My Favorite 100-400W Solar Panels
-Great for Mobile Solar Systems!-
Best Performance 100W Solar Panels
I tested a stack of N-type bifacial solar panels and the best bang for your buck was the callsun. I was pulling the same numbers as the most expensive renogy panel! Most N-type solar panels have a low quality back sheet and rails. Not the callsun. I ordered it randonly for another video and I could not believe how well they worked. And they are nearly the same price as a traditional panel:
Callsun 100W Panels:
Callsun 200W Panels:
Callsun 400W Panels:
If you have more money to spend and want the same performance as the callsun, check out the renogy shadowflux. It handles shading better than the callsun, but it comes at a price. I tell most people not to invest in "shade tolerant tech" and focus on mounting more panels in a better direction with the sun. If you have limited roofspace and you are constantly dealing with shading from large objects or leaves, the shadowflux might be worth it:
- Shadowflux 120W Panels:
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- Shadowflux 200W Panels:
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And thats it! Most of the other panels were not performing as well or had cheap rails/backsheets/junction boxes. The panels above are my favorites out of stacks of solar panels that I tested. Stick to the ones above and you will be set.
What About Flexible Solar Panels?
Don't Buy them!
Every single flex panel on the market is garbage. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong on this. I have destroyed stacks of these things. The cells crack easily and take out a whole string of cells when the bus bars break. Or they have extreme degradation after a few months of summer. Even the latest "CIGS" panels that I was so excited about, are having delamination problems.
Do yourself a favor, and avoid the flex panels. None of them are good.
Do yourself a favor, and avoid the flex panels. None of them are good.
Dirt Cheap Solar Panels
Santan Solar sells used but inspected solar panels from Arizona. Every panel they sell is a high-quality name brand solar panel, and after selling 1000's of solar panels they have only had a handful of returns.
These are a fraction of the cost of the solar panels I recommend above, and will work for a long time.
What people don't realize about solar panels, is that they last for decades, if not centuries. Most panels are rated for 25 years to 80% output, which is an extremely conservative goal. Most panels can produce well over 90% of their rated output after 30 years. They can also handle years of non-stop rain/hail/snow/wind without issue.
For me personally, I go for the cheapest panels possible, because cost is not really a determinant factor of performance (such as the cheap solar panels I recommend above). After my real world testing of stacks of solar panels, many cheap panels can produce the same or more power than the more expensive ones, and they have the same safety ratings, and warranties.
The problem with santan solar is that the shipping cost is pretty steep. So be sure to use this option if you plan to build a large array only.
Click Here to check them out!
These are a fraction of the cost of the solar panels I recommend above, and will work for a long time.
What people don't realize about solar panels, is that they last for decades, if not centuries. Most panels are rated for 25 years to 80% output, which is an extremely conservative goal. Most panels can produce well over 90% of their rated output after 30 years. They can also handle years of non-stop rain/hail/snow/wind without issue.
For me personally, I go for the cheapest panels possible, because cost is not really a determinant factor of performance (such as the cheap solar panels I recommend above). After my real world testing of stacks of solar panels, many cheap panels can produce the same or more power than the more expensive ones, and they have the same safety ratings, and warranties.
The problem with santan solar is that the shipping cost is pretty steep. So be sure to use this option if you plan to build a large array only.
Click Here to check them out!