My Signature Solar Experience (not good)

[Koldsimer]

If I owned Signature Solar, I wouldn't even be in the business of re-selling used panels. Too much hassle for what it's worth.

My impression is that SS ownership is laser focused on maximizing profitability at all costs. I can only imagine the profit margin on panels that are bought 100k at a time and then sold individually.

 

[littleharbor2]

If it's not too much trouble to check you can inspect the panels from the top face and probably see if there is any problem developing from water intrusion.

 

[Sethtrosity]

If it's not too much trouble to check you can inspect the panels from the top face and probably see if there is any problem developing from water intrusion.

I finished installing all 12 panels on 4/3 and I live in west Texas. As far as I can remember, it hasn't rained once since they been installed. So far the panels are fine, there isn't any water damage visible on the cell side. The rainy season where I'm located at typically starts around June 15 and runs through September 30. I will keep an eye on them and see if anything starts to become visible.

 

[RustyHalo]

My first go at this, and cracked panels is what I'm looking at. Have yours leaked? I tried finding the sealant you used, but it got lost in translation I think. What did you use, and do you wish you wouldn't have? How is the out put? I'm on an extremely limited budget, and panels are where I'm hoping to save some money.
They offer some that have cracks on the back and others with "snail trails" (gross). Does anyone have experience with these?

 

[Hedges]

I missed the clamp, yes I agree they should have just sent the correct one out when you brought it to their attention no questions asked.

I get great support of that form from random eBay vendors.
Maybe something to do with feedback scores?

If it's not too much trouble to check you can inspect the panels from the top face and probably see if there is any problem developing from water intrusion.

It would be good to test in some fashion.
I had identical parallel strings of PV panels bought new 17 years before. Clamp ammeter showed very different current from the two strings, so I disconnected panels to test individually and found several outliers. Still trying to get through to Sharp for warranty service (voicemail tree goes to dead letter box.)

If you can borrow an IR camera, PV array while operating under load shows interesting patterns. I don't know how to get quantifiable data, but bad panels stand out visually.

They offer some that have cracks on the back and others with "snail trails" (gross). Does anyone have experience with these?

PV panels used to be the largest cost of a system, now close to the smallest.
I don't want to have to deal with replacing them and rearranging supports for different dimension. I pay a premium for top brand panels, even if it is 2x or 3x the cheapest rejects.

From my experience Growatt inverters and those similar like the mpp etc are prone with those kinds of problems .
Dont get me wrong they are great for their price. But you get what you pay for.
If you want quality go for the reputable brands.
Xantrex support sucks though

Wide range of price, maybe 4x or 10x between top brands and "budget" variety.
The low cost inverters will meet the needs and budget of some.
SMA, which I use, have MSRP about $0.33/W for GT PV inverters, $1.00/W for battery inverters. About $8k for 6kW & 6kW, of course street price a bit lower and sometimes available used. Support? I've hardly needed it, and still run original firmware.
Several other top tier brands can make robust systems at lower price points.
If panels bought cheap you may want cheap inverter, but if you get a large battery, that dominates price so maybe upgrade the rest.

 

[Sethtrosity]

I was going to update this post regarding the wifi stick, but I'm still waiting. It was returned on 6/2 and SignatureSolar still hasn't messaged me. I had to send another email (yet again, big surprise) asking about it. I was told, "It has been placed on the refund list since the 31st." I'm just waiting for them to actually submit the refund. I don't know if they are giving me the full refund or if I have to pay the restocking fee yet.

My first go at this, and cracked panels is what I'm looking at. Have yours leaked? I tried finding the sealant you used, but it got lost in translation I think. What did you use, and do you wish you wouldn't have? How is the out put? I'm on an extremely limited budget, and panels are where I'm hoping to save some money.
They offer some that have cracks on the back and others with "snail trails" (gross). Does anyone have experience with these?

I can't really recommend what I used because it hasn't rained in my area so I don't know if it worked or not. I just used an outdoor / water proof / uv resistant polyurethane sealant. I believe it was for sealing outdoor flooring, but I no longer have the container. As for the output, I tested each panel before mounting them and they were all outputting around 34v in direct sunlight. I don't think the cracks had any affect on the output for now.

 

[Darren67-72]

I have purchased 20+ cracked back panels from santan. They work great. I did seal the cracks with a quality sealer. And I purchased another 20+ panels of the snail trails (only because they were out of the cracked ones) the snail trails are tiny lines, maybe cracks or etching under the front glass. They work well also, but I don't care for this type of degradation. Jmo I did order a few extra in case I was to break one, but my shipper did that for me. Haha. And they covered it, only asked for pictures. Very pleased with my, truck ship, guys here.

 

[Rho]

My Signature Solar experince was good for a manufacture problem. SS spent time troubleshooting my Growatt inverter. Concluded needed it needed to be returned. They paid to return old unit. I paid for new inverter freight to be returned. We both split the pain the manufacture should have paid. I am happy with the customer service I received. They did not make the inverter so how could they held totally responsible. I installed new unit. Took it off grid. Place my grid neutral back in service. Thanks to the great help from forum member Timeselectric. Now I am creating lots of free power. Thanks again to all of you that helped me learn how to do this.
You are responsible for your own choices. ??

 

[Deleted member 1888]

My Signature Solar experince was good for a manufacture problem. SS spent time troubleshooting my Growatt inverter. Concluded needed it needed to be returned. They paid to return old unit. I paid for new inverter freight to be returned. We both split the pain the manufacture should have paid. I am happy with the customer service I received. They did not make the inverter so how could they held totally responsible. I installed new unit. Took it off grid. Place my grid neutral back in service. Thanks to the great help from forum member Timeselectric. Now I am creating lots of free power. Thanks again to all of you that helped me learn how to do this.
You are responsible for your own choices. ??

Good for you but not customer can afford to eat shipping cost twice, SS can they just don't want to.

 

[Rho]

Good for you but not customer can afford to eat shipping cost twice, SS can they just don't want to.

They are a distributor not manufacture. They fulfilled distributor obligations. Read your manufacture warranty and take it up with manufacturer. Lol good luck with that. Life isn't always Rosie. Take your lemons and be glad someone is helping you make lemonade. Your attitude of what a business can afford shows your lack of experince in purchasing goods and cost associated with doing business. I bet their paying my freight use 2/3 of the profit made on the sale. The remaining 1/3 profit was spent on time paid to person helping me diagnose problem. I assure you I was not a money maker customer. Glad I bought from them. Least I can do is say thanks for being good distributor of a China product.

 

[RV10flyer]

Good for you but not customer can afford to eat shipping cost twice, SS can they just don't want to.

I sell HVAC products. No way would I sell or install something then ask a customer to pay shipping under my one year warranty. I charge enough that I can eat a little bit of shipping and provide after hours service if needed once in a while. If it becomes a constant problem, then I will not sell their products anymore.

 

[Rho]

Guess your mark up is great.

 

[Deleted member 1888]

They are a distributor not manufacture. They fulfilled distributor obligations. Read your manufacture warranty and take it up with manufacturer. Lol good luck with that. Life isn't always Rosie. Take your lemons and be glad someone is helping you make lemonade. Your attitude of what a business can afford shows your lack of experince in purchasing goods and cost associated with doing business. I bet their paying my freight use 2/3 of the profit made on the sale. The remaining 1/3 profit was spent on time paid to person helping me diagnose problem. I assure you I was not a money maker customer. Glad I bought from them. Least I can do is say thanks for being good distributor of a China product.

Well do remember that next time to buy ANTTHING form any store like Walmart or Kmart, or even a grocery store. If the product is damaged or spoiled don't take it back to the store call the manufacture. After all the store is just a distributor its not there fault the product is faulty .........................RIGHT?

 

[Rho]

Well do remember that next time to buy ANTTHING form any store like Walmart or Kmart, or even a grocery store. If the product is damaged or spoiled don't take it back to the store call the manufacture. After all the store is just a distributor its not there fault the product is faulty .........................RIGHT?

I have a coffee maker on shelf they told me do do just that. Guess 30 minute to make 1 espresso was acceptable. So yeah

 

[RV10flyer]

I have a coffee maker on shelf they told me do do just that. Guess 30 minute to make 1 espresso was acceptable. So yeah

It's usually 30 days, store return or credit at most places.

 

[Hedges]

They are a distributor not manufacture. They fulfilled distributor obligations. Read your manufacture warranty and take it up with manufacturer. Lol good luck with that.

If it doesn't work correctly out of the box, I expect retailer/distributor to make it right at their cost. Some time later, it can be my problem to deal with manufacturer.

I shop a bit at Harbor Freight. (almost?) everything they sell is their house brand, so they are responsible for it. Most have 30 day no questions asked return policy, maybe some longer, or they offer to sell a warranty. Some items like jack stands they recalled, and after a couple cycles of that they opened up to all model numbers not just the ones they knew had a problem.

I think the basic problem here is "Server Rack Batteries", which were not designed to feed off-grid inverters.
The other thing is non-UL listed inverters. Don't expect SS to design a customer's system, but at least give a schematic of one system that will be safe and work properly.

A UL listed auto-transformer by itself won't cut it. If connected to a "rest of world" inverter and creating a safety hazard, it should not be promoted. Show a proper way to use it (compliant to UL listing) and explicitly disavow responsibility for other usage.

 

[Rho]

If it doesn't work correctly out of the box, I expect retailer/distributor to make it right at their cost. Some time later, it can be my problem to deal with manufacturer.

I shop a bit at Harbor Freight. (almost?) everything they sell is their house brand, so they are responsible for it. Most have 30 day no questions asked return policy, maybe some longer, or they offer to sell a warranty. Some items like jack stands they recalled, and after a couple cycles of that they opened up to all model numbers not just the ones they knew had a problem.

I think the basic problem here is "Server Rack Batteries", which were not designed to feed off-grid inverters.
The other thing is non-UL listed inverters. Don't expect SS to design a customer's system, but at least give a schematic of one system that will be safe and work properly.

A UL listed auto-transformer by itself won't cut it. If connected to a "rest of world" inverter and creating a safety hazard, it should not be promoted. Show a proper way to use it (compliant to UL listing) and explicitly disavow responsibility for other usage.

I can agree with the don't promote if you not sure. I got nabbed there. Once again I acting as installer should have been more educated.

 

[robby]

---Snip--
I think the basic problem here is "Server Rack Batteries", which were not designed to feed off-grid inverters.
The other thing is non-UL listed inverters. Don't expect SS to design a customer's system, but at least give a schematic of one system that will be safe and work properly.

A UL listed auto-transformer by itself won't cut it. If connected to a "rest of world" inverter and creating a safety hazard, it should not be promoted. Show a proper way to use it (compliant to UL listing) and explicitly disavow responsibility for other usage.

Thank you Hedges that is exactly what I have been saying. If Signature Solar cannot get it from the manufacturer then they need to either stop selling the product or get a professional to make one and include it in their manual.
They cannot sell potentially hazardous products to DIY users and not have a proper wiring schematic example!

 

[Rho]

Thank you Hedges that is exactly what I have been saying. If Signature Solar cannot get it from the manufacturer then they need to either stop selling the product or get a professional to make one and include it in their manual.
They cannot sell potentially hazardous products to DIY users and not have a proper wiring schematic example!

Why is it the distribution obligation to have or create wiring scheme? I wish they had done more research. The diagram at least got me headed in right direction. No doubt revisions need made. I was in limbo before. I think that is why they say please use qualified installer and or electrician. We choose to act as installer and electrician. How are they responsible. Beleive me I fell into the bs ground neutral trap. Still wondering how I beleive nuetral not needed. Anyway that was my responsiblity as acting installer electrician. Silly me ,if I was either I would have known . Not saying I liked the bs involved in getting things finally put back in order. Still finishing a few things. So hot out.Just saying I am glad I bought from SS instead of China. Cost me for 2nd chance but at least I got 2nd chance to get it right. Still uncertain as to what the problem was. Thank you all on forum with knowledge for guiding the newbies.

 

[Rho]

It's usually 30 days, store return or credit at most places.

Not where I live. You buy it it is yours.