Solar Panels Brands - does it matter?

Cost per watt may be the measurement for MPPT, but with PWM and 12v panels where you want the best Isc, you want the cost per Isc amp.

There is a range of Isc among the same watt size of panels.

Hi Steve,

Monocrystalline seem to be slightly better at low light levels. There are premium panels with multiple layers of cells. But cost per watt ought to be the driving force, in my opinion.

I have 3 Solar Cynergy panels from Solar Blvd. 2 - 60watt mounted flat on roof, and 1 - 100 watt movable. Panels were shipped when ordered, and arrived well packed in perfect condition. We like state/federal parks, and many are very shaded, the movable panel has proved very useful.

They appear to be well made, but I have only had them 6 months, so I can't testify as to their longevity. The Voltage-Current readings I have taken indicate they are putting out their claimed wattage.

These panels are certainly priced to provide a big bang for the buck. A number of posts on them older than when I bought them have so far not indicated a problem. A couple of posts indicating problems in ordering but have to the best of my knowledge indicated the seller is very quick to make good. (Now days that's not often the case)

Regards,
Doug

Thanks pianotuna. Are there any brands that you would avoid, or that you favor?

Hi,

Solar panels, in my opinion, either work, or not. There are some panels which are more "feature rich" (such as diodes between every cell), but I'd let "price per watt" be my guide.

Sure, module prices are still very low, especially from resellers. There seems to be a fair amount of good vendors on the West Coast and AZ. I bought a 235 W module from Solar Blvd., located in Norco, CA. I bought an MX-Solar 235 W module. The panel was made in the US and is in quality range of any of the foremost brands. Solar Blvd. also has nominal 12 V offerings if that is how you are designing your system.
They are not the only vendor or reseller of PV so it pays to shop around. I would steer clear of anything sold by the discount stores, they are not into providing anything with quality.