SolarWorld vs LG

[subdriver97]

I was told by an installer that he had a customer with LG panels break two with a golfball (not covered by warranty). The new panels are SolarWorld because he said SW wouldn't have broke due to a golfball.

I'm concerned with the bankability of SolarWorld given there profitability. Interested in what you all recommend.

I'm in the San Diego area if anyone wants to recommend an installer, please pm.

[thejq]

I was told by an installer that he had a customer with LG panels break two with a golfball (not covered by warranty). The new panels are SolarWorld because he said SW wouldn't have broke due to a golfball.

I'm concerned with the bankability of SolarWorld given there profitability. Interested in what you all recommend.

I'm in the San Diego area if anyone wants to recommend an installer, please pm.

That's BS. There's no evidence that SolarWorld is stronger and tougher. LG is considerably more expensive and in constant short supply. Maybe he can't get it easily or cheaply, so he is trying to steer you away from LG. Don't get me wrong, I think both are solid choices, but you do get what you pay for.

[J.P.M.]

I was told by an installer that he had a customer with LG panels break two with a golfball (not covered by warranty). The new panels are SolarWorld because he said SW wouldn't have broke due to a golfball.

I'm concerned with the bankability of SolarWorld given there profitability. Interested in what you all recommend.

I'm in the San Diego area if anyone wants to recommend an installer, please pm.

Do you live on a golf course ? I do and in 7 years no ball breakage in my HOA that I know of and I watch things pretty close. Anything is possible, but who's to say any panel won't fail with enough impact force - say the array is 75 ft. from a tee box and face on to it, etc.
Seems that both panels are decent quality. Who knows who will be around in 5 years. If you're concerned and the HOA will allow it, one solution might be to put chicken wire over the array and take a slight but uniform shading loss.

[subdriver97]

Do you live on a golf course ? I do and in 7 years no ball breakage in my HOA that I know of and I watch things pretty close. Anything is possible, but who's to say any panel won't fail with enough impact force - say the array is 75 ft. from a tee box and face on to it, etc.
Seems that both panels are decent quality. Who knows who will be around in 5 years. If you're concerned and the HOA will allow it, one solution might be to put chicken wire over the array and take a slight but uniform shading loss.

Good point, I don't like on a golf course. And ha ha on the chicken wire!

A different installer did say that the panels are pretty comparable in build... that the SunWorld is slightly heavier and possibly has a more solid frame.

I took it as a forgone conclusion that of the two LG as a well-diversified multi-billion dollar corporation would definitely be around to back their warranty... but that SunWorld is questionable as they have had considerable financial troubles in the past.

[subdriver97]

That's BS. There's no evidence that SolarWorld is stronger and tougher. LG is considerably more expensive and in constant short supply. Maybe he can't get it easily or cheaply, so he is trying to steer you away from LG. Don't get me wrong, I think both are solid choices, but you do get what you pay for.

Thanks for the reply, I'm really glad I found this forum. I know I talked to one installer about the cost difference between the LG and SolarWorld and he was happy to do either and said the price would be the same.

My last plea was for installer recommendations in the San Diego area, I was hoping you would pm one. =)

[thejq]

Thanks for the reply, I'm really glad I found this forum. I know I talked to one installer about the cost difference between the LG and SolarWorld and he was happy to do either and said the price would be the same.

My last plea was for installer recommendations in the San Diego area, I was hoping you would pm one. =)

Really? Same price? which models? When I was looking, LG 300 was about 25c/W more than SolarWorld W275. Right now it's more like 30c+/W. Besides bankability, LG 300 also has higher efficiency and positive tolerance (wattage is always higher than rated). Not to mention, LG 300 won the 2012 Intersolar award, and is the ONLY certified carbon free solar manufacture (more for bragging right than anything). Being all black, the LG also looks better. The wattage also matches perfectly with my inverter of choice, SE with P300 optimizer. To me it was worth the premium.

PM sent.

[J.P.M.]

Good point, I don't like on a golf course. And ha ha on the chicken wire!

A different installer did say that the panels are pretty comparable in build... that the SunWorld is slightly heavier and possibly has a more solid frame.

I took it as a forgone conclusion that of the two LG as a well-diversified multi-billion dollar corporation would definitely be around to back their warranty... but that SunWorld is questionable as they have had considerable financial troubles in the past.

The chicken wire does sound funny but was not entirely a joke. One local resident is across the street and about 150 yds. downcourse from a tee box. That resident has a (painted ) gray framed solar water heater (~ 64 ft^2) on a gray tile roof with chicken over the glazing supported by 1" X 1" X 6" metal angles, also painted gray (steel I'd assume given the slight rust weeps). Sounds weird, but it is really sort of difficult to see. I think the chicken wire gets replaced every few yrs. His array got grandfathered in before the CC & R's caught up with solar equipment some years back, but given how it looks (or doesn't look ) it might pass muster today. I don't know how practical such an arrangement would be for larger arrays however.

[sensij]

Really? Same price? which models? When I was looking, LG 300 was about 25c/W more than SolarWorld W275. Right now it's more like 30c+/W. Besides bankability, LG 300 also has higher efficiency and positive tolerance (wattage is always higher than rated). Not to mention, LG 300 won the 2012 Intersolar award, and is the ONLY certified carbon free solar manufacture (more for bragging right than anything). Being all black, the LG also looks better. The wattage also matches perfectly with my inverter of choice, SE with P300 optimizer. To me it was worth the premium.

PM sent.

I'm pretty sure LG makes more than just all black 300W modules, and Solarworld makes more than just silver 275's. For any specific model, given its electrical characteristics, its performance can be modeled in your location. For the most part, models with a similar rating will perform similarly. 300W are a relatively benign up-sell for most people... if you have enough space, you can typically save a few dollars by selecting a module with a lower rating and just putting up more of them.

Degradation over time is another factor to consider, and there isn't very much to go on besides the performance warranty that come with the module. For most of the product range, SolarWorld and LG offer the same degradation rates.

Perceived differences in warranty support are often difficult to support with actual data, and failure rates for "tier 1" panels are generally very low. SolarWorld went on the offensive last year claiming a difference between their rates and the lower tier panels, but did not provide a specific comparison. One organization has attempted to quantify panel quality, and has published a paper describing their technique conceptually. Whether or not those ratings will be meaningful in any particular installation is hard to say.

[Bikerscum]

I'm pretty sure LG makes more than just all black 300W modules, and Solarworld makes more than just silver 275's.

I wasn't aware LG made any all black 300w panels?

[J.P.M.]

I wasn't aware LG made any all black 300w panels?

Some websites call the LG 300 "black" and say a black frame but the surface looks latticed. Maybe we need some clarification or understanding of what "black" means in terms of solar panels.

[thejq]

Some websites call the LG 300 "black" and say a black frame but the surface looks latticed. Maybe we need some clarification or understanding of what "black" means in terms of solar panels.

When I said "black", I meant the frame and back which is the part you see when you look up. It's purely cosmetic and personal choice, IMO. I think SolarWorld also makes black frames, but at a slight cost premium. I have yet to see one installed or quoted near me.

The surface color is mostly determined by the silicon material. Both LG300 and W275 uses mono-Si so the color and shape should be the same. Some use poly-Si which has a blue tint to it. Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocry...vs_mono-Si.png

[Bikerscum]

The frames on my LG300's are black, but the backs are white, hence the white "diamonds" you see on the front/top.

[SoCalsolar]

SolarWorld vs a Golf Ball

Don't know for sure but the below video maybe responsible for this statement. It's fun and it shows the black framed panels up close.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6v2lDa8Hos

The bank ability of SW is unsure. No manufacturer's future is guaranteed but as I have seen suggested in other posts to pick an installer that does work other than solar work, it may be wise to choose a manufacturer that is diversified as well. Have you seen this yet?

[Alisobob]

ryan 3.jpg

My installer Ryan, with the Solar World 270 Watt Mono / Black


sw8.JPGsw9.JPGsw10.JPG

Installed

[Ian S]

LG touts their lightweight panels. Maybe resistance to golf balls is a tradeoff for that.