The best photovoltaic solar panels

mena661 wrote:

HiTech wrote:
Pretty interesting. New world records are being set weekly for solar output per area. It is nice to see this making it into actual products.

Jim

Yeah, I didn't think you could buy 19% efficient panels.

EDIT: Looks like the Vmp on those is 40.7-42V.

http://us.sanyo.com/News/SANYO-Introduces-New-HIT-Power-N-Series-Solar-Panels

We have seen this with 12v panels too, where some have extra high Voc per watt rating (22 vs 21 eg) and so low (crumby) Isc. Here we have 40v vs 36v and the 36v has way higher amps.

With PWM controllers it is so easy---Isc is the "expected amps." I still don't get how MPPT "expected amps" are created with no reference to rated Isc or should that be wrt to rated Voc?

All we have is anecdotal that 230w " 24v" makes 15 amps at high noon which is about the same as Isc with 12v PWM--ie no difference in "expected amps" per watt on 12c vs 24s.

We do OTOH, have a report or two that staying within 12v arrays, MPPT gets you an extra 8% in amps over PWM.

But it seems that 8% does not apply when you do 12v vs 24v. All very mysterious.

My point about "efficiency" with "24v" panels is that it is all about the properties of the MPPT controller and it is no use comparing panels without looking at the MPPT too.

Amps charge batteries. Watts are bogus! :)