Grape Solar?

[Kebast]

Has anyone had any experience with Grape Solar products? Home Depot sells panels for a decent price point, and I was wondering if they were any good.
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Solar...b36/203336897/
Is one example.

[russ]

Has anyone had any experience with Grape Solar products? Home Depot sells panels for a decent price point, and I was wondering if they were any good.
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Solar...b36/203336897/
Is one example.

2nd tier China made

[Kebast]

thanks

So they claim 18% efficiency and 10 year warranty. 2nd tier mean good for hobbyist? Since it comes from Home Depot, I'd risk a bit more simply for the ease of return should something go wrong.

[russ]

So they claim 18% efficiency and 10 year warranty. 2nd tier mean good for hobbyist? Since it comes from Home Depot, I'd risk a bit more simply for the ease of return should something go wrong.

Lousy warranty - most have 20 or 25 year - efficiency will be very much the same as others in the same class.

Second tier - meaning no name and when Grape goes out of business Home Depot will still support the panels? Doubt it.

[Kebast]

Sorry, I only half read the warranty info:
10 year limited product warranty on materials and workmanship.
25 year warranty on >80% power output and 10 year warranty on >90% power output.
I'll keep looking, though I've not been able to find many vendors anywhere near that price per Watt.

[green]

I was looking at that same Grape panel. Home Depot has always been very good to me so I am not afraid to do buisness with them. I've spent a lot of money there over the years.

[epsgunner]

I was looking at the 100w Grape.. then I got to the specs and someone noted they were POSITIVE ground panels.. which USUALLY means POSITIVE ground controller.. not a super-big deal.. but figured I'd toss that out their.

[Sunking]

I was looking at the 100w Grape.. then I got to the specs and someone noted they were POSITIVE ground panels.. which USUALLY means POSITIVE ground controller.. not a super-big deal.. but figured I'd toss that out their.

Well if you were going to actually reference a battery system to earth, the positive polarity is the way to go. But there is a huge problem involved. Most equipment like charge controllers and inverters have their chassis internally bonded to to the negative polarity which forces you to use a negative polarity ground reference. Otherwise the magic smoke will escape.

[green]

So what does it mean if a panel is "Positive Ground". And don't say it needs to have the positve grounded. I'm asking what makes it different from a negitive ground panel. I could just look it up but that's no fun.

[dabbydo]

dabbydo

As of 8-23-12, I have been talking with Home Depot about 100W Grape panel. It comes with NO frame. U will ne 2 build or have one made for it.

[terryangst]

As of 8-23-12, I have been talking with Home Depot about 100W Grape panel. It comes with NO frame. U will ne 2 build or have one made for it.

The GS-S-100-Fab36 (currently $199) does have a rigid aluminum frame around the cells. Not sure if that is what you are referring to. I've recently started using one of these. I can't find any info indicating positive ground. Maybe I missed it. Seems to be well made. I'm waiting on a better controller that will tell me what it's putting out.

A little more searching shows the Model # GS-S-100-TS is positive ground. I don't see a lot of difference between the two but I'm a novice.

[Sunking]

So what does it mean if a panel is "Positive Ground". And don't say it needs to have the positve grounded.

Simple the moron chi-com manufacture physically bonded the positive output to the frame of the panel internally. That locks you into a positive polarity grounded system if you choose to use a grounded system. It also means you will run normal load currents on your equipment grounding conductors which if forbidden by electrical codes, and very dangerous. Solar panels and equipment should NOT have any polarity bonded to the frame or chassis.

[green]

Simple the moron chi-com manufacture physically bonded the positive output to the frame of the panel internally. That locks you into a positive polarity grounded system if you choose to use a grounded system. It also means you will run normal load currents on your equipment grounding conductors which if forbidden by electrical codes, and very dangerous. Solar panels and equipment should NOT have any polarity bonded to the frame or chassis.

Ok that's what I thought. Now help me out further here. Do ALL, or just some, or is it none of all other(meaning not positive ground) panels have thier frames internally pysically bonded to the negitive output?

And I just need to know why, even though I would never have a postive grounded system, You say it runs normal load currents on the equiptment grounding conductors. Is this different than negative grounding? I don't need a physics lesson, you don't need to get too detailed, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.

BTW thanks for the heads up on the Grape Panels, I wouldn't have caught the positive ground issue and might have purchased some.

Learning every day,
Green

[terryangst]

not all the Grape panels are positive ground.

[green]

I just read through the specs for the Grape 100W Model # GS-S-100-TS and the Grape 100W model #GS-S-100-Fab36 directly from Grapes Website. Nowhere did I see ANYTHING about positive or negative grounding. Now I guess the fact that they sell 2 diferent 100 watt models might suggest that one is + and the other is -, but why wouldn't it be in the specs and how the hell would I know. Well any panel could be positive ground for all I know when ordering it. Maybe I'm just tired but I swear there is no mention of it.

Good Night,
Green