What do you think of the Sunpower panels?

[solarf.helen]

hi, all,

I wonder what do you think of the Sunpower panels? Is that the first choice for most Americans?

As far as I know it is not easy to get the solar panels from Sunpower. So I really want to know more about the Sunpower!


Thanks so much.

Helen

[Mike90250]

quick reply. Sunpower needs a POSITIVE Ground system. Something about the way they are made, the PV material builds a charge, and will slowly (but reversibly) choke the cells.

[JustinSolarGuy]

sunpower

I think they are overpriced. Last I checked they were over $1 more than a competitive poly/mono crystalline module. The salesman talk about efficiency but they don't mention that there are two types of efficiency. Space efficiency and cost efficiency. They may take up 5% to 10% less roof space making them a bit more space efficient. But they cost 25% more making them inefficient in terms of cost. Buy a more competitively priced panel and cover a bit more roof. The more roof you cover the less heat that gets in your house in the summer. If you are tight on space, crunch the numbers. You probably won't get that much more power in the same space just deal with a slightly smaller output and save some dough. Don't but the super cheap Chinese modules either. You want to go right down the middle. Stay away from sanyo and sunpower and get a mitsubishi, evergreen, solarworld, or some other module made in America or Japan with an established brand

[Aussie Bob]

. . . Don't but the super cheap Chinese modules either. You want to go right down the middle. Stay away from sanyo and sunpower and get a mitsubishi, evergreen, solarworld, or some other module made in America or Japan with an established brand

What's your panel of choice now?

[JustinSolarGuy]

I just used 200 watt Evergreens that I bought for about $3.35 per watt. Great looking black framed modules. The last system we did was with Solarworld modules made right in my county. Those are still holding a bit higher in price though. I might try the REC modules. They have a big 215 that I can get for close to 2.20 per watt. Not sure about the name. I saw them and they look pretty generic; but I guess all panels kinda do. Black frames sure help the looks of a system though.

[MarineLiner]

They cost 25% more making them inefficient

I think they are overpriced. Last I checked they were over $1 more than a competitive poly/mono crystalline module. The salesman talk about efficiency but they don't mention that there are two types of efficiency. Space efficiency and cost efficiency. They may take up 5% to 10% less roof space making them a bit more space efficient. But they cost 25% more making them inefficient in terms of cost. Buy a more competitively priced panel and cover a bit more roof. The more roof you cover the less heat that gets in your house in the summer.

[Cybernerdz]

I have done some research on different panels and got a comparison on their effeciency based on there 210W or 215W panels:

Sanyo 92.84%
SunPower 92.32%
Evergreen 90.38%
Suntech 90%
Mitsubishi 88.91%
Sharp 88.19%
Kyocera 87.9%

I was debating between Sanyo and SunPower and have determined that Sanyo is not only more effecient but performs better at high temperature, producing 10% or more electricty (kWh) its STC rating. As we all know all other conventional cystaline silicone drop performance drastically as temperature goes higher, with Sanyo it actually performs better. Yes its probably the most expensive per watt out there but realistically speaking it would cost about the same price having to get less panels and actually generating more.

[Mike90250]

I have done some research on different panels and got a comparison on their effeciency based on there 210W or 215W panels:

Can you show some of the math you used ? Most of the companies you are calling 80-90% eff, publish specs in the 12 - 15 % efficiency range. I just don't understand how you are getting the numbers.

[Cybernerdz]

I found Blue Oak has a configuration dbase with different manufacturers of PV and Inverters. I was able to derive efficiency by:

PTC rating / STC rating X 100%

[indalecio.feng]

the link is pvselect.com

[Mike90250]

I found Blue Oak has a configuration dbase with different manufacturers of PV and Inverters. I was able to derive efficiency by:

PTC rating / STC rating X 100%

My friend, that is NOT efficiency, any more than CityMPG/HwyMPG = car mileage

Maybe you have a power curve ratio, or something, but it is NOT efficiency.

Efficiency is the % of sunlight power, falling on a PV, getting converted to electrical power.
Most (un-focused) panels are 12-15% Some of the very best used in space are about 20%

[Off Grid Solar]

The first choice in America for solar panels is price. It is funny but men will hunt down cheap gas stations and women here will look for sales. The reason why I say the number one sell is the best price is because we are always looking for bargins. We have a company here called Wallmart. 90% of the products sold there are from off shore. The reason is price. American's are bargin hunters. There are off shore solar panel companies here building solar panels in Nevada for example and shipping them to Germany. Guss what the company is a German Solar panel company. Shotts in Bolder City, Nevada. I visted the company as a guess and technical adviser. This company has hired 55 Americans to fix the automation process for making solar panels. 10 of the 55 are for testing the solar panels when they are ready to ship to Germany. Our last president was also happy to see off shore companies producing product here. The truth be known they just wanted to get closer to the silicon stocks. The average solar panel company requires over 350 people to produce solar panels. Cheap yes. That is what sells here in the United States. This is why the United States imports products from the far east. Not because of quality but because of price. This is why it is hard for far east companies to beat American Solar Panel Companies. Price! This group may be hot on solar panels for many reasons. Non of us ever talk about large solar installations because we are not very interested in the subject. To open a market here in the United States you better have better quality, price, service and support for all your customers. Not just the big buyers. A company in Taiwan and my Lab got into a contract over the development of solar lawn lights years ago. The company sells millions of these lights in all sizes and shapes every year. The solar lights were designed here in the United States, now made in China and guess what. They are sold only in the United States. This Taiwan company last year sold over 26 million solar lights here in the United States thru Sears, Wallmart, Lowes and Home Depot.

[MarineLiner]

Our last president was also happy to see ...

The first choice in America for solar panels is price. .....
American's are bargin hunters.
There are off shore solar panel companies here building solar panels in Nevada for example and shipping them to Germany. ...
Shotts in Bolder City, Nevada. ...
This company has hired 55 Americans to fix the automation process for making solar panels. ...
Our last president was also happy to see off shore companies producing product here. The truth be known they just wanted to get closer ...

[meerkat]

We are up the creek without a panel if we get into a cold war with some of these offshore companys . We depend on them lock, stock and barrel 'literily'.

We no longer manufactor our goods nessesary to survive if things get rough .

[Off Grid Solar]

Not really. We are the country with the solar cell production machines. We have been in wars over oil back in 1991. But now I don't think the world would stand for another war over oil. I think finally they hung that guy who started the oil war. This is what I have been seeing. Technology in solar is at a racer's pace. Wind is pulling back because of all mechanical problems. Hydrokinetics is just getting off the ground and the price of solar is not going down. What you are seeing are end of stock prices. Sell offs from poorly funded solar panel companies. The race is on for the most effiencent solar cells. This will leave the printed cells in the dust. The biggest push I have seen with the National Science Foundation and Concerned Scientist is concerns with the climate. Solar panels or what they do is important to the future of mankind and our echo systems. I just hope carbon does not win. Today the United States Government will be voting on a big carbon issue. If this vote is a go "Solar will drive our future". Solar PV and solar thermal.