sidpost
New Member
I'm new here but, not new to solar. I have been using a Midnite Solar KIDD charge controller to do things like put heat in electric water elements (keep fish warm overwinter in tanks) and the more classic charge batteries and use an inverter to run things.
I'm shopping for pallets of panels so my options are somewhat restricted due to availability. What I am trying to understand is what I get with premium names like Panasonic, LG, Kyocera, and others that I don't get with less familiar names from primarily China.
I get cosmetics for home roof installations, consumer name recognition, and generally top technical specifications. However, at ~$1/watt they are pretty spendy and I don't need the higher efficiency per square foot they offer over less efficient but equal watt panels.
I am in Texas so, heat effects are a consideration (thermal curves). Physical things like wind loading and hail seem to be well within industry norms so, no advantage or disadvantage there. Efficiency at 10, 20, or 30 years is something that is very hard to figure out from the information I have access to right now.
Then there is the price premium (apparently) for 144 cell 1/2 panels. Shading out or losing 1/2 a panel is certainly better than losing a whole panel but, I'm not convinced that is something with a lot of value for myself as I won't be installing them near trees, and dirt or grass debris won't be issues encountered very frequently, if at all.
I'm looking for ~10Kw per pallet so, given a little power loss for various reasons puts me in the 370W~400W range per panel. My other thought is simply to buy the Poly panel that is cheapest per Watt and just buy more of them but, that isn't a linear savings since mounting and placement costs will be higher for a larger panel count of less wattage (everything from mounting brackets to wire costs, etc.).
So, where is the "sweet spot" or range in solar panels today for someone like myself?
For a starting point of discussion, I'm looking at the Hyundai HiAS360HI 144 Cell Monocrystalline Solar Panel which runs $160 plus shipping.
TIA,
Sid
I'm shopping for pallets of panels so my options are somewhat restricted due to availability. What I am trying to understand is what I get with premium names like Panasonic, LG, Kyocera, and others that I don't get with less familiar names from primarily China.
I get cosmetics for home roof installations, consumer name recognition, and generally top technical specifications. However, at ~$1/watt they are pretty spendy and I don't need the higher efficiency per square foot they offer over less efficient but equal watt panels.
I am in Texas so, heat effects are a consideration (thermal curves). Physical things like wind loading and hail seem to be well within industry norms so, no advantage or disadvantage there. Efficiency at 10, 20, or 30 years is something that is very hard to figure out from the information I have access to right now.
Then there is the price premium (apparently) for 144 cell 1/2 panels. Shading out or losing 1/2 a panel is certainly better than losing a whole panel but, I'm not convinced that is something with a lot of value for myself as I won't be installing them near trees, and dirt or grass debris won't be issues encountered very frequently, if at all.
I'm looking for ~10Kw per pallet so, given a little power loss for various reasons puts me in the 370W~400W range per panel. My other thought is simply to buy the Poly panel that is cheapest per Watt and just buy more of them but, that isn't a linear savings since mounting and placement costs will be higher for a larger panel count of less wattage (everything from mounting brackets to wire costs, etc.).
So, where is the "sweet spot" or range in solar panels today for someone like myself?
For a starting point of discussion, I'm looking at the Hyundai HiAS360HI 144 Cell Monocrystalline Solar Panel which runs $160 plus shipping.
TIA,
Sid