations, they have an infinitesimal performance advantage (fractions of a %), but they are generally not worth the cost.
 
@snoobler has more experience than me about the difference between Mono and Poly. My comments were just meant to suggest that Hyundai is a large Korean Chaebol that has gained a good reputation. They are not a start up.
 
You are going to want many identical panels for residential applications, not just two. Typically 2 kW to 10 kW worth.
Especially if you use high voltage string inverters, which typically accept up to 600V (max on record cold day).
The inverter will also have a minimum operating voltage on a hot day, sometimes 250V or 350V.
I use strings of 24, 12V panels, 12, 24V panels, and 8, 36V panels.
And then there is how many strings to put in parallel.
Sometimes you will make strings a bit shorter, to get the right number of watts.

In other words, you need to select your inverter or charge controller to buy the right set of panels.
(Or else do what I do, buy a hundred at a time and change you mind several times about which inverters to use.)

Check out SanTan Solar (search this forum for comments.) You'll be surprised at how many watts you can get for as little as $500 or $1000.
Some of his panels are new, some used, some have had UL stickers stripped off.
 
For some reason in my area of Northern California there were a lot of used 305 Watt Sunpower panels. They were 96 cell panels that were about 10 to 15 years old that were coming off commercial buildings. They cost between $90 and $100 each which was a little over $0.30 per Watt. Each market has its own stories.
 
I bought 4 brand new 375w panels with warranty shipped to Ohio with dropgate service to my door for under $200 per panel all costs included from SanTanSolar.com

Around 50 cents per watt.
 
Hedges said:
You are going to want many identical panels for residential applications, not just two. Typically 2 kW to 10 kW worth.
Especially if you use high voltage string inverters, which typically accept up to 600V (max on record cold day).
The inverter will also have a minimum operating voltage on a hot day, sometimes 250V or 350V.
I use strings of 24, 12V panels, 12, 24V panels, and 8, 36V panels.
And then there is how many strings to put in parallel.
Sometimes you will make strings a bit shorter, to get the right number of watts.

In other words, you need to select your inverter or charge controller to buy the right set of panels.
(Or else do what I do, buy a hundred at a time and change you mind several times about which inverters to use.)

Check out SanTan Solar (search this forum for comments.) You'll be surprised at how many watts you can get for as little as $500 or $1000.
Some of his panels are new, some used, some have had UL stickers stripped off.
Click to expand...
The two panel application is just for a small solar shed. I was wondering if I should pony up for about 4kw of matching panels now even with my primary residential application at least a year away. But it seems like I should be able to find a better deal if I hold out.
 
Consider your roof area (assuming that is where you plan to mount them) and exactly how they will fit.
We have a bunch of rules now like 3' walkway on two sides and top edge, fireman access. (for some reason I don't see panels and rails hanging out over the lower edge like an awning.)
If your space is limited, exact panel size may determine what fits the quantity you want, and perhaps the right voltage per string. Some inverters have multiple MPPT inputs, some allow wider voltage range, but avoid boxing yourself into a corner.

If you check the rules and plan your design then you could buy what satisfies requirements. Buying a couple extra panels takes care of possible shipment damage and the spares could go on your shed. 3 or 5 kW of panels should fit easily behind the couch until you are ready to install them. Panels are so cheap, make as big a system as will fit. Make sure you will be a net producer, not a net consumer, during late afternoon. Otherwise punitive utility rate schedules forced on PV system owners may give you an unpleasant surprise.

I keep saying prices can never get lower. I paid $5 and $4/w over 15 years ago. Then I had a chance to double the number of Sharp 165W panels I had buying used ones for only $2/W. I've recently added a huge quantity of SunPower for $0.35/W (decided to pay a premium for top name panels), but some brands (and some non-UL, not good for rooftop) are as little as $0.20 and $0.14/W.
 
Resurrecting this thread as I'm considering these 300W Hyundais at $84 each ($0.28/W). With current $150 pallet shipping promo comes out to around $100 per panel for qty 10.

signaturesolar.com

Hyundai 300W Half-Cell Monofacial Solar Panel (Black) | HiA-S300HG

Hyundai 300W Half-Cell Monofacial Solar Panel ( Black ) | HiA-S300HG
signaturesolar.com signaturesolar.com

My question is if I'm giving up any performance during cloudy/non optimal conditions versus pricier panels? Seems like it's more cost effective to get more of these than say pricier per W bifacials etc?
 
Watts are watts. The literature claims these panels have better low light performance, but compared to what? Huyndai makes larger panels now, as do most manufacturers. Do they use the same technology?

I questioned Signature Solar about these panels. If I recall correctly they are from a large installer that bought truckloads of them but didn't use them. So basiclaly, new, but old stock.

I bought a pallet.
 
Q-Dog said:
Watts are watts. The literature claims these panels have better low light performance, but compared to what? Huyndai makes larger panels now, as do most manufacturers. Do they use the same technology?

I questioned Signature Solar about these panels. If I recall correctly they are from a large installer that bought truckloads of them but didn't use them. So basiclaly, new, but old stock.

I bought a pallet.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your feedback, just pulled the trigger on 10 of them.

Going to run 9 of them in 3S 3P on my 150/35.
 
Q-Dog said:
I'm still having discussions with "The Boss" about how big our patio cover will be so haven't put any up yet.
Click to expand...
My town apparently has a limit of 25kW or 110% of actual util of panels for ground mount, and everything needing to be at the latest "codes". So I may mount them vertically on the side of my 18' utility trailer to maximize winter harvest and then go from there.
 
Q-Dog said:
Watts are watts. The literature claims these panels have better low light performance, but compared to what? Huyndai makes larger panels now, as do most manufacturers. Do they use the same technology?

I questioned Signature Solar about these panels. If I recall correctly they are from a large installer that bought truckloads of them but didn't use them. So basiclaly, new, but old stock.

I bought a pallet.
Click to expand...
Not so sure. The Solarever panels I got from SS are mono PERC. These are supposed to capture more from lower light levels, according to google searching. I've been looking at these panels, as they are smaller, so could fit more in a triangular area I want to use. But, they are not PERC, but crystalline. How much less efficient? 18.1 vs 20.9. The more efficient the panel, the less area it covers per watt. If I did the math right, If you grew the Huyndai panel to be the same watts as the Solarever 455, it would take up nearly 54 more square inches. Not a big deal with a few panels, but start filling a roof, that adds up.
 
Last edited:
Tulex said:
Not so sure. The Solarever panels I got from SS are mono PERC. These are supposed to capture more from lower light levels, according to google searching. I've been looking at these panels, as they are smaller, so could fit more in a triangular area I want to use. But, they are not PERC, but crystalline. How much less efficient? 18.1 vs 20.9. The more efficient the panel, the less area it covers per watt. If I did the math right, If you grew the Huyndai panel to be the same watts as the Solarever 455, it would take up nearly 54 more square inches. Not a big deal with a few panels, but start filling a roof, that adds up.
Click to expand...
A watt is still a watt. these were 28¢ a watt ... for new panels. Mounting a couple more panels doesn't bother me.
 
Rotate to landscape orientation, and the coolers will hold them at a better angle.

I've got a couple SunPower 327W on roof oriented West, feeding a battery charger.
Going to mount a couple of another brand, two orientations and paralleled, for more flat production while testing some equipment.
 
I stuck a couple of mine in the yard for a few hours just to see how they would perform. They were great even lying almost flat. But I didn't want to leave them loose with a storm coming so put them away. Now I am recovering from back surgery and can't bend, twist, push, pull or lift anything at least until I get stiches out in a week, so I can't do any more experimenting.

Now I really need to add at least 2 panels to the system because the Victron VRM solar forcast now expects them to be there and it throws off the graphs. :ROFLMAO:
 
Hedges said:
Rotate to landscape orientation, and the coolers will hold them at a better angle.

I've got a couple SunPower 327W on roof oriented West, feeding a battery charger.
Going to mount a couple of another brand, two orientations and paralleled, for more flat production while testing some equipment.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Need to get more cable and figure out best way to get them into the house so I don't have to drag the d2m outside to connect.
 
I have 4 of these Hyundai 300w in one array and today was getting 1.15kw from them.

Pretty sure I bought from the same craigslist ad the OP did.
 
Q-Dog said:
I stuck a couple of mine in the yard for a few hours just to see how they would perform. They were great even lying almost flat. But I didn't want to leave them loose with a storm coming so put them away. Now I am recovering from back surgery and can't bend, twist, push, pull or lift anything at least until I get stiches out in a week, so I can't do any more experimenting.

Now I really need to add at least 2 panels to the system because the Victron VRM solar forcast now expects them to be there and it throws off the graphs. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
These 300W are about the limit of what I'd want to be hauling around regularly. Bigger panels must be a real handful. Cerbo GX is in the cards soon. Need to step up from what the BT can provide.
 
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