Sharp Solar Panels
What is the best solar panel available, and what company does the best job for a grid tie system.?
Thinking the sharp 235 is near the top.
Hey Hockey, here’s my short answer, there is no “Best.” Not trying to let the wind out of your sails, but it’s like asking, “What’s the best car to buy?” If you have kids, the minivan is hard to beat, but it sucks as a 4 wheel drive SUV. Solar panels all use the basic same type technology, but to compare features goes a whole lot deeper into the rabbit hole. If you live in Chicago and have limited roof space, it’s probably worth spending the extra buck and getting Sunpower units, they produce the most per square foot. If you want more hours of energy without tracking, single crystal is the way to go. If space is not an issue and you’re using rolls batteries, and a fixed rack, a multicrystal might be better for you. The point is, first determine what you want to do, then decide what product will fill the perscription the closest.
If you are really in the market for panels, my suggestion is to get a sub to Home Power Magazine. Then use your account info at their website to scour past issues. They had one about a year ago comparing all commercially available solar panels by all manufacturers, about a 9 page spread, with all their specs, including warranty info, power curves, and so on. Then you’d be in a position to make a real decision.
We’ve been powering our home for almost 10 years now with solar and wind. In our case, we selected Kyocera KC-120s, a multicrystal panel, installed on fixed racks. The cost, availability and warranty was the deciding factor. Turns out we had one panel go bad last year, something even my installer never had happen. Kyocera paid round trip shipping and installation cost in addition to sending me a new panel for no charge, they really stood behind their product. In my experience talking to other solar knuckleheads like me, most of the manufacturers are doing the same, because they have very little trouble with their products. Most panels are warrantied for 25 years, and typically they run much longer than that.
The Sharp is a good panel by the way, I know two people that have been using them for a few years, and they love them, mainly because they don’t ever have to look at them to keep them working. It’s been much the same with all our panels too. Check out Home Power, and some of the non profit groups I have listed below. In the end, whatever you decide to do, you will at least be well informed. Take care, Rudydoo
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IOGEAR Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Speakerphone Car Kit GBHFK231 (Black) $24.47 Hands-free munication with solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphoneMultipoint technology allows seamless switching between 2 Bluetooth devicesSuperior echo cancellation and noise reductionDedicated volume and mute buttons provide intuitive user experience1 full charge provides up to 11-13 hours continuous talk timeCompliant with Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR 2 1/8″ W x 1/2″ H x 3 5/8″ D*Before mounting the car … |
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IOGEAR Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Speakerphone Car Kit – Multi-Language GBHFK231W6 (Black) $28.77 30 ft Range… |
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Instapark® NEW All Black 100W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel, 100 Watt $279.90 Tired of all the noise and smell from your diesel generator? The Instapark SP-100W solar panel offers you a quiet, clean while carbon-free alternative. Capable of converting virtually unlimited solar energy into clean, green, most importantly, free electricity, this solar panel is made of high efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells embedded in transparent vinyl acetate behind tempered glass wit… |
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Verilux VB03WW4 Readylight Solar Rechargeable Flashlight, White $24.95 ReadyLightTM Natural Spectrum® Solar Rechargeable Verilux Flashlight… |
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New – Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus – 11406 $58.97 Freedom from the outlet Ultra lightweight USB solar charging system that fits in your pocket. Use as a single unit power pack to power your device or as a power source to recharge the batteries for use in any AA or AAA battery powered device. What is the difference between the Guide 10 and the Guide 10 Plus? The Guide 10 Plus has a 1.0 Amp USB capable of powering iPad. * Charge AA/AAA batteries fr… |
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Solar 11-in-1 Battery Charger $19.99 C.Crane Universal Solar 11-in-One Battery Charger with Meter – This high powered solar charger charges two Rechargeable Batteries of the same type and size (D, C, AA, AAA). It puts out about 150mah and about 5 volts. All of the other solar battery chargers we tested were unsuitable because their voltage was too low. Weight: 11.8 oz. Size: 6.8″ W x 4.5″ H x 2.3″ D. This is the most versatile batte… |
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Casio Scientific Calculator (FX260SLRSC) $6.12 FEATURES FRACTION CALCULATIONS TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS & MORE 1 & 2 VARIABLE STATISTICSMEAN/SUM/# ELEMENTSSTANDARD DEVIATIONSCIENTIFIC NOTATIONPOLAR/RECTANGULAR CONVERSATIONSOLAR POWEREDINCLUDES HARD SLIDE-ON CASEShipping Dimensions : 9.50in X 6.00in X 1.00inEstimated Shipping Weight : 0.3434… |
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CC SOLAR OBSERVER (BLACK) COBS $40.95 Crank-rechargeable power Improved AM reception Built-in solar charging panel Includes cell phone charger adapters FM and Weather band No batteries or power adapter necessary Features three bands: AM, FM and WEATHER Built-in three LED flashlight consisting of three bright LEDs Cell Phone charging adapters included Compact size for easy transport… |
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Energizer Solar 9 LED Lantern $23.12 Orange & White 9 LED 66 Lumen Solar Folding Lantern Energizer Flashlight (3 D Energizer Max Batteries Included)… |
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Sunforce 39810 80-Watt High-Efficiency Polycrystalline Solar Panel with Sharp Module $499.95 High-efficiency polycrystalline cells are ideal for areas with high sun exposure. 12 Volt solar battery charger delivers 80 Watts for homes, boats, RVs and back-up power. Also designer for 12V battery charging and solar power stations, pumps, beacons, lighting equipment and more! Works in all weather conditions. Completely weather resistant. Requires 30 Amp controller Item# 336615 (sold separately… |