Help needed! - SunPower, LG, or Panasonic?!?

[thebfamily]

Hello everyone! I’m a new homeowner looking to make the switch to solar. I live in Webster, NY (upstate NY). I average about 730 kWh/month (or 8760 kWh/year). Electricity costs me about $0.14/kWh).

I’ve gotten the following quotes (the prices are after all incentives):

A. Q-Cell (22 325w panels), 7498 kWh + Sunny Boy string, $10,588

B. LG (22 370w panels), 8450 kWh + Sunny Boy string, $15,814

C. SunPower (24 360w panels), 9081 kWh + micro, $14222

D. SunPower (24 327w panels), 7848 kWh + micro, $11911

E. Panasonic (24 330w panels), 7920 kWh + Enphase micro, $10,162

F. Panasonic (22 325w panels), 7150 kWh + Sunny Boy string), $12,686

I have a couple of questions for you all:

1. Obviously, the Q-Cell or Panasonic options allows me to reach the quickest ROI. Panasonic, having 25 year warranties, seem like the best option. Do you agree?

2. I’m still not sure whether to go string or micro. All of the panels are going on the back of my roof and facing the same direction. And I have no shading issues. Am I correct? Or am I better off going micro?

The string inverter comes with a 10 year warranty. The micros come with 25 year warranties (15 but extended by the solar manufacturer).

Any other general thoughts ya’ll have would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, in advance, for your time.

[Mike90250]

What are your local rules, are you covered by "Rapid Shutdown" requirements ? Are panels on your house roof or detached garage roof ?

Micro inverters and Optimizer modules both provide for Rapid Shutdown. Micros are complex, Optimizers less complex. Lots of electronics on the roof, in the weather, under the panels. One goes bad, you have lots of roof top work to get to the bad panel, remove it and swap the module. String inverters hang on the wall, and much easier to change.

[thebfamily]

What are your local rules, are you covered by "Rapid Shutdown" requirements ? Are panels on your house roof or detached garage roof ?

Micro inverters and Optimizer modules both provide for Rapid Shutdown. Micros are complex, Optimizers less complex. Lots of electronics on the roof, in the weather, under the panels. One goes bad, you have lots of roof top work to get to the bad panel, remove it and swap the module. String inverters hang on the wall, and much easier to change.

According to the NEC website, it looks like New York is a "rapid shutdown" state (although none of my solar companies have mentioned this to me). However, I've gotten quotes for string inverters, so maybe it's not a requirement in my part of New York.

The panels are going on my roof (on the back of the house, facing W).

I get that microinverters are more complex, but I'd love the ability to see each panel's production (not just because it's cool, but so that I can make sure each panel is working). If I have SunPower or Panasonic modules, then even if the microinverter goes bad then I'm covered in terms of materials/labor. Also, I believe the Panasonic microinverter can be replaced without removing the module (not sure about SunPower).

[Mike90250]

As long as you are sure LABOR, troubleshooting and parts are covered, I'm happy.

[thebfamily]

As long as you are sure LABOR, troubleshooting and parts are covered, I'm happy.

That's what the warranty says (I think)! Which brings up a good point...any data on the reliability of the warranties for SunPower, LG, and/or Panasonic?

[scrambler]

Just to be sure, your number mention kWh for the various solution but I think you meant kW (power of the array)
22 x 325 W= 7.150 kW
22 x 370 W= 8.140 kW
24 x 360 W= 8.640 kW
24 x 327 W= 7.848 kW
24 x 330 W= 7.920 kW
22 x 325 W= 7.150 kW

[thebfamily]

Ahh yes, you’re right. My apologies!

[pete4]

Are you sure some of those are not yearly production guarantees which would be kWh as originally stated?

[thebfamily]

Are you sure some of those are not yearly production guarantees which would be kWh as originally stated?

I’m not sure to be honest. The number is the number of panels X watts per panel. That’s different than production guarantee, right?

[pete4]

Yes and your numbers are confusing like 22x325=7150 (should be either 7150W or 7.150kW if it's max rated power) and some like 22x325=7498kWh, makes me think guaranteed yearly production? For proper comparison you should make sure you're using same metric for all quotes.

[scrambler]

Corrected my numbers, they were missing the dots.
Definitely requires clarifying

[thebfamily]

It's basically come down to which panel - Panasonic VBHN330SA17E (330W) v. SunPower SPR-E20-327-E-AC (327W) v. LG LG370Q1C (370W). Does anyone have any opinions and/or preferences?

[Spektre]

It's basically come down to which panel - Panasonic VBHN330SA17E (330W) v. SunPower SPR-E20-327-E-AC (327W) v. LG LG370Q1C (370W). Does anyone have any opinions and/or preferences?

So I only have a sample size of 1, but I recently pulled the trigger on 38x the same Panasonic panels. Been running for just over 3 months and very happy with production so far.

I can't compare the warranty or the failure rates, because I don't have the data. I also don't have a crystal ball, so I can't tell you what the future holds, but I will say that if your installer is part of Panasonic's installer program and you go with the integrated Enphase IQ7x micros, the warranty on the panels, micros, and labor is extended by Panasonic to 25 years. We'll see how that plays out, but I read through the warranty that I got from Panasonic after the install and it looks legit.

[solardreamer]

I get that microinverters are more complex, but I'd love the ability to see each panel's production (not just because it's cool, but so that I can make sure each panel is working). If I have SunPower or Panasonic modules, then even if the microinverter goes bad then I'm covered in terms of materials/labor. Also, I believe the Panasonic microinverter can be replaced without removing the module (not sure about SunPower).

Panel level monitoring makes troubleshooting easier in my opinion. I have Enphase but you can also get panel level monitoring with optimizers for string inverters. Also, based on reports in the forum it seems that it can take time to get replacement for some failed string inverter (e.g. SolarEdge). With microinverters, a single inverter failure won't completely kill your PV production. I bought a spare microinverter at relatively low cost just in case .

[J.P.M.]

Thebfamily:

Before you commit to anything, you need more information and an education. Anything you do after that will be more fit for purpose and probably more cost effective. Don't get stampeded.

Download a slightly dated but still useful version of "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies", or buy a newer version at bookstores/Amazon for ~ $25 or so.
Then, downlad and run something called PVWatts. It's a pretty friendly PV model from NREL. Read all the help/info screens a few times, get the inputs close, use a 10 % system lose parameter instead of the 14 % default and do a few runs. Size the system for whatever annual electrical load offset you nthink you want. Use the book for any questions that running the model raises.
Fill in the blanks with more questions here.

Before all that, and one of the factoids vendors might leave out, keep in mind and know that your winter production, which will be crappy under the best of conditions, will be further hampered by snow, and because of snow (I appreciate your climate - I grew up in central NY and later lived in zip 14221 for ~ 25 yrs.), it's probably more important to keep as much stuff off the roof (micros/optimizers ) as possible - more so in Webster/etc. than most other places.

If you can, do a ground mount if you can make it cost effective.

Welcome to the neighborhood and the forum of few(er) illusions.