What do you think of the Sunpower panels?

[Off Grid Solar]

I have looked at all solar panels because of my R&D background. I have found that Ever Green has one of the best solar panels available today. Ever Green's R&D is one of the best in the world. Their products to me are quality, and one of the most reliable solar panels available. Their marketing need improvement and their support after the sale could be improved but all and all Ever Green's products are above the rest for quality.

[Cybernerdz]

I apologize for the confusion. I was referring to efficiency of actual produced kWh of the module over its template rating. I'm sure efficiency in harvesting the sun to actual usable energy would be directly relevant or even be a more accurate measurement of its efficiency. Im new to this and still learning the right terminology. Thanks though for the correction...

Relating to this measurement, using the specs of the Sanyo HIT 215N:
* 215 kWh (92.84%= 199.606 kWh)
* 2.62' X 5.18' = 1.799m X 1.5789m = 1.26 square meter
= 199.606 / 1.26
= 158.42 kWh / 1 square meter

Which is about 15.84%

Yes, no, maybe

[MarineLiner]

So called 210w panel is 210w

... 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.
... but realistically speaking it would cost about the same price ...

There is something wrong with your math. In one square meter should be 1,000 watts at 68 degrees F. in direct sun. Logic dictates that a 210 watt solar panel would have to be 39" by 39" and that is only 21% effiency. A solar panel that is 90% should put out 900 watts a meter at 68 degrees F. I think your figures are real wrong.

[Off Grid Solar]

There is something wrong with your math. In one square meter should be 1,000 watts at 68 degrees F. in direct sun. Logic dictates that a 210 watt solar panel would have to be 39" by 39" and that is only 21% effiency. A solar panel that is 90% should put out 900 watts a meter at 68 degrees F. I think your figures are real wrong.

[meerkat]

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.

Ok, thats good to know . Guess everythings going global . I doubt price will go down anytime soon.

[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.

[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 .

[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 ...

[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.

[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%

[indalecio.feng]

the link is pvselect.com

[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%

[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 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.

[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.