solar panel comparisons

solgen · Feb 7, 2011

Has anyone come across any good articles comparing all aspects of PV panels i.e. top 10 best panels? For example when comparing the performance of Sharp against Moser Baer panels, the MBV panel is much better but what else? A consumer will have heard of Sharp but I bet they won't know about MBV and the likelyhood is they'll choose Sharp because it's a well known brand, and for that matter I may quote this rather than MBV for the same reason.

SRE · Feb 7, 2011

I must have missed something - why are MB better than Sharp? 14.9% efficiency is pretty good for a monocrystalline panel - I'm not sure I've seen better and they are at least put together in the Wrexham factory even if they aren't stricly speaking manufactured in Wales. I looked into the carbon footprint of Asian panels and they use half of their lifetime savings just getting here! My customers like to think they're supporting in their small way local installers using UK products where possible. I'm not saying MB aren't good - I couldn't find their panel efficiency, just wondered why they were so much better than Sharp??

MCS Renewables · Feb 8, 2011

Try This :-

SANYO :: Solar :: Product Comparison

SRE · Feb 8, 2011

No argument about Sanyo - customers just think they're too expensive even with the added savings.

solgen · Feb 8, 2011

If you just look at efficiency of panels it would seem that there isn't much difference in performance. However, when modelling a system using something like PVsol you get considerable differences in kWh/year yield. I'm not advocating Moser Baer but simply using this as an example. All I'm looking for is a table of comparisons against looking at a number of different parameters across a range of panels. I have my own perceptions of panels so I would like to see an unbiased review of such information

SRE · Feb 8, 2011

Me too - can't afford PVsol at the minute but looking like I'm going to have to cough up for it.

mmccx · Feb 9, 2011

The efficiency of the module generally refers to the Wp per meter sqaured the module can output. Sanyo are so horribly overpriced they are not worth and you will make no savings using them! £2.43 per Wp ive seen them being sold for

Echo · Feb 9, 2011

mmccx are they the HiT panels at £2.43 per Wp?

mmccx · Feb 9, 2011

Its the Hybrid ones, cant remember if they are the HIP or HIT models

Echo · Feb 9, 2011

Yeah I was going to delve deeper into them and try and find our what the advantages where in terms of efficiency, and whether its worth it or not. But yeah they are verry expensive!

mmccx · Feb 9, 2011

I worked out the WP per m2 for a sanyo 240 and a Romag 235. The romag was around 144Wp per m2 and the Sanyo was around 165Wp per m2 yet the sanyo is over 50% more expensive than the Romag and you dont get 50% better efficiency in terms of Wp per m2 so they arent really worth it. Only time i would find them worth it was if money was not object to a client and they had a really small roof but wanted max system size possible

MCS Renewables · Feb 10, 2011

We fitted a 4kW Romag system on my home for our mcs approval. Two months later we fitted a 16 Sanyo Hit240 watt system with 4000tl inverter. The systems were three miles apart, similar roofs and orientation. The Sanyo system outgenerated the Romag by 600 units in the same period. If you ran these figures out for a full year the figures would be nearer 1000 units. So at least £400 a year better returns. Minimum of 10K over the 25 years.
We sold on the Romags just after Xmas and I now have the Sanyo system at home.
No brainer - you get what you pay for, we have the pictures and figures to prove it.

mmccx · Feb 10, 2011

What inverter were the romag modules on? I only ask as the TL inverters are more efficient that ones with transformers so some of this extra generation will be down to the inverter being used. Also are both systems exactly the same pitch and orientation and shading? what about distance from the top of the tiles to the bottom of the modules? if any of these perameters are different for the systems then you cant really compare them fairly.

SRE · Feb 10, 2011

MCS Renewables said:
We fitted a 4kW Romag system on my home for our mcs approval. Two months later we fitted a 16 Sanyo Hit240 watt system with 4000tl inverter. The systems were three miles apart, similar roofs and orientation. The Sanyo system outgenerated the Romag by 600 units in the same period. If you ran these figures out for a full year the figures would be nearer 1000 units. So at least £400 a year better returns. Minimum of 10K over the 25 years.
We sold on the Romags just after Xmas and I now have the Sanyo system at home.
No brainer - you get what you pay for, we have the pictures and figures to prove it.

How did you get round the MCS view that the Romag panels were now deemed second hand and couldn't qualify for Fit??

mmccx · Feb 10, 2011

SRE said:
How did you get round the MCS view that the Romag panels were now deemed second hand and couldn't qualify for Fit??

Why are romag now deemed second hand?

SRE · Feb 10, 2011

Not my term - it came from the 3 utilities that I spoke to about a similar situation. It could have changed now but as far as they were concerned the panels were now second hand and didn't qualify for FiT. Ridiculous I know, especially if they were fitted in the last 12 months. I challenged them when they said this but they were adamant there was no movement on their view. If you manage to get round it it would be useful for us all ...

mmccx · Feb 10, 2011

are you talking about taking them off of one roof and moving them to another?

SRE · Feb 10, 2011

Any movement of the panels from one property to another deemed them as second hand and not eligible for Fit. I'd have thought all you needed to do was re-register the panels ata different location but they weren't having any of it .... I suppose if you're not expecting the Fit it's irrelevant but if you are then it is!

MCS Renewables · Feb 10, 2011

Inverter 7% more efficient, modules 5%+,
This does not equate to 600 units !

How does the elec company know as the PV modules serial numbers are not on MCS certification, and the first install handover manual is waste paper!