245w or 260w Panels. What is the best option?

[spaceman007]

with the M215 microinverter, I am deciding on between purchasing 46 x 260W panels or 46x 245W panels. the difference in price is $4,000 in total. what would be my best ROI between the 2 over 5,10,20 years at a rate of $0.802 / KWh? is the 260w panel really worth the extra $4000 when compared with a 245w panel? both are the exact same brand.

[rreinha]

with the M215 microinverter, I am deciding on between purchasing 46 x 260W panels or 46x 245W panels. the difference in price is $4,000 in total. what would be my best ROI between the 2 over 5,10,20 years at a rate of $0.802 / KWh? is the 260w panel really worth the extra $4000 when compared with a 245w panel? both are the exact same brand.

First I would shop around the difference in price sounds high.

The cost of it inverter is the same, weather you run it at half power or full power, the M215 will accept up to 260W, if you can afford it.
I assume you meant $0.082/kWh
The difference between the 245W and 260W panels is 15W or 690 system Watts. On a yearly average that is about $88.00 a year in output, The ROI cost difference it about a 45 year pay off at a straight $.08/KWh. If your difference in Price was only $1800 the pay off would be 20 years.
In the summer months this is an extra 100kWh of production and if that keeps you below some additional payment tier, than the payoff will be sooner, but not by much.
In SCE territory are tiers are: Base allotment up to 654kWh at $0.13, 101~130% over base $0.16, 131~200%(857~1308kWh) over base $0.26, 201~300% over base $0.29, 301% over base$0.33

[spaceman007]

Further information

First I would shop around the difference in price sounds high.

The cost of it inverter is the same, weather you run it at half power or full power, the M215 will accept up to 260W, if you can afford it.
I assume you meant $0.082/kWh
The difference between the 245W and 260W panels is 15W or 690 system Watts. On a yearly average that is about $88.00 a year in output, The ROI cost difference it about a 45 year pay off at a straight $.08/KWh. If your difference in Price was only $1800 the pay off would be 20 years.
In the summer months this is an extra 100kWh of production and if that keeps you below some additional payment tier, than the payoff will be sooner, but not by much.
In SCE territory are tiers are: Base allotment up to 654kWh at $0.13, 101~130% over base $0.16, 131~200%(857~1308kWh) over base $0.26, 201~300% over base $0.29, 301% over base$0.33

I was correct in my price per KW. The contract I have is for $0.802 / kwh. I am quoting on Black on Black panels from Eclipsall (made in Toronto, Ontario). they must be ontario content to obtain this price. The cost is $47,500 all in for a turn key system with 245w panels or $51,500 for 260w panels. Since the enphase m215 is already a smaller watt output than the panels, is there really that much difference in power production for the year? How is that possible? or is the benfit in later years because of the decrease in panel efficiency? or both? What would you do?

[rreinha]

I was correct in my price per KW. The contract I have is for $0.802 / kwh. I am quoting on Black on Black panels from Eclipsall (made in Toronto, Ontario). they must be ontario content to obtain this price. The cost is $47,500 all in for a turn key system with 245w panels or $51,500 for 260w panels. Since the enphase m215 is already a smaller watt output than the panels, is there really that much difference in power production for the year? How is that possible? or is the benfit in later years because of the decrease in panel efficiency? or both? What would you do?

My mistake I was assuming that the $0.82/kWh was your electricity rate, You sure it isn't 80 cents a killowatt?
as in your system cost.
260W panel is rate in perfect test condition, not a real world number (190DCW~230DCW is a maybe) and the M215 maximum output 226 watts, you might see this on a cold spring day.

[spaceman007]

260 Watt Vs 245W

My mistake I was assuming that the $0.82/kWh was your electricity rate, You sure it isn't 80 cents a killowatt?
as in your system cost.
260W panel is rate in perfect test condition, not a real world number (190DCW~230DCW is a maybe) and the M215 maximum output 226 watts, you might see this on a cold spring day.

yha. Ontario had a program called Microfit. I was offered a contract to supply solar power to the grid for $0.802 / kwh of production. The rate has since decrease to$0.54 cents but I am grandfathered in to the old rate. I am set to install solar panels on my roof and I was pricing different options.

so in your opinion the 260W panel is the best option when compared with the 245W panel, even considering the $4,000 price increase for the system?

[rreinha]

yha. Ontario had a program called Microfit. I was offered a contract to supply solar power to the grid for $0.802 / kwh of production. The rate has since decrease to$0.54 cents but I am grandfathered in to the old rate. I am set to install solar panels on my roof and I was pricing different options.

so in your opinion the 260W panel is the best option when compared with the 245W panel, even considering the $4,000 price increase for the system?

At 80 cents a killowatt-hour WOW. Pay back on the additional $4000 is something like 5.5~6 years.
BUT the 260W panel is not on the Ensphase compatibility list, the 250W is, just not the 260W, may be because it is new and the list I have is older.
If your installer says he is covered under the warranty then go for it.

[Naptown]

Original system is $4.21 a watt and the additional wattage which adds no additional labor, inverter cost, or racking cost as far as I can see the additional wattage is almost $6.00 per watt for the additional. Now the difference may be that the higher watt panels are mono's or cost a bit more than the 245's but the difference per watt in cost is about $.09 or about $4.30 a watt for the bigger system.