Solar Panel Showdown: Sunpower VS Bifacial VS Used VS Renogy VS Rich Solar
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Solar Panels in the video (affiliate links):
Winner "T-series" 250W by Santan Solar: www.santansola...
Bifacial 410W Panel: www.mobile-sol...
Renogy Eclipse Sunpower 100W: amzn.to/3y1Sw7i
Rich Poly 100W: richsolar.com/...
Rich Mono 200W: richsolar.com/...
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Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-sola...
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My Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-sol...
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-sol...
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-sol...
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-sol...
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-sol...
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-sol...
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:
Signature Solar
Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps:
www.signatures...
Current Connected
SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components:
currentconnect...
Ecoflow Delta
My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com...
AmpereTime
Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com...
Renogy
A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages!
renogy.sjv.io/...
Rich Solar
Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price:
richsolar.com/...
Battery Hookup
Cheap cell deals
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5% off code: diysolar
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.... if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com
Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com
Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link):
amzn.to/2Aj4dX4
If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes:
-Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
-Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7
-AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out:
shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p
-Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
10% off code: diysolar
-Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA:
watts247.com/?wpam_id=3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Hey, I’ve been meaning to comment to thank you for your videos. They have been very helpful in building my solar work van and solar RV!
Will, I've torn apart many Jinko solar panels. Willing to bet you either have some with bad solder connections or shorted diodes in the junction boxes. With the 29v you were stating I'd say most likely one bad diode (You get about 15v per diode on those ~400w 72/144 cell panels). If you pop the junction box cover you could probe the back with an ohm meter and see that one of those diodes is conducting both directions is my bet. I doubt SanTan intended to send you broken panels, unfortunate that so many were that bad off!
Funny, I just referred all my subscribers to your channel to help them with solar and up comes a new video by you! Keep up the awesome work!
It's great to see you doing actual side by side comparisons rather than theoretical comparisons we might see from someone else.
I purchased 2 Rich Solar poly panels a few years ago based on your recommendations and haven't regretted that decision yet.
Thanks for the time your taking to explain and show what you're talking about. Great work! Keep it up. 🤙
It would be most interesting to me and others with space limitations to know the wattage per area and the cost per area, in addition to the cost per watt.
Thanks for the great information and recommendations. I agree, small rv with limited roof space, I'm going to spring for the renogy/sunpower when I redo the electrical this summer.
Excellent panel comparison Will, thanks!
Just curious, all of these tests were performed at your ideal sun angle for peak performance and results varied widely from rated output. What would happen if these panels were tested while significantly off axis from direct sunlight? As RV owners know, most panels are firmly mounted to the roof for safety and spend most of their lives off axis, or in other significantly less than ideal conditions like cloud cover. Would a single large panel say 400w typically outperform 4 x 100w panels in parallel under the same off-axis conditions due to the higher voltage output of the single panel?
This might make for a fun real-world comparison test that can guide future RV solar systems to maximize output from limited roof space. Cheers!
You should try the 380W Heliene 72-Cell Bifacial North American Made Solar Panel. I am in Texas and was getting 445 watts from each panel today. I was blown away.
Holy cow!
Wow that is great output. Was it partially cloudy over head by any chance? The clouds do reflect sun, I watch my system on all kinds of days.
are they ground mounted or on a roof?
Everything is bigger in Texas.
I'm a professional power engineer and Will is a great example for me, an inspiration! His technical knowledge, his hands on ability and his way of teaching is just amazing! Keep at it Will!!!!
I am an unemployed guy who gets up after 10:00 a.m. I appreciate your contribution to the conversation.
I'm definitely curious to see someone who lives at high latitudes try out the bifacials and report back.
Thank you so much I'm learning God speed brother ⛺👍🇺🇸
hey can you do a view on the hqst lifepo4 battery i can’t find any view on UA-cam thank you! Because they are really cheap for 100ah only 499.99
Such an outstanding demo. I have four Eclipse on my 26’ RV with 300 amp battery bank. The Eclipse seem to make something out of almost nothing. Low angle performance so much better than my first system. During peak solar hours people did not believe my solar controller output numbers. Yep, they for sure outputted more than 100%.
I bet those Bifacial panels will work better in the snow. Reflections on snow is likely to be higher.
So snow on and under is good?
On a boat? How well will water reflect?
Bring them to DC. Best snow job ever. Tic
or near water, etc
@@jeffroyal1554 It will also cool...maybe offset.. ?
Need some insight to AGM… absorption times, cyclic voltage, float voltage bulk and absorption voltages when using victron inverter chargers
You could try playing with different reflecting surfaces. You should aim for the purest white possible, rather than mirror like surfaces.
Hi Will, I've been a solar designer, installer for almost 20 years. New to your channel just this year. Thanks. Question; have you done a segment on grounding? Specifically, grounding when the system uses a mobile gen-set, and more specifically, on a boat/yacht with galvanic isolation and /or using shore power from a marina, or campsite. Hoping you have time to reply.
LOl " my 1st house" not bad from RV to multiple houses - Got to love UA-cam Long may it not continue :)
It's basically fu money 😂
... or he moved house ? 🤔
I love when he says “they were horrific”
No punches pulled..
I use that word as well. I love this young man so much. I wish he were my son. My sons are amazing too, but I just want to give Will a hug.
ha
Yes he’s so enthusiastic about all things solar. Love him!
@@maggiesjourney3877 same here. I second that.
I love to watch Your content
Can You test also:
Optivolt panels - Shade-proof panel
and:
LightLeaf Solar - carbon fiber frame
with a w shaped reflector behind bifacials might put out better in lower light conditions
Maybe you should try the bifacial panel at the higher angle, but put the reflective surface... white stucco would be good, about 12 feet behind the panel. Try to get as much light as possible to reach the back of the panel. This way you are recognizing their creature and working to maximize it.
How about testing a bougerv 180 w solar panel
Especially that newer 200 watt panel (39x44.5) they carry
Are you accounting the angle of driveway? So is a 45 degree from flat ground or from that sloped driveway. Great video btw i love this this info. Once i have my solar setup done will have to post about it!
He was using a level to determine the angle of the panel
@@jeremycrowder6554 ahh i see. I thought the welder put angle indicators on the rack. If that was the case my guess would be it was calibrated on a level surface because that is what i would have done. There i go over thinking
Love the Eclipse solar panels for camping stuff. Very reliable power output.
Spray down the bifacial panel with a garden hose to get it nice and cool? I doubt the spray bottle did much...
Super helpful video Will. Much appreciated.
I buy the Renogy Eclipse solar panels not because I have limited space on my roof, but because I have limited space inside my class B RV and I need the smallest most efficient solar panels I can store inside.
Thanks, Will. I think the bi-facials will perform better if more elevated from the ground, say about the height of a patio cover. At lot of the ads show this type of installation, especially if over concrete, near white if possible.
That 385W Jinko panel is not degraded it is just damaged likey a shorted diode (it has 3 bypass diodes inside) and if one is shorted it will disable 24 out of 72 cells.
Panel temperature is important so for fair comparison all panels should be in the sun for some time so that they get to same operation temperature.
Bificial make sense as the cells are so cheap but when you need to add another glass at the back prices increases and also weight so they are not that great of a deal. In winter at my location they may do something extra. It is strange that it will not produce the same output from the back (maybe they use lower quality cells on the back as I can not see the reason why it will not be the same or very close).
Can the diode be replaced?
@@techtactics788 Yes.
Thank for the information, I ordered some of these recently at a great price but haven’t tested yet.
Will test once received and if needed go with diodes replacement.
@@electrodacus: Love your SBMS0! When I am getting my solar system I will definitely buy one from you! Keep it up! :)
I'd LOVE to see you do testing under reduced lighting conditions to replicate a cloudy day, maybe toss a translucent plastic sheet over them and redo the tests you just did.
Would be nice to see some high resolution thermal images on this channel...
Thank you for your videos
Will, I think the Bi-facials are very sensitive to mounting orientation. The surface facing the back side of the panel should be in as much direct sunlight as possible. Elevating the panel so that sun strikes the ground under the panel should. keep up the good work.
Watching your videos was part of my research on building a solar system for my van. Thank you. I would like to see your opinion on Grape Solar mono panels. I chose Grape Solar simply to avoid shipping fees. I ordered them through Home Depot and picked them up at the store. The next time you do a panel comparison it would be nice to see how they measure up against other panels.
Can you do your own at home testing of Grape Solar and post it here? Then we all can have a larger crowdsourced list of results. There's only so much time in the day for one person to do testing.
@@sammiller6631 I have 3 Grape Solar solar panels. Two of the panels are 300 watt mono and the other panel is a 190 watt mono. I have them hooked together in a series string effectively making a 770 watt array. My panels are mounted on the roof of my van at a non optimal angle. I have no other panels to compare them against and I have no previous experience with other solar panels. I can tell you that they work. I have them feeding a 60 amp Grape Solar Zenith MPPT charge controller. I do not have my system run through a shunt nor do I have tracking software for the charge controller. The highest output of my array so far was 922 watts for about a minute and a half. That is not the norm. Most of the time my array lives between 400 and 700 watts.
Update
I have added a Renogy 200 watt mono panel to my array. It is mounted in the same location and non optimal angle. It has it's own charge controller and is hooked into the same battery bank. Mid day with some cloud cover and a 99 degree ambient temperature the Grape Solar array produced 56% of its rated output. The Renogy panel produced 59% of its rated output. Later in the day with the sun going down the Grape Solar array dropped to 35% of rated output compared to the Renogy panel dropping to only 56% of its rated output. The Grape Solar panels have a sturdier frame compared to Renogy. The Renogy frame is very thin and can be bent with one of my fingers. The Renogy glass arrived damage free. My Grape Solar panels arrived with minor scratches on the glass ( I still accepted them). My Grape Solar panels are a little over a year old compared to the Renogy panel that is brand new. All panels were washed 2 days before this comparison test. One note: The Renogy panel that I purchased from Home Depot was advertised with a rated current of 9.52 amps. The panel that arrived had a rated current of 8.85 amps. This deception is frustrating and costly when you are trying to build an array wired in series. I do not know if the deception is the fault of Home Depot or Renogy.
How is it possible for pannel to produce over 100%? I have ege-158-340m-60-hc 340W panels made by eco green energy and they produce 380W which is very confusing.... I am logging panel volts and amps at mppt input using arduino. Have calibrated/checked sensors numerous times and am still getting 110% of rated output! I live in Vilnius (54.6872° N, 25.2797° E) which is far from best location in terms of solar irradiance.
Have tried searching online, but usually people complain about lower watts, but not higher :)
"We're gonna have to test them during summer" - I like the look of your winters
So glad to see those santan panels doing that well. I just picked up a pallet of them this afternoon.
I ordered a pallet yesterday so I agree - nice to see they're decent
@@goatyhomestead4583 the people there are really amazing and nice people. They spent extra time to help me load everything up and make sure I was taken care of.
Do they have snail trails?
@@alloyspeed1889 they offer both. I chose to purchase the ones with snail trails to save a few bucks.
That's what I heard as well. That they are really good will be ordering my soon
Will, great testing. With ALL the CRAZY WEATHER around the country and HAIL being a common problem: what is the best type of solar panel or hail resistant Cover would you recommend? Is plexiglass a possible solution covering a solar array a solution or would that restrict solar output immensely? bill in Florida
My 100 w rich solar panels were only 71$ ea Theyre awesome Renogy has earth sales still Phoenix 200 cheap
It would be awsome to see you add a tracking motor on this to follow the sun. I wonder if it would be more efficient to use a small amount of energy from the panel to move the motor to the perfect angle through out the day. You think this would work?
Usually the cost of a solar tracker makes it impractical. You are better off not tracking the sun and adding more panels.
Possibly the Bifacial panels would be the best. Point the front side for most of the sun towards the East and the backside gets the rest of the day.
I guess I am talking about changing the vertical axis orientation. You showed us the horizontal orientation. Tropical locations tend to get late day clouds, so changing the vertical orientation would capture more energy.
Will I am wondering if you have a recommendation for 300 amp inline fuse and where to get?
Inline for a 300 amp fuse? I have never seen such a thing. I have seen MEGA fuses and fuse holders. But they work with fuse block studs. Just google "MEGA fuse" and "MEGA fuse holder" to see if that is what you are looking for. If you are using a 300 Amp fuse, you should also be using 300 or 350 MCM wire. Otherwise you need a smaller fuse.
This is a really good video with the systematic output check and comparisons. Thanks!
Absolutely right with the bifacial panels doing well in northern latitudes. Way up north in Canada, a simple mirrored reflector aimed at the back side of those panels year round would help. Tilt is a big factor for us also. If you absolutely had no option for a mirrored reflector, even the snow on the ground reflects a lot of energy. I know a bunch of people who would reconsider solar with those panels.
Will - you might want to cover those sharp "ears" that extend beyond the frame at the bottom of your rack. With you wearing shorts - you are going to tear up shins on those things. If you don't want to cut them off - wrap some rags around the "ears" and zip tie the rags before you get injured. My experience is that if you could potentially be injured.... eventually you will be injured.
Dude - get a life
That metal don't feel no pain 😂 is how I was taught what you are teaching. No pain at all.
Bought four of those bifacial panels for my build. I'm at 45 degrees latitude, and generating power in the winter will be far more of a concern than the summer. Looking forward to testing them.
Take a shot every time he says “watt”. But first tell me which brand so I can buy stock.
Great review!!! Despite the cost, how reliable and durable are the "eclipse" sunpower cells? If you had the money would they be worth it for maximum power production for a long term use. Also what kind of solar power storage solution are used? Could you use these (say 10-12) to supplement power to a large house?
Today in the caribean where I live my mono panels give me 93%. I have flooded batteries so this reading is for minutes.
That test stand is fantastic! In addition to angle adjust, maybe you could set a pivot so you can also adjust direction.
Great more bifacial testing and on a rack, thanks. I've had a heat dissipation idea for my bifacial panels en route, to use in our Latitudes and hotter areas, especially with low wind.
Why not try adding cold water misters (rope style, like ya get walking into a store) mounted underneath, tucked in the frame?
Regarding that 56% panel, you might break into the junction box and test/replace the diodes.. Bifacial in the desert.. LOL!
Or clean the panel. It looked waydirtier than the others
@@USNEM yeah I did clean it. It arrived with marker and stains on the front
Yeah I'll test the diodes, good idea.
@@mikemead2315 Way to go chicoms..!! Since it isn't that hot here in Henderson (yes, I live here, too), what exactly are you saying..?? Faulty testing procedure, faulty panels, faulty connections..??
@@USNEM So, how clean do the panels have to be..?? Do you intend on climbing on the roof everyday, (really fun living in a two story house), to make the panels spotless.. LOL!
C'mon now!!!
For my application on a boat. I need the best output per sq foot and the lowest weight. I would love to see how the LG Neon R panels stack up. I would love to see you test those. Ouput per square foot and pound spec wise they are better than the Renogy Sunpower Eclipse panels. I wonder if they really are.
Yeah power per square foot would be great for all us people living in boats and vans as where all limited on space
do a shade output test
Hi Will, FYI I installed 1 used Sunpower 360 watt panel, 22% efficiency. 90.00 from San Tan Solar. on my trailer. Very happy with it. I can pull 340 watts in full summer sun.
I agree. You cannot beat used SunPower panels. The 327W panels I've got, regularly outperform at 108% and you can get them at $0.2 per watt. I wonder why people consider anything else...
I bought a bunch of the Renogy 100W mono panels in Black Friday sales last year. Over here in Europe they were €57.50 delivered direct to your door from Amazon Germany. It didn’t make sense to me at the time why they were so cheap, but I guess now I know, since Will says they have always underperformed in his tests. That feels pretty bad since I now have 10 of them 🥲😔
or put reflectors in a W shape behind bifacial panels. at two times width of panel
better to test two bifacial panels at a time. keep a little more vertical and over lap a bit. reflection from second panel will add to back side of first .{ good test to do} make spaced like a set of steps. keep shadow of first off of second panel.
make it so
Evening. I have 6 of the San Tan Solar 250W panels mounted on a 5 x 12ft cargo camp trailer top and sides for 1.5KW off grid solar for my instapot / crockpot cooking setup. they work very well for me in south Arkansas with no need for generator backup. Batteries are 2 of the DIY 280AH lithium milkcrate builds in parallel from an earlier video. Thanks Will for your info and inspiration.
could you test with panels flat to simulate a van's roof and chart the potential loss?
There are already online solar calculators that show flat panel output.
@@sammiller6631 There are online calculators that do what was tested and shown in this video too. Whats your point, chief?
@@Js18100 There aren't any online calculators that involve spraying water on the cells or placing reflective material both close and farther away from two-sided panels. What was your point other than calling others "chief" and being negative?
@@sammiller6631 What negativity are you referring to? Point it out specifically. What was the purpose of your comment? It wasn't to supply information or provide help - your comment didn't include those things.
And there are no calculators online for flat panels that involve spraying water on the cells or placing reflective material both close and farther away from two-sided panels.
@@Js18100 If you can't tell who is a chief, why should I assume you would understand anything pointed out to you? You come across as someone who thinks they know everything.
and why are you comparing the Measured Output with Claimed/Mentioned Output. The real concern should be power output per unit area, i.e. Watts/m2. This factor is what gives the real efficiency of the panels.
Because the advertised wattage rating determines sales more than anything else. It's useful to see how much they actually produce
Try the bi-facials in early morning and later afternoon and on a overcast day this is where they should benefit over normal panels. Peak out put at noon isn’t the hole story.
The bifacial panel spec sheet for the 400w panel states it’s perfect for hot conditions. “If you are located in the southwest USA this is the build quality that will produce and last longest.”
I love these panel tests. Thanks for working in the heat
Hi Will, loving the videos, super fun test. I'd be interested in your thoughts on a solar panel I bought from Photon Universe. Its a 150W panel and I've recorded 163W from it via my Victron MPPT. Its also a flexible panel mounted on the top of my campervan. The panels from Photon Universe are expensive, german solar cells and assembled in Austria. So far its been a breeze keeping my 105AH Lifos Battery charged with a fridge running 24/7, heating in the evening/morning and charging my computer, power bank and cameras. If you get short of things to testi that is, by the way i'm in Northern Hemisphere in England.
Keep up the great work man.
With this now I'm convinced to buy bifacial panels, since here in Chile the weather is not too hot but we get a lot of sunlight
Y creo que también pueden servirme en la pequeña chacra que estoy en vías de adquirir en la sierra de mi país (Perú) Realmente el sol pega todo el día pero difícilmente sube de 24 grados al medio día...
@@Leopoldo888 Genial! yo quiero instalarlos sobre un techo de zinc de mi casa, creo que el material es lo suficientemente reflectivo. Por ahora estoy luchando con unos paquetes de baterías 18650 que estoy armando para lo que será el sistema con celdas solares.
With only one specific example given here, it is not yet conclusive about bifacial in general.
@@obedulloa6219 To get the best out of bifacial they need to be a good distance from the surface, 1 metre is usually recommended. So they're usually mounted on the ground, not the roof..
@@johndalgliesh9220 you can get that clearance installing them on the roof...
Companies just have to underrate their panels and Prowse will be thrilled :) Cost per/W doesn't matter.
You need a good Solar Panel Orientation Calibration Tool for these panels ➡🍺
I have used Santan Solar and the used panels. I currently have 24 - 327w panels and they work great! When I did have an issue they were easy to work with and took care of my issues very quickly.
I have two of those eclipse 100w renogy panels on my jeep and they work fantastic even with a fixed flat mount. They also work well in partial sun - I had decent output even in mixed snow flurry conditions. :)
Must keep it a lot cooler with the shade?
Super video. Using your link I called up the Renogy website. The don't advertise the Eclipse cells to be Sunpower cells. How does one know?
i tried to buy one of those $50 used panels in your link and the cheapest shipping option was $188 for one panel? so the total would be $237.44 for one used panel. lol
With big things shipping isn't cheap. It's like shipping 1/2 a sheet of plywood. They probably ship on pallets, so buying one is not good... Buy more and resell them.
1-10 panels were the same shipping cost for me...$237...then it started going up...at 40 panels shipping was $688 ($17 per panel). Definitely not something to try to get one or two at a time
I looked into it too, when i saw that shipping cost i was surprised
@@volvo09 i tried clicking around for a way to change quantities and couldnt find it than gave up, maybe i over looked it. it was more of an impulse buy anyways, i need more batteries, not panels lol
1:45 to 2:25 is probably the most important 40 seconds of video about solar panels on UA-cam. It shows that the angle of the panel makes hardly any difference to the output (at least, in the summer, I would really like to see the same test done in the middle of winter. Any chance, Will?)
6:34 The glass face may be acting as a reflector for sunshine hitting the cells making the glass-framed panel more productive than the flex panel (even with the 3 extra cells). It would be interesting to see the glass removed from the glass Sunpower/Renogy and how that affects output.
Anyone notice the optical illusions?
Yes, In the white grid intersections n the panel on his bench! Looks like there are black dots in the white centers.
@@SchoolforHackers yeah...my eyes kept flitting all over.
I want to build a solar generator that uses 24 V batteries can I use a mixture of 12 and 24-volt solar panels? Or do I only need to use 24-volt panels only? Thanks
Will, ether you wear the same clothes for a few days or you do a few great vids in a day. Which is it Will? The world wants to know!
You should see if you can find some Thin water channels to collect heat from that bi facial to have it double as a water pre heater. Heck test em all with that to see what it does for their output!
How big should the thin water channels be?
Finally some sunpower tests. I keep preaching that those panels are the way to go. I hate that renogy is rebranding the sunpower cells. renogy = trash
I hope you wouldn't mind helping me out a little bit and checking my math for me. I've been trying to find someone with an accurate answer....
I recently purchased 4 lightly used 270 watt, 35.5 volt pmax, 7.60amp pmax / 15amp fuse rating solar panels. So, if I connect them up in series I would get 1080watts with 142 volts at 7.6 amps. Correct?
I also purchased a DC pool pump rated at 72vdc that comes with a 72v Controller Box.
The Controller parameters are as follows: Rated current=12A, max solar input volts=150, current overload=15A, pump=1000W @ 72v, best working volts=88v.
Would you agree that my 4 panels in series is best and most efficient? Or do you recommend another configuration???
Based on your review, I purchased the Renogy 100W 12V Eclipse panel. It works great on my off grid trailer and I want to purchase another one for my Jeep roof rack. However Renogy indicates that they are no longer available. Is there an equivalent panel (regardless of cost) that is just as good as the Eclipse?
I always thought the best way to angle the panels for optimization is just make as much shade as you can.
That should work.
Will, the sun is NEVER directly overhead of your location. In fact, no place in the continental US ever has the sun directly overhead.
You must be located between the tropics of capricorn and cancer to ever have the sun directly overhead.
@@dylconnaway9976 Will wasn't talking about solar noon, he was talking about the Sun's elevation in different seasons. :25
Will prides himself with his accuracy, I doubt he takes offense when someone points out an inaccuracy and common misconception many of his viewers may have.
You'd be surprised how many people don't understand the workings of the Sun
Would have been great be to see a heads up between Renogy 100w eclipse vs. their standard 100w panel.
Still truly impressed this is all self taught
It might be fun looking at EL photos of those panels, especially the degraded ones. It also gives a good qualitiy indication of the production ( you can see cell cracks and defects ).
Those 410 watts Panels pulling 385watts with them NOT pointing/angled directly at the sun...impressive.
If you had those point directly at the sun, you would have been OVER 400Watts.
If you add a half-pipe across your driveway, you could double the use by having the concave side of the pipe focus light to a solar panel.
Could you explain "half pipes"
@@fuzfire I meant to say 2 quarter pipes. These are skate/bike related.
heya love to see all the test's you are doing so I don't have to do them my self and know what I have to bay myself thanks
The Sun is NEVER directly above you unless you live between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn!
Thanks Will. I live in San Diego. I got the idea what u said. It not worth ... will b too heavy for roof. Tnanks. Glad I see this video.
I wish you would wear some sunglasses
A real shame the T Series panels from Santan Solar aren't viable for me in England, they're incredibly good value.
I live in Minnesota and will take any panels you are giving away due to getting too hot 😃
Will, try a white background behind your bifacial panels. The "foil" may be bouncing the light to wide and the concrete although light in color isn't reflecting that much.
Just an idea.
Do they make white roof tiles? I have seen flat white roofs
@@CandycaneBeyond I think you are right. Will was performing an experiment to test the efficacy of the panels. A white background would show the optimal output of the bifacial panel.
P.S. You are also not going to have an adjustable roof to optimize the sun light according to the season.
@@danerskine9862 well technically you could put something up there that could slightly adjust and make it motorized
@@CandycaneBeyond there are ground mount systems that actually track the sun.
I imagine something could be done on a roof.
@@CandycaneBeyond it comes in a can at home depot its called silicone roof coating
I have 3 200w rich solar panels for my RV. 2 are outputting 120w and 1 is outputting 90w. Don’t know how you got to 150w. I have a clear sky and full sun but maybe if I was in a more intense heat like Texas, California and the like?
Good morning will. I know your very busy but I hope you have a little time to help w/ some advice. I'm trying to charge my solar power station w/ solar input 10-65v / 10 it is the new kodiak X2. Watching your videos and by the video in particular, would the renogy eclipse u tested in this vid be a good investment, because I did find a panels similar advertised in Canada. Thanks , although, I still have a lot to learn, I've been watching your videos since your review on the first kodiak model. Have a great day !
when are you going to do this test again?
I'm wondering the same thing!
I love you and you are so handsome!!! I am going to go with the bifacials..more bang for the buck..i unfortunately got the renagy regulars and I also dont get the full 100 watts..oh well....I will use them as on my small cabin...I am in love with my Giandel 2200 watt inverter on your recommendation so far!!!....Can you plz plz pretty plz for this ole' girl...do more on the bifacials from SigSolar out of Texas...thanks!!!