Best Most Long Lasting Solar Panel

[Solar Matt]

I am in Australia

I am tossing up between

Q-Cell
ET Solar
Canadian Solar

and Maybe Kyocere

the Environment they will be in will be - I am not joking

4 Seasons in one Day - daily
+ the odd Biblical storm maybe some snow and a Heat wave as well
for measure

I need them to last 25 years drama free

Over to you all for Input

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Matthew,

The whole world has been hearing about the temperatures in Melbourne recently, with the Australian Open games going on. Lots of wild fires too I've heard. What a situation!

To the best of my knowledge all (quality) panels are made the same, with essentially the same materials. They should therefore behave similarly when it comes to high or low temperature performance (over here we have +36C in summer, and -35C in winter!). As long as quality materials are used to fabricate them. They all have tedlar back sheets, EVA sheets on both sides of the cells (they become like 'glue' when heated), and glass on the front. In fact, after the cells have been stacked; it is glass/EVA/cells/EVA, the whole sandwich is heated too well over 100C to melt the EVA. That would indicate that solar panels really aren't all that temperature sensitive.

There are lots of panels installed in the US south-west, where it's actually more extreme vs. your climate, with daylight temperatures in the 40+C range, and nighttime temperatures dipping below freezing, all in one day. I've not heard of any particular issues over there.

Of the brands you list I know Canadian Solar best. We sell lots of those. They are a very large company, and I've been in their Ontario factory a few times. The materials they use seem to be top-notch, I read "3M" and other well-known brands off the boxes.

I've sold some ETSolar panels as well. Don't know them too well, they seem a popular brand.

I don't know Q-Cells at all.

Hope this helps!

-RoB-

[Solar Matt]

Thanks for that

ET have been used here for about 5 years with no known major issues

I would like to think what ever I choose they will all be still working in 30 years time

Kyocera have panels that are that long still going

My installer will install what ever panels I like and one guy I know only sells
Canadian Sola

Q-Cell are one of the original German Manufacturers now owned by Hanwha a Korean company
they have a good rep here.

I might go Canadian Solar because I think the company should still be there in 30 years
and it looks like they are proven - over there where you are

Thanks for the info on the Cells

Now the Junction Boxes or By pass Diodes all the good Solar Companies
are working on this area because in shade events they get a work out

That is my area of interest because to me the Bypass Diodes and Junction box
is really the engine that drives Solar

Have you ever had a bypass diode or Junction box fail on a Canadian Solar Panel

I am just trying to be as thorough as I can

My Plan is Grid Connect 1 year
Hybrid the next and then in the third year

Off Grid

[Rob Beckers]

Matt, I have never personally seen a bypass diode fail on any panel. I've heard (reading forums on the Internet) that it does on occasion happen. Doesn't seem to be a common event though. I would speculate that they are sized to handle the current for the range of temperatures encountered on the roof, and it would take an event such as a nearby lightning strike to do damage.

All the major manufacturers use the same scheme with 3 bypass diodes per 60-cell panel, with groups of cells connected such that every two columns (in portrait) have a diode. That is something we try to take advantage of here for large rooftop installs, by putting them in landscape orientation. That way snow buildup (usually at the bottom of the panel) only knocks out 1/3 of the panel, leaving 2/3 to produce energy (as opposed to loosing all output if that same panel was mounted in portrait).

-RoB-

[Jerry Smith]

article with a different view on investing in renewable energy:

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-to-invest-in-renewables

[Jaden Miller]

I am not sure but read in some article that adding antireflective coatings to crystalline silicon solar cells boosts their lifetime energy yield.

[Krista Hiles]

We are developing solar panels which are best suited for your place. You may see them here [Admin: Link removed that had nothing to do with PV modules, but with promoting ones own business].