Feedback on Proposal 4.7 kW Sunpower Black with Solaredge SE 5000 (HELP!) San Diego

[albert436]

Come on Jake, just a few more posts and you will be there ! ! !

Why don't you just start a new thread/topic and state your name rank and serial number etc etc and you'll get lots of replies asking for more specifics, you can even answer by saying "thanks for the suggestion" or "my, thanks an interesting point you brought up JPM, if I just had an masters degree in engineering I might have a slim chance of understanding".

You'll be up to 10 posts within no time whatsoever ! ! !

(lol just kidding with you JPM !)

Eh, the real reason I clicked reply, to lol at this from T:

Holy cow, I have no idea what they charge for those black panels but that quote is $5/watt. $5 a watt!

[J.P.M.]

[QUOTE=jakepv;168860]JPM - you certainly are active on the boards and have come with some very prudent advice. I can't PM directly yet (

[J.P.M.]

My reply to this post disappeared before it showed up. Wonder where it went ?

[J.P.M.]

Come on Jake, just a few more posts and you will be there ! ! ! Why don't you just start a new thread/topic and state your name rank and serial number etc etc and you'll get lots of replies asking for more specifics, you can even answer by saying "thanks for the suggestion" or "my, thanks an interesting point you brought up JPM, if I just had an masters degree in engineering I might have a slim chance of understanding". You'll be up to 10 posts within no time whatsoever ! ! ! (lol just kidding with you JPM !) Eh, the real reason I clicked reply, to lol at this from T:

Albert: Kid all you want. I believe I can take a joke or personal criticism as well or better than most. But know this : I take my practice of engineering very seriously. My initial reason for changing careers and taking up engineering as a profession about 35+ years ago was solar energy. I take that subject seriously as well. You can take or leave what I write, but I respectfully suggest and request you don't mock it because you don't understand it (yet).

[albert436]

Not mocking you JPM, just a little friendly kidding around.

Seriously ! ! !



Have appreciated your input and all the info you post here.

[samotlietuvis]

Comparing Sunpower panels to other manufacturer panels is akin to comparing BWM/Mercedes with Ford/Chevy in a way that they are premium and very good looking panels, but you pay more for them, and you cannot just buy the panels - you must buy the system. However, BWM/Mercedes are some of the most unreliable vehicles you can drive in style, whereas Sunpower panels are the best performing, the most reliable, and have a good company to stand behind them. Made ad designed in USA as well. It is a choice to pay premium for a premium product. Note - I do not work for Sunpower, but I scored a pallet of their E20-327 panels and I like them...

[J.P.M.]

Comparing Sunpower panels to other manufacturer panels is akin to comparing BWM/Mercedes with Ford/Chevy in a way that they are premium and very good looking panels, but you pay more for them, and you cannot just buy the panels - you must buy the system. However, BWM/Mercedes are some of the most unreliable vehicles you can drive in style, whereas Sunpower panels are the best performing, the most reliable, and have a good company to stand behind them. Made ad designed in USA as well. It is a choice to pay premium for a premium product. Note - I do not work for Sunpower, but I scored a pallet of their E20-327 panels and I like them...

The material quality and construction of S.P. panels are very good, and I don't believe anyone is disputing that, particularly me................................... That Sunpower panels may be the best performing may, IMO, need a bit of further definition. In terms of panel failure, there may be some OBJECTIVE analysis that shows they fail less, or that they are more conservatively rated in terms of power output or efficiency, or other parameters dealing with reliability, when compared to other panels, but I'll need to plead ignorance on the existence of such information. I've not seen such information............................. Until I do, I'll continue to observe the ~~1,200 panels in my HOA that I watch like a hawk, and note that, to the best of my knowledge, no panel failures have occurred after 6+ years of watching, S.P. or anyone else's. I've not seen it..................................... As far as best performing from a COST/most bang for the buck standpoint, usually S.P. paneled systems are way down at or close t the bottom of that list (where the lowest cost/delivered Watt is.). An objective cost analysis using realistic parameters will likely show that Sunpower equipped systems often and usually produce electricity at a leveled cost well above that of most other systems using other equally fit for purpose, quality panels, and also above POCO supplied power, sometimes by a fair amount. I also appreciate, perhaps better than some, that the parameters chosen for such an analysis can and often are changed depending on circumstances, but while some adjustment for the application and situation is usually appropriate and indeed necessary, the flip side is that such parameters can also be used to prove anything anyone wants to prove. At this time, I can probably make a system costing $7/Watt cost effective if I use a 25 year time span and 6%/year electricity rate inflation or other #'s that don't hold up to the common sense sniff test......................... Sunpower has a small manufacturing facility in Malpitas, CA. The bulk of their manufacturing takes place in the Philippines, So. Africa and other non U.S. locations. Sunpower itself is 55 % owned by the French Energy (oil) company Total ...........................It is indeed everyone's choice to do what they want and I'm usually among the first to support that choice. As usual, I only suggest that folks walk in well informed, with their eyes open............................ Makes no difference to me if someone wants to supply power to their home by building their own generating station powered by steam made by burning $100 bills. Just don't expect me to believe it's cost effective........................ Having been around alternate energy for better than half my life, and designed more than a few conventional energy systems for industrial, chemical, refinery and power applications, I'm of the opinion (only) that if more folks knew some of what I think I might know, there would be fewer and smaller PV systems on roofs, and, while glorying in the freedom to make any choice wanted, but basing a decision on economics ALONE, of those systems that did exist, a lot fewer would be Sunpower equipped........................

Take what you want of the above. Scrap the rest.

[J.P.M.]

The material quality and construction of S.P. panels are very good, and I don't believe anyone is disputing that, particularly me................................... That Sunpower panels may be the best performing may, IMO, need a bit of further definition. In terms of panel failure, there may be some OBJECTIVE analysis that shows they fail less, or that they are more conservatively rated in terms of power output or efficiency, or other parameters dealing with reliability, when compared to other panels, but I'll need to plead ignorance on the existence of such information. I've not seen such information............................. Until I do, I'll continue to observe the ~~1,200 panels in my HOA that I watch like a hawk, and note that, to the best of my knowledge, no panel failures have occurred after 6+ years of watching, S.P. or anyone else's. I've not seen it..................................... As far as best performing from a COST/most bang for the buck standpoint, usually S.P. paneled systems are way down at or close t the bottom of that list (where the HIGHEST cost/delivered Watt is.). An objective cost analysis using realistic parameters will likely show that Sunpower equipped systems often and usually produce electricity at a leveled cost well above that of most other systems using other equally fit for purpose, quality panels, and also above POCO supplied power, sometimes by a fair amount. I also appreciate, perhaps better than some, that the parameters chosen for such an analysis can and often are changed depending on circumstances, but while some adjustment for the application and situation is usually appropriate and indeed necessary, the flip side is that such parameters can also be used to prove anything anyone wants to prove. At this time, I can probably make a system costing $7/Watt cost effective if I use a 25 year time span and 6%/year electricity rate inflation or other #'s that don't hold up to the common sense sniff test......................... Sunpower has a small manufacturing facility in Malpitas, CA. The bulk of their manufacturing takes place in the Philippines, So. Africa and other non U.S. locations. Sunpower itself is 55 % owned by the French Energy (oil) company Total ...........................It is indeed everyone's choice to do what they want and I'm usually among the first to support that choice. As usual, I only suggest that folks walk in well informed, with their eyes open............................ Makes no difference to me if someone wants to supply power to their home by building their own generating station powered by steam made by burning $100 bills. Just don't expect me to believe it's cost effective........................ Having been around alternate energy for better than half my life, and designed more than a few conventional energy systems for industrial, chemical, refinery and power applications, I'm of the opinion (only) that if more folks knew some of what I think I might know, there would be fewer and smaller PV systems on roofs, and, while glorying in the freedom to make any choice wanted, but basing a decision on economics ALONE, of those systems that did exist, a lot fewer would be Sunpower equipped........................

Take what you want of the above. Scrap the rest.

Change "(where the lowest cost/delivered Watt is)" to "(where the HIGHEST cost/delivered Watt is)". I apologize for the error and any confusion it caused, and hope my edit function returns soon.