Most Reliable and Durable Solar Panel

[RobBob]

I am looking to install a solar system on my home, 6kW in size. One of the first things I learned is that there are numerous and almost uncountable number of solar panel manufacturers. I have narrowed my choices down to these manufacturers: Trina, SolarWorld, Kyocera, and LG Solar. In all of these panels I am looking in the 300W per panel range. High efficiency is not the highest priority; I will be using only about 50% of my roof surface. Reliability and durability are more important than efficiency; I do not want to replace the panels every time a I see a hail stone fall out of the sky. Wind blows pretty often in my part of the country; the panel needs enough framework that it will not twist off of the racks. Normally, I would handle these questions by inspection of the panels myself; however, the closest DIY dealer I can find is 1000 miles away. So I am looking for advice.

Note that 6kW is all I can justifying purchasing in the state I live in (Oklahoma). Oklahoma has net metering so I can run the meter backwards when I generate more than I use. However, the power company does not have to buy electricity from me at the end of the month. So, in a nutshell, if my meter is negative at the end of the month it becomes the meter starting point for the next month. At least this is my understanding of how it works in Oklahoma.

Thank you for any advice in advance.
-RobBob

[Sunking]

In no particular order

Kyocera,
Canadian Solar.
Grape
Samsung
Sharp

[Mike90250]

Hail resistant panels in Oklahoma ? What material is in use there that withstands their hail. When car windshields, car roofs, asphalt shingle roofs are all getting trashed, I don't think anyone's panels will do much better.

If you tilt the panels to reduce the impact angle, you are screwed if the wind blows from that direction and you end up with perpendicular impacts.

Best bet is talk to local installers, and buy a rider for your homeowners insurance.

IMHO.

[RobBob]

Hail resistant panels in Oklahoma ? What material is in use there that withstands their hail. When car windshields, car roofs, asphalt shingle roofs are all getting trashed, I don't think anyone's panels will do much better.

If you tilt the panels to reduce the impact angle, you are screwed if the wind blows from that direction and you end up with perpendicular impacts.

Best bet is talk to local installers, and buy a rider for your homeowners insurance.

IMHO.

I think Oklahoma's reputation for Hail is much bigger than the hail it receives. I have lived in the central states all of my life and have never seen a shattered windshield from hail except in pictures. Most hail that you will see is pea size. And you will see 10 pea size hail storms for every hail storm you see with nickel size hail. You will see five nickel size hail storms for every golf ball size hail storm that you see. And I have never seen anything larger than golf balls. What I am looking for is recommendations for which panel is designed and built with heavy glass that can survive 90% to 95% of the hail storms that we see. Yes, there can be hailstorms that no panel will survive and I understand that. That is why my homeowner's insurance will have a rider for the solar system when I finish installing it.

The other concern is a stiff enough frame to stand up to wind. This would be easy to determine if I could see the panels; however, due to my location that is not possible. This is one the inputs I am looking for from this website.

Local installer; there are none. When I spoke with the local utility company, they had no idea how to answer my questions as I am the first to even ask the questions. Back to the local installer, even if there was one, I cannot pay a local installer to install it. I would be money ahead forgetting the idea as solar would be a money losing proposition if I increase the cost with an installer.

[solarfrank]

Check Solar World on hail test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6v2lDa8Hos