Amazon.com Solar Panels: Mono vs Poly - Real World Test - Worth the $$?
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
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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
Just watched your video. I can't tell you enough how nice it is to watch someone explain what they're doing without adding about 70% non essential fluff. You got right to the point and edited everything perfectly. I won't watch anyone's video anymore if they start out jabbering about some long winded story on why they are doing the video then they want to show us video of the unpackaging and explain every mundane detail ad nauseam. You explained what we need to know very quickly and quite efficiently and that was a rare delight for me. Thank you for your expertise. I am considering solar possibilties and I will subscribe to you as one my few "go to" solar sources now. Big thumbs up!
I bought his book, I recommend it.
When they jabber, it's purpose is to get viewing time for monetization. Direct and to the point is this guy's style. Thumbs up👍
Will....
We appreciate you more than you know. At 48 years old, engineering background, I have been researching solar system setups for quite some time now. Your videos and other information sources are without a doubt the most reliable and truly informational.
Thank you for trustworthy advice and sharing of knowledge that helps to teach others
I've learned more solar tutorials and reviews from your channel than any other channels combined! I am now a subscriber and I've just ordered your book! Keep up the good work. People are depending on your good info and lessons.
Mono crystalin is good for the Philippines and polycrystalin is good for other countries.poly needed digress almost 23° and mono is 32° good for using the Philippines, and thank for sharing your ideas
I've always thought this was the case. My theory is:
1.The monocrystalline works better if sunny and pointed directly at the sun.
2. The polycrystalline works better when not pointed directly at the sun.
I would love to see a comparison with the sun at different angles I.e. morning, mid morning, noon, mid afternoon and early evening. The test could easily be preformed by tilting the panels to simulate the different times of the day.
This information would be applicable to people that use fixed solar panels on top of a conversion van, motorhome or camper/travel trailer.
I am glad that I found you on RUclips. I enjoy your videos and appreciate all of the information, which has all proved to be correct so far. Thank you for all that you do and share with all of us saving us failure and heartache.
You have mentioned a few times that you get grief from the "old guys" that comment that you are young and this or that cant be right. I reference the video on VHB Tape you did, and by the way you are correct there too. I am an old guy and I dont feel that way about you. keep em coming.....
Thank you Steve! I appreciate it big time :)
i trust ambitious , innovative 35-45 year old minds more than most of all the ages out there, at least on matters that are changing dynamically and constantly evolving like in the tech fields. young people CAN have intelligence but zero knowledge and experience. older dude's wisdom is often outdated or their pride gets in the way and they dont care to learn more and i dont blame them if they worked their butts off their whole life.
Because the polycrystaline panels are larger, they tend to run cooler somewhat and experience less of a performance drop in cloudy weather, actually.
The monocrystaline panels are efficient for their size, but suffer greatly from clouding and overheating in summer.
It's a bit contrary to the marketing, but the only thing I've noticed that mono panels are consistently better for is just the watts per square meter output.
yess
Yeah, I plan to put a new panel on the roof of my Transit Connect. I will get more power if I go with mono. That said, it still sucks that I often won't be getting as much as the panel is actually rated at.
101 what set up do you use batteries ,controller etc?
Facts
I’m team mono based in the UK, the light levels are a different kettle of fish here, will report back in 6 months of Renogy Mono action! Keep up the good work!
Love your videos. Just a maybe suggestion. Ever consider using a lumens meter to incorporate into your test. Like today was a little hazy. The lumen meter could’ve told you how bright out it was at what time and allowing you to get more accurate test results? I dont know. Maybe?
Watching this video from NAIROBI-KENYA and I have learned a lot.
I've been watching random RV solar videos for months, many with older guys who seemed knowledgeable. I see I wasted my time. I can't believe how clearly, concisely, and efficiently you offer the information. Everything I needed was on your channel. You look like a teenager but you definitely know what you are talking about. Oh and those eyes, those eyes! LOL
Your videos are always spot on! I discovered the ‘truth’ about polycrystalline panels about a year ago. Your videos are spot on and devoid of so much BS seen everywhere else. Bought your book and reference it all the time. It’s hard to believe but your writing is actually better than your videos. Your ‘shameless’ endorsement of your own book (I love it!) is not bragging if it’s the truth! (I left a review six months ago). Keep up the good work.
Do you know what sandwich type solar cells are ?
I am learning a lot by your simple approach to imparting information. I want to master the the subject of sizing solar systems . Your continued help ia appreciated.
Oh, what is the name of the equipment you used to test the real out by the two types of panels?
Devon Linton .
P
2
Just started learning about solar for a van build. Your videos are great. Conventional wisdom seems to indicate that mono is more efficient than poly. Although the total output seems higher with the poly in your video, I calculated the watts per square inch to see if it was because of the panel size. The output for the mono is 0.67 watts per sq in vs 0.62 for the poly. So if space is a concern, might be better with the mono. Am I thinking about this correctly? I'll check out your book. thanks.
Yes exactly!! You figured it out perfectly. Bingo
I imagine that polycrystalline development has enjoyed a lot more investment of time, money and talent than mono, simply due to its lower cost of production - and therefore purchase to the customer - and has leapfrogged past mono.
You should compare watt output per square inch since the panels are different sizes. Using your numbers from the first test, I get 70W/1046.75 sq in. = 0.0668 W/sqin for the poly and 57W/819 sqin. = 0.0696 for the mono. Dividing one by the other shows that mono is about 4% more efficient than the poly (0.0696/0.0668=1.041). In other words, on a square footage basis, you'll get about 4% more output from the mono vs. the poly.
But Chris, do the math on the price.... the dollar savings is way more than 4%. Closer to 30% less per panel. Just sayin'.
@@svenandaas8781 And not only that, not everyone owns a warehouse or a mansion. If you have high power demands and you're space limited, then the only way to improve your power collection is to increase the efficiency.
I have watched your videos since you were living in a van. Thank you for continuing to produce informative and entertaining videos.
"7 or 8 years ago"?? When you were 12? :)
You're an amazing talent. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and tests.
I had just said the same exact thing🤣
Probably your best video on Solar PV type and their production.
Thanks a lot
Great video on comparison. But remember your tilt angle has to be spot on. To maximize wattage output.
I got your book, have not read it yet. Your videos on products have helped a lot before I start spending money. Thank you for your time. Keep it up.
From what you described the Poly's cover a 28% larger surface area but only produce 23% more power. At least in this test. Comparing rated Power to rated Power Poly is better especially for the price. If you just want a more compact panel then Mono is better.
You got it! Will blows by that little detail that explains everything he calls incredible.
In some cases area matters, sometimes it doesn't!
Hey brother hope you are well, we are a company that does solar and I use 400wp mono pv panels and we have a 30 kw on a client and I'm happy to say that mono by Seraphim is a very good pv panel we have installed 100ds of min pv panels
10:14 Gday Will, I have been struggling to learn about solar.
I am very remote and completely off grid, I wish I had your book at the beginning of my solar learning.
It is brilliant and a must have.
I bought Will's book. It's FULL of great info for beginners or really, anyone else. His Website is AWESOME as well.
Thanks for all you do, Will ! You're truly appreciated!
OK, I just ordered your book. I've been watching you tirelessly for a few days and I think I'm catching on finally. You explain things in a way that is simple for us plebs to understand and digest, lol. Keep up the great work, sir!I
I really wish you were my neighbor!
Hello Will. Im building a mobile tiny home. I will be buying the Jackery 1000w SG and panels soon. Have the Predator 2000 already (still boxed). My build is slow but well thought out. This has been my new mission for a year now. Ive learned so much from your videos. Thanks so much.
RT Henson
Excellent experiment. I wonder what the efficiency would be if the panels were water cooled and with reflectors being directed on it.
Another great video Will!!! I love the side by side comparisons!! Keep em coming!!
I like it when you text out the equations at the bottom. Sometimes it is hard for me to hear when you get rolling. I love the videos and there is a lot of play back happening, but i am lowering SO much thank you!
I have been a solar panel user for over 25 years...What I have observed is what you have when the panels are new,but when they have aged,(i.e. 15 years),the MonoCrystaline panels are still producing better than 80% of their "new" values,(output ratings),while the PolyCrystaline have degraded below 80%,(approx 73% - 75% avg)...Which this does make sense since the Mono panels have a 20-25 year warranty,(in producing no less than 80%),while the Poly panels have a 20 year only rating...
Hi Will, I hope you’re enjoying life now.
You are probably the most respected off grid guys out there, so thank you for your neutral, un biased reviews!
The next question regarding those panels is age in regards to degradation of performance or efficiency. Do you think there’s a possibility that you could snag an older panel of both types and do a review? Thanks
I have a very cracked solar panel from 5 years ago and it is still producing at least 80 percent of it wattage. So I see about 190 on the volt meter instead of 210. This is very good for a damage panel, because most people looking at it won't see the value, so they won't take it. But it is rated better than at least one panel that has been cracked. So that goes to show you that good performing panels that been cracked can sometimes perform better than undesirable panels that have not been cracked.
Another great video! I was planning on buying four more Renogy 100 Watt monocrystalline panels next month but I think I will order four of the Rich Solar poly panels instead!
I bought the hqst panel on ebay because you recommend them but still not a bad panel but I know the poly is always better but I went with mono. I had 5.36 amps on a sunny day and I loaded it down with a 350 watt camping coffee pot and a 150w floor blower fan and it kept them going on my solar battery inverter but I learned real quick I needed to update my cables because my connections were getting hot because I had cheaped out in my setup because I had 20 watt solar for charging batteries.
Oh it's ok. Hqst mono is great. There honestly isn't a big difference between any of them. They are all pretty good overall
Your book deserves a thousand reviews for every thousand purchases! You have taught me more about solar then all other sources combined, and in less time, and far more usable content vs filler.
I am personally fond of CIGS, but those are so beyond my budget I only own a single 30 watt foldable jobbie. It tolerates shading and low light extremely well and fits perfectly in my hiking/camping kit. Anyway, good information. Thank you. Thumbs up & subbed..
yeah pretty expensive stuff
That's a timely video for solar conversion. Thx for doing this wonderful job in educating people who are planning to move into van life
Excellent video and information. I realize the panels are most likely using better manufacturing techniques 3 years on after your cool video.
My question is. What panels would last longer in a hot tropical climate Poly, or Mono?
I have your book. I'll leave a review for you. Also glad to know that my polys do so well!
One factor to keep in mind when comparing these panels is the issue of shading when installed on a roof. The poly rich solar panel is about 26.5 inches wide while the mono HQST is about 19.5 inches wide. That approximate 7 inch difference in width may make a big difference in the amount of time the rich solar panel may spend in shade compared to the mono HQST in actual RV roof mounted conditions. Thinking of air conditioner housing, vent covers, etc. Just something to keep in mind when determining what panel is best for individual uses as shading can kill the wattage generated by a panel. Thanks Will.
I didn't see anyone do the math. The mono in the first test was 57 Watts divided by 819 square inches yields 0.0696 watts per square inch. The Poly at 70 Watts and 1047 square inches is 0.0669 watts per square inch. Divide the difference between the two results into the Poly results and you get the mono is 4 percent more efficient per unit of area for these conditions. In the second test with apparently more haze, the mono is closer to 6% more efficient per unit of area.
Math doesnt matter. If i hook up 3.6kWp to the MPPT of Mono, they give less than the 3.6kWp Poly. They are rated at the same 100W. The Charger doesnt ask if they give less or more per square inch =)
@@Multifuchs It matters if you are space-constrained, which is often an issue on an RV.
Thank you! Learned so much from an Amazing young man. You should be very proud of all you've accomplished at such a young age. Best is yet to come! Enjoy!
Finally tested my 2.5kw used array I got for $500 shipped. I got 10 used 250 Trina solar panels for $33 each and they are awesome. I uploaded a video and cant wait to start my cabin build. Lithium batteries will be the most expensive part so will use electric vehicle batteries. I think a 15kwh to 25kwh battery will be my starting point.
I've been using solar panels for 40 years. Started with tiny Arco 1600-2000 2.3 amp panels 12v, they cost $350. They are all done. I just bought 3 new panels that look exactly like these showed here, called Newpower from Amazon, Made in Vietnam. 100 watt 5amp panels cost $85. They work as advertised. I have several different types of panels all together, mono, poly, Shell, Kyocera, Solec and others. Works good.
okay, bought your book, a great reference tool on hand, just deciding which components to go with, thanks.
Need to test on cloudless day. Mono is supposed to do better in direct light and poly is supposedly better when there are clouds. Also, if you are limited in roof area you can get more watts of panels in the same space with mono.
Thx for the vid. Just bought 4 Rich solar panels from Amz. They didn't put out even close to spec (
I just bought 2 HQST 100w panels from Amazon for $79.00 each. Appear to be well made. Hope they perform well. Putting together a 200w system with a Rich solar mppt convertor for $300.00
I can here the crunches, your awesome with these video
Will, another superb video. I couldn't ever come close to producing such a high quality video. I live in Arizona where is gets wicked hot in the summer when we need solar the most. The reason I only buy Mono panels is because they are suppose to be more efficient than Poly when ambient temperatures exceed 97 F, which is all summer long here. It would be great to see you do the exact same test when ambient temperatures are above 100 degrees F. I am so glad you over came your health issues of long ago so all of us can learn and be entertained by your EXCELLENT and energetic videos.
I live in California extreme S.W. and our summer temperatures range 108 to 120 for at least 6 months a year. Want to go solar and also want electric car, but heat issues are my big concern.
Great work. My only thought is that if you are limited in space to place the panels, you would want to go with whatever filled your space with the highest amount of power. If the watts per sq in is so close to the same, then sizing that works best would make your choice.
Thank you so much for this video. I had no idea before there are technically different style of panels. Your video and also comments below leads me to more consideration a searching it monochristals could produce energy during the winter be installed inside the greenhouse that is covered by polycarbonate plastic. I am not sure if baterries will work in our garden cabin, where the temperature in winter is under below 0 Celsius. So I am considering the idea replace the solar set-up during winter into sinked green-house where is no freeze during the winter.
Its very nice to see parking your car in some garden area. Its great to live in a safety inside the vehicle and more great to add into it freedom to go out and meet the sun, fresh air and sounds of the nature.
I got 4 100w Renogy monos on my shed and they work pretty well. I paid way more though they were like $160 or so. Solar panels are very hard to find in Canada so that was the best I could do. Very similar (Coleman) 100w panels at Canadian tire were over $600! The one thing is the orientation does not matter as much as some say. Mine are facing West as it's really all I could do but they produce all day. Winter is the killer though, have to take snow off them every morning and most of the time I don't bother, so I just turn off the inverter. Even with snow on them I get a couple watts of power though, so it's enough to trickle charge the battery at least. Carrying a lead acid battery while on snow shoes is not my idea of fun so was glad to be able to keep it in the shed lol.
Each has its own pro and con, you just have to choose which is the best suited to your condition and power requirement, just think about it and shop around before spending several thousand in your system.
Thank you Will. I have been learning a LOT from your videos. We are brand new to solar and your videos are truly educational and very informative.
I like your work. I have 1 suggestion, cover your license plate,for your own protection.
Wow great video! Don’t pay more for the mono-crystalline.
Thank you Will, another brilliant informative, concise, helpful video. Based on your information I went to your website and ordered two of the Rich 100 Watt 12 Volt Polycrystalline Solar Panels, to make sure you get the credit. I also ordered your book and promise to give it an honest review.
I bought 8 hqst panels. They all had hqst stickers in them but some if them had renogy stamps on the hardware.
And that hqst poly panel frequently goes on sale for $70 direct from hqst's webpage. Worth the money.
My question is how did you get so smart about all this solar stuff at 28 ? I am amazed! Going to buy your book . I am a total rookie at this and I need all the help I can get !
Wait a minute, I am Tim. What if I want to use the handle, Tim's Travels?
Im more advanced at 23. What’s you point? It’s not about age, it’s about education. There are probably 15 y/olds that are easily more knowledgeable than I am on this topic.
Hey, Will, I've got an experiment for you if you'd like to try it. I have 18 panels on my roof, 370 watt each, that's supposed to produce 6.6 Kwh but actually only produces 5.4 (max capacity and full sunshine no haze or clouds). That's standard because I'm measuring using a 5KW inverter so only producing what a maxed out inverter can provide. I have noticed that from morning sun to 11am panels don't produce the max of 5.4. From 11am to 4pm on a clear day, it's steady at 5.4. Then from 4 to sunset power output steadily decreases. Basically, that's 1/3 of the day for each part, with the second 3rd being the most productive. From what I can tell, the panels are all laid flat across the roof angled to point to the midday sun, so getting the most power at the times from 11 to 4. My thought is this. Instead of laying all panels flat, why not do them in sets of three. For instance, starting from east to west, angle the first panel 30 degrees towards the east, the second panel flat for the mid day sun, and the third panel 30 degrees to the west. Do this process for all 18 panels. That means in the morning, the 30 degree east-facing panels will receive more sunlight (less angle), at mid day, all three panels will receive full power, and in the last third, the 30 degree west-facing panels will receive more sunlight. Just stands to reason to me that you would gain at least between 50% and 66% increase in power generation based on this configuration. There is a loss from the opposite facing panels, but they are still receiving reflected light and generating more power than when placed in a flat field, so it mitigates loss. What are your thoughts on this? I don't have spare panels to try this experiment myself.
thanks the great review . base on this result, I just place PO to Amazon , Rich Solar Poly x 4pcs 100w :-)
How did they turn out for you?
Ordered my set of 4x rich solar panels 100w. They work great and will probably order another set when I get another 40amp charge controller.
Indian products are improving day by day..... As you are seeing of the Rich Solar panel...they are made in India 6:34
The polycrystaline ones have 36 cells vs the 33 for the monocrystaline. Also it looks like the individual polycrystaline cells might be a bit bigger. Hard to tell for sure from the video. Bottom line is, if they're cheaper, you can buy more of them wether they're just as good or not.
man I appreciate the work that went into this video. I like doing experiments just like how you conduct yours. Great video.
i would like to see how poly does against mono in overcast, as i saw shadows on the ground in this video during the test. i am very satisfied with the poly performance in completely clear skies. i got 398watts from 4 panels wired in series over a 60 foot 16 gauge cable in mid march nothern indiana clear skies, seems to hover around 360-370 which is 90-92.5 watts per panel. but over cast is bad like really bad, maybe 50 watts out of 400 possible. i have several mono panels and i will be comparing them soon in over cast to my poly real soon, but i dont remember mono being that bad. anyways great info as always, i have learned a great deal from this channel.
I got this book off Amazon. It has become my Bible of Solar knowledge. I knew nothing about solar before I bought the book. Now I'm an Einstein of solar. Not really, but I love the book, it will answer all my questions as I ask them. I highly recommend it.
Which one is going to be more durable? Love the side to side comparison.
great video from the best channel on utube. you hit this one out of the park. thank you and keep up the good work
While this obviously isn't a test in controlled conditions, it does provide very useful info about how shading a solar panel can affect power output. Also for people wanting to mount on smaller vans this is good information.
Just ordered your book.....will make sure and post a review 😁
I don't disagree with your results, but it might have been a little more accurate if you had meters on all the devices to read at the same time. I think you saw the difference when the clouds were passing over.
Love your videos and subscribed and rang the bell
No this was a good test actually. I tested three times total before filming this video and my numbers were the same everytime
Your videos (and you book on Solar) .... so so helpful! Excellent😀 Glad you tested & shed some light on the difference between mono and poly output, cost, build and The brackets for mounting🌞
I bought Renology 100 watt mono solar panels several years back when I got started with my solar hobby.. Now with your video, I know better.. to get that cheaper Rich Solar panel producing more watts... nice video comparison!
Polychristaline tech has improved and efficiency is on par with monochrystaline. Efficiency is the same. Its getting more watts because its bigger.. go with the cheapest modern polychristaline that you can get.
So it's not more efficient.. it puts out more power but it's 20% larger.
You set the standard for delivering information via RUclips/Video. Awesome.
Looking at the comment people seems to have sort of religious beliefs about mono :). Is clear from this video that mono and poly have the same efficiency smaller area for mono but also proportionally lower output even if the rating is the same (someone is not honest with the ratings :) ).
There is also the comment about longevity or output in low light and again there will be no difference. There used to be some difference 15 to 20 years ago but modern poly is basically as efficient as mono if you exclude very high end panels and even there is mostly negligible and you pay very significant premium.
...yup! I commented before I read this post and came up with the same logic. More investigating may be needed.
Nice Job Will. Great side by side test. It's great to get the real world test and not the assumed results.
Shopping for solar, your videos are EXCELLENT. Perfect info to help me decide. Thank you for all the help.
Oh man, good stuff! I’d missed this when I sent you a similar video suggestion today. Still interested in how amorphous solar cells compare in varying light conditions and cover exactly like this.
Hi William, You need one more calculation... If you calculate the size, the taller mono panels at 42” x 19” divided you wattage of 70 watts in your experiment that’s about 15.4 watts per square inch. The the polys, 39.5” x 26.5 = 1046 square inches divided by output watts of 57 equals 14 watts per square inch. So, they are about the same in power per square inch.
Also the towels are not a good shade factor because it’s not how the sun light cuts out - it’s far more linear over the entire panel surface, and the circuits not producing any energy suck power away from the performing solar surface.
Keep up the reviews. The next question is asset life (how long they are good for and do sections burn out and does the panel degrade with age)? What are the warranties and conditions of those warranties.
And, lightning and transient protection.
Absolutely, but they are rated for 100 watts, so that's why this test was significant.
The towels are great! If you shade it even a tiny bit, with a hand or big leaf or white towel, output decreases like crazy. The cells are in series. So the towel test gives consistent results everytime.
Most solar panel warranties are super conservative. I had a 30 year old panels producing over 90% of it's rating. I never even think about that as being a problem because most panels will last for ages. They are all safety and pressure rated anyways, so even the dirt cheap ones can hand snow wind hail etc. They are all super strong
4-5-19 Sun Power (SPWR) makes an industry leading 400 watt solar panel and their stock is a great buy right now. If you've been thinking about going solar or buying some stock to make some serious money, Sun Power is the company to go with.
The efficiency is based on square inches per rated output... so, at rated output, the smaller panels are higher efficiency. But in real world output, they are equal.
If mounted on solar tracking arrays, the smaller area, but maximum output gets the mono panels a best deal for the area used.
This is true in an optimal ground installation, with perfect orientation perhaps in pursuit or with some adjustment of tilt per season, but from the test this does not apply to an installation on a roof of an RV where maybe they are fixed and flat, from the result of the test in cloudy conditions they produce more polycrystalline, this I believe that even if the surface is limited for the installation on an RV it is the optimal choice. what do you think ?
I think you're missing SuperVsTech's point.
How bout cost per watt?
So in this test, the mono panel produced .067 watts per sq in, and the poly produced .062 watts per sq in. This is a difference of less than 9% more efficient, much less than the actual claims of higher efficiency. I also used the highest performing mon against the lowest performing poly. That also comes out to $1.64 per watt on the Renogy poly vs $2.27 per watt on the Renogy mono. Considering the two cheaper panels since they performed comparably to the other two, puts the monno panel at $1.96 a watt vs the $1.23/ watt on the Rich Solar. Its no competition, and I say that as someone who always believed that mono panels were better because the spec sheet said so.
@@epfd217 Your math is a little off from what I see in the video. From what I see, he said the polys were 1046.75 sq in and the monos were 819 sq in. And the output was 70W and 57W respectively (0.067 vs 0.070 watts per sq in respectively). So the polys were 28% larger (1046.75/819) but only gave 23% more output (70/57) - which would mean the polys are about 4% more efficient in space usage ((57/819) / (70/1046.75)). The price for the HQST mono on his Amazon link is $100 and $82 for the Richsolar mono. So the mono is 22% (100/82) more than the poly. So 22% more money for 4% more space efficiency as shown in these tests.
Thanks for the video! Very useful. The only thing I would change is to measure all the panels at the same time. This way is much accurate in a hazy day.
I admire your scientific approach and methodology. I especially like how you retest - I used to teach statistics at the University of California. I can find no fault with your methodology. Surprising results - I would have thought that the monocrystalline panels would have been better.
I'm like 12 or 13 years out of the game but back then the Poly was better overall as it captured more ranges of the solar spectrum, shaded or un-shaded it would do better. I ran a vacuum deposition machine for about one year on a project where we electrically deposited metals on to glass to create a super high efficiency panel. The whole thing got shut down but at the time it was way up there in the 20's.
Mono is good if you have limited roof space... I have plenty of space, so I went with poly's because the cost savings are significant with multiple panels. Great find, that Rich solar panel! :)
One thing that I would like to see you testing, is how these modules perform in the summer heat, because as temperature in the cells increase voltage output drops
Please?
thats 5 months away
Yea but who cares, slightly less output because of heat but its sunny all day
true. adequate air space under panels in very hot locations minimize losses.
In less than an hour I have learned enough to feel confident about putting together my own solar system! Thanks!
Really great video...
I c u r planning 2 do the test again in the summer/full sun...
If at all possible it would b great if u could rug up 4 of those meters (1 4 each panel) so u can compare without any lag & eliminate any variation in light conditions.
Please could u also compare thin film (like u get on a calculator)
Please could u also re-run this test (ie in sub-optimal light conditions) both pointing directly/off angle so we have a full range of results.
It would b great 2 finally know what works best in what conditions as every1s conditions/needs r different.
Cheers buddy & keep up the great work.
Peace, love & respect from the UK.
Your videos are very well done, thanks for helping me out. Clearly you are a bright and ambitious person.
Writing you this while watching your commercials. Anything I can do to help you man ,you have helped me more than you know.
I am a beginner...so your videos are great. .I am planning on panels for a sailboat. I will buy your books by the way..Dan Lucas
If the companies are advertising 100 W Panels that are really only producing 57 watts, would that not be "False Advertising"? Recognizing that the day was only whispy clouds, what is a clear day at sea level vs. 6,000 to 10,000 ft elevations like we have here in New Mexico? Can I over power my inverter or batteries? Thanks. Another great video.
I own your book Will and I shall hit Amazon and give you a review within the hour. Top notch honest evaluation of Poly vs Mono. I may reconsider going Mono from Continuous Resources (Rob Kenny pointed me to them and he hasn't misdirected me thus far so...) and look at the Rich Solar Poly panels if they are 200 watt panels. Excellent video Will, you have me thinking which is a dangerous thing sometimes LOL. Take care my friend !
Sage advice always. I want to know who or when, will someone put regenerative braking onto a travel trailer chassis? A Tesla style low center of gravity battery and connected to the EV tow vehicle's regen system. Amount of regen is directly related to the weight (mass) of the travel trailer so it will provide oodles of KW, compared to any regen system on other EV's, especially two wheeled ones. You have to drag the trailer up a low mountain, why not use regen coming down the other side to save the brakes and fill the battery? On a trip that was just hill after hill, you'd retrieve about 40% of what it took to drag it up the hill the whole way.
I’ve always stayed with rich soar system because you get the same performance as renogy but a little cheaper.
Really, it depends on whether space is limited. If you have narrow spaces, the mono's might fit whereas the poly's won't. You might even be able to get 2 mono's in a space that would only accommodate 1 poly.
Your videos and explaination is all i ever wanted from a teacher ...nothing complicated
Thankyou .....i am.from mumbai india and use Waree panels
Good stuff, made a few screenshots comparing the panels.