370-440W Aptos Solar Panels (affiliate link): signaturesolar.com/all-products/solar-panels/?_bc_fsnf=1&brand=52&ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN Grape Solar $49 for 100W panel: signaturesolar.com/grape-solar-100w-12v-solar-panel/?ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN IntegraRack Solar Panel Ground Mount: solarpowerdistributors.com/?ref=klabszvw *Does off-grid solar confuse you?* Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system blueprints and current 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 Book* Best-selling and beginner-friendly guide to 12V off-grid solar! amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 *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.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Current Connected* SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components. Fantastic customer support: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp *Epoch Batteries* My favorite high-quality 12V battery: www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms?rfsn=7352625.50494d *Litime* My favorite 12V budget battery!: www.litime.com/?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns *Watts247* Need international shipping for large batteries and big inverters? Check them out! watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 *Renogy* A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! DC to DC Chargers and more! renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx *Rich Solar* Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Battery Hookup* Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 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.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
You have ground mount but what rack system do you recommend for RV Rooftop install? I have been with you since you were building in your RV and I am wanting to install above my roof a/c units. I have found a few people who have done it with Unistrut but they are all one off builds.
I bought 20X of the 370W aptos panels from Signature solar a few months ago -- got them online and loving them. Your love for them makes me glad I made the right choice. Also enjoying participating on your DIY solar forum as well :) They came in super clutch during the 30 hour grid blackout we had last week from severe storms (that + EG4 indoor batteries)
I have a pallet of the 370W Aptos panels in my garage, which I bought a few weeks ago for $96 each. Incredible deal and Signature Solar shipped them out incredibly fast.
Nice, once you build your system, I would love to see it! Post on the forum if you can 😁 diysolarforum.com Really would love to see what output numbers everyone else gets with these
lol here we can get 440W panels for 60 to 70 euro each. But that's probably because panels are tax free. Whole pallet for like 2500 euro or even sometimes less with some extra discount. (The Netherlands, most solar per capita in the world)
The 370w size was a perfect fit for my bus conversion, and I ordered a full pallet 31 panels. I have a custom designed rack that holds 2 wide the entire length of the bus and has 2 more rows the retract from each side for a 10 panel main plus 10 pop outs trick was keeping two rows plus brackets under 8ft wide 12 panels was an options but a saved a bit of roof space for a small 12x8ft deck and starlink dish. the bus roof is 48ft long. All my running gear is under the bus A/C heating, batteries etc so the roof is clean 42kwhr of battery and a 18kw eg4 powers it all the front engine bus i basically made the rear section into a shop with 2 cnc machines from the rear axles back the rest is on par with a 32-34ft Class A RV. With 1.5 baths rack and pinion slide with a kids bunk. A open concept kitchen / living area. Custom fiberglass dash board. The master bed room has a full rear waterproof bathroom with a full size shower and dual sinks. I have a GE ultra fast combo washer/dryer setup on board. 95gals of fresh water 50gal gray and 50 gal black tanks with a pump-out grinder setup so i can dump my dumps anywhere. ro water system and i can recover the and filter the water from all 3 A/C systems.
Yay! My solar sherpa drops new knowledge. I can't believe how much progress there has been since 2020 when I did my first off-grid system. I thought I was hot stuff with my 4 100w Renogy panels, a 12v 200Ah battery, and Renogy solar charge controller and 3000w inverter. Everything I bought is working like a champ four years later. I'm very excited for my next build. I bet I spend a similar amount of money this time but I'll have a lot more solar input and battery storage. It's a great time to be a solar enthusiast.
@@ForbiddTV i don t think something like this can be said in 35 years about any of the panels produced today. I don t thing any will survive and still work
@@rickb5575 I have a steel building that is 70 X 30 and the roof is facing east and west. I used the Snap N Rack metal roof kit worked out awesome!! We recently had a thunder storm come through with gusts of 80MPH winds and the panels didn't budge. Expensive system but worth it.
I put my 19.2kW (48 panels) solar array up back in August on an empty lot that I own adjacent to my house and I used these exact panels. I live on the Gulf Coast here in South Texas and there panels are rated to withstand very extreme weather conditions, (hurricane winds, very hot temps etcl). I absolutely love these panels. They are much cheaper when you buy a pallet (31) panels. I was lucky to get the same pricing from Signature Solar for the other panels to get the 48 total.
Yesterday I took delivery of a pallet of Hyperion bifacial 395W/495W panels from Signature Solar for $106 each which comes to 27 cents a watt. Seems like it might be essentially a clone panels you show in your video. They have gone up in price since I bought them last week and are now $110 each. With the new US trade tariffs put in place, the prices of these panels is expected to go up about 20% when present inventory in warehouses are exhausted. On a side note, we were paying $18.95 per watt (inflation adjusted to 2024) when I installed my Arco 40W panels in 1989. I am still using them but it shows how low solar has become. Anyone who is waiting on price should get them immediately to avoid the price increases. It's never going to be lower until the tariffs are removed. A solar panel right now is cheaper than window glass if you need some perspective on this.
Used or surplus windows are cheaper, like privacy glass ones. But putting solar in that is all glass could comply with building codes requiring breakable walls and on the inside you can put OLED or cheap video panels in as dude(s )have been doing for decades now. The tariff issue seems understated in comments I have seen so far?
I came here to ask about this panels since the aptos are sold out. How are this panels performing for you. Im ready to make a purchase, just want to know if they are good.
Very nice! If they offer some free shipping again, I'm going to jump on a dozen of these babies. I've got 12 Canadian 445W Bi-facials now that do an amazing job for me, but during our northern tier winters, I can use all the solar I can suck up. A dozen of these should give me enough to keep me from having to use the generator and chargeverter nearly as much. And you were right. With just 5 EG4 LifePower 4 batteries, I can run my inverter powered A/C, our electric clothes dryer and the rest of the house and still have the batteries fully charged before noon on a partly cloudy day. After I fill up the rack with one more, I'll be set.
Thank you Will for a great overview of these products. I greatly appreciate not only your breath of knowledge and experience but enthusiasm for your subject.
There are videos showing vertical mounting of bifacial solar panels in an East West configuration improves the total ouput wattage over the standard way to mount solar panels..
I'd really like to see you do a test of these panels in a vertical-mounted configuration. I'm moving up to snow country and I think vertical mounted panels on an east-west orientation would maximize exposure while preventing snow accumulation. Additionally, to maximize exposure, I want to have half the panels facing west, and half facing east. I really appreciate your vids, I've learned a lot!
I was going to ask the same thing! How does daily production compare between vertical and angled? Does the additional morning/evening production offset the Noon(normal) production?
This is so cool. I remember the solar systems people were putting on their houses around 1970. What a joke. I'm dying to get to a new property so I can go solar.
I just bought some of these from Signature Solar when they were offering free shipping a few weeks ago. I am a little shocked I got the right ones! I also bought a drywall cart to make it easier moving all these things around.
I don’t even do any off the grid living or solar panel stuff but I found one of your videos before I reviewed a battery and your videos are just so pleasing to watch and well made. Is that weird? 😂
Did you see the study out of Switzerland where they took bifacial solar and stacked them perpendicular to the ground with the faces facing east and west? They got higher outputs and better cooling.
And getting out of any permits to put them on the roof is reason enough to "mount" them on the wall IF THAT WORKS in your situation. It works in mine and I'm going to do three banks (all three banks will NOT be visible from the road): One East, One South and the other west. The south facing bank will be sized to carry the day load and fully charge the batteries.
Now wouldn't that make them the ideal fence panels for East and West perimeters? Of course you'd want to be sure your neighbor's lawnmower isn't side-discharge. Just a crazy idea. I wouldn't expect anyone to actually do this. That doesn't mean you couldn't consider this idea for the lower part of a greenhouse wall. Dang! The possibilities.
I have to move my panels off my Sheed because I didn't see the fall and winter months coming. My shed is getting Solar Blocked by my 3 story home, though during the solar months when Installed them I had 6-7 hours of sunlight on the panels. I found a spot which will require me to move our raised garden closer to the shed, and construct a base foundation for my panels where the garden was because looking where the sun is hitting the ground, the garden area is getting 10-12 hours of un-obstructive solar lights..O well, something to look forward too soon. I don't mind doing this type of work, because this work brings our home great reward, I mean not everyday I can set something up to actually reduce the utility companies hands from digging in our pockets.
I just bought 9 370w. Aptos to put on my RV. Building a rack that has a centered panel then just above it there are 2 opposing sliding panels. I have 3 sets of these where the 6 sliding are on one MPPT then the 3 underside ones on another MPPT. the 6 sliding are exposed and generating all the time. Then when needed or sitting stationary I can slide them out and expose the other 3 for additional generation. This way I'm basically having a ground mound set that is stored and mounted out of the way and ready all the time. The movable panels only side 24" so they extend beyond the roof less than my slide outs. this helps prevent wind lift pressure and shading on the slide out roofs to help prevent heat absorption on the thin roofs at the same time. Next I plan to adapt actuators for sliding and tilt capability. I have found a cavity that I hope to use EG4 280ah. indoor batteries in a rack form rather than put actual rack batteries and leaving a dead cavity behind them. Two of these should do the trick. Also with using Victron multiplus II inverters I am able to plug into shore power running my system self contained and only using grid power as a boost when needed. this capability will help when at parks that meter charge for electricity.
You did what I would do for a mobile system. I even thought about mounting down the side of a box truck conversion with a recessed wall. Super easy to make a short on your phone, almost every solar RV build video I have seen needs to see you're set up. Too bad RUclips will only let 455 people see it before they bury it in a dead file.
I bought the 100w grape solar panel a few months ago to pair with my EcoFlow River Max. These first generation solar generators capped out at 25v of solar input, so two of them in parallel was perfect for me. Going to eventually make a DIY solar briefcase out of them.
Good timing, I just picked up three pallets (93 panels) from Signature Solar yesterday. I was very happy with everyone I delt with, and even bought a couple T shirts lol
I'm currently installing 20 of the 370w panels that I got from sig solar on my roof right now. Coupled them with Aptos Mac 800R micro inverters that I picked up for 89 dollars a piece at cse solar solutions. Get the Mac 800 R version instead of just the Mac 800. The R version comes with the AC cable already connected to the micro inverters so you don't have to buy 300 to 600 dollars worth ofvAC trunk cables. 20 panels and the 10 micro inverters to run them for right around 3300 dollars is extremely tough to beat. I'll post my install on your forum. Cheers!
I’m about to pull the trigger on 31 of the same here in Central Florida. How are they performing? Are you getting less than or more than 90% of stated output?
I bought 10 of these back in April from Solar Sovereign . I had been waiting on the 370W to go on sale because of their lower weight compared to most. Having panels that weigh 43lbs instead of 60+ can make such a big difference if you're handling these things by yourself. Do be careful while carrying it around/up a ladder/mounting it - it isn't glass on the back so it can be a little easier to damage - but presumably that's part of how they got the weight down so much.
Hi, I just bought these panels from solar sovereign last week, how was your experience with them? I'm honestly a little nervous since it´s a relatively new company...
My shipment of 12 of the 370w Aptos arrives Friday. SS got them here in just 7 days. Thanks Will, was looking for the perfect panel and your video came out that night! It’s only a shame I had to order batteries and my 6000ep from another vender cause SS was sold out… want I get for waiting for over a month to pull the trigger…
hey Will, been a long time subscriber and appreciate all the knowledge transfer over the years. one thing id like to see mentioned, for safety reasons, is grounding the solar array. not suggesting you go into detail, but maybe mention that people should do research how to properly ground the array especially in areas with frequent weather to protect persons and minimize/isolate equipment damage. ive been window shopping solar equipment for years and grounding is information ive only recently discovered. it seems often overlooked
It would be fantastic if you could take this set of panels and take us through a step by step of creating an off-grid system with say the Eco-Flow Delta Pro Ultra - maybe even with their Smart Home 2 panel. In my head that would be the most straight forward DIY-ish project. Would love to see it. Thanks for all of your insights!
I did just that with the 440s. Using 3 on the low PV input and 9 on the high PV. It’s plug and play! You really don’t need anything additional to start. Pulled in over 26 kWh on a cloudy day today. I’m using a manual transfer switch with the 30a plug, but the SH panel does look appealing. 👍🏻
I purchased the 440w at $210 but shipping was free at least. I only needed 1 panel to finish my array but needed to order 10 since that was the minimum order unfortunately. I have 21 of the Aptos 440w Monofacial for my grid tie array and 5 Bifacial for my off grid array. They don't match perfectly but close enough at roof level. The solar industry discontinues items too quickly so finding matching panels is difficult down the road; It wasn't even a year between my grid tie and off grid install and I couldn't get the same panels.
I got a bunch of these panels cheap and used them to replace a bunch of older 200-watt panels. Wow, what a difference. I see huge bifacial gains with panels mounted on a white flat roof.
Will thank you so much for everything you do! been on the fence about what panels to get, have the EG4 18k invertor, a rack of 6 batteries, might order a second set too, and well now i have a pallete of the aptos 370 on the way, hopefully putting on my roof won't be too much of an issue, will start looking into that next, thank you again for everything you do, i bought your book too :):)
They seem great, thanks for this 👍 they are mostly out of stock now. Wonder why 😊 I'm shocked how much the prices have come down in the last 2 years. Last time i checked, they were about $2/W, and now, less than $0.50. Almost $0.25.
I have payed 85,- Euro incl. delivery for my 420W bifacial full black modules here in Europe, Austria. Delivered from Germany. No tax on solar modules at the moment until the end of 2025.
We run 18 Jinko 415 watt panels over three roof areas. Very happy with performance. Our interest is now shifting towards exploitation of that power via more batteries
We need the panels to output at 18 to 20 amps to support the maximum allowable for our off-grid inverters. This will allow us to get closer to the maximum input voltages and thus maximize cost efficiency. This panel actually serves to eliminate the opportunity to parallel panels to reach that ideal amperage. Half-stepping in the right direction is worse than not making any move at all. 9 amps is more practical than 12.9 for most people.
I have never heard of Aptos. Honestly I would choose a Canadian Solar 25 year warranty panel over a 30 year Aptos panel because I believe Canadian Solar is more likely to be around years from now to honor a warranty. Also, unless you have perfect or at least great conditions for a bifacial panel, it’s not a huge selling point, imo. I would choose reliability.
ALLPOWERS has 100w flexible solar for 25% if you buy six. I got six. I should be able to fit 400w on a Caravan roof inside the rails. Another option is 200w and a basket. It comes to $75 shipped for each.
I just discovered your channel and subbed, Solar companies want $20k to put solar on your house that then takes 15 years to pay off, that's crazy!! I want to DIY it myself, I have a big unshaded back yard I want to panel, now I just have to learn about the other stuff!
I thought I did pretty good with 370W ZShine panels off eBay for $120 each. They tested out to be excellent through my Victron toping out at 380W. My other (2) 300W panels are some older Grape solar panels. Excellent panels also! Bifacial panels are only worth their cost if you have a white, silver, or other highly reflective background like snow or an unpainted metal roof. Otherwise, there's no benefit for the added cos especially if you plan on mounting them flat on your roof.
In California on our home property we were required to have a foundation, fence, warning signs and inspection if we wanted panels on ground for "safety". It was cheaper to mount on roof.
@@tangocharlie9291 I came back to care for my Parents for several years as they went through hospice. After they passed I was able to take advantage of Prop 13 which leaves me in a very old house (lol early 50s for SoCal) with low cost of living due to low taxes. But one I don't feel is worth remodeling as anyone buying will be doing so only for value/location of property and will tear down house. Weird conundrum.
Solving the PV wattage and amperage issue takes some research. In general, most MPPTs/Hybrid inverters can take 18-22A per MPPT input and 450-500v DC. The issue with many large solar panels is you can put 8-9 panels in series to get to near the max voltage but you are not close to the max watts the MPPT can handle. You can't put 2 strings of 8-9 these panels in parallel because you will exceed the 18-22A max input. The Aptos panels, due to their relatively low voltage and relatively high amperage, allow to series string panels that can come very close to max watts allowed for MPPT input while not exceeding the amperage limit.
You channel is so positive that I would prescribe your videos to depressed people as a source of inspiration. May the Lord bless you for that positivity. I have flat, 2 percent slope concrete roof. Do you have any suggestions on certified solution to mount rails to the concrete slab? Thank you!
Just starting my journey into solar, so apologies in advance for the question. Would these panels be compatible (and scalable) when pairing with say, an Anker SolixF3800 or Ecoflow Delta 3 Pro given their solar input requirements?
I saw a study recently that recommended mounting bifacial panels vertically like a fence. Significant gains were apparently made. Saves on ground space too.
Thanks for the review. I think these in the 440 watt will best fit my RV. The weight factor alone is better then anything I can find. 4.4kw on an RV should keep things powered. 4+ hours to charge fully depleted battery. Only concern is the rigidity. I have some other 435w bifacials and while heavy, 56lbs, do flex more then other panels. Not much issue as I am going to have to build frame for them anyway as they will be on an elevation mount. Only thing even better would be 6"or 1 cell wider.
To quote Shania Twain! " That don't impress me much"! There are plenty of panels out there that produce more and weigh less! I have a 415 watt Trina on the roof of my van that regularly pumps 415 watts! And just bought a Jinko 580 watt to test. These are mono facial N type cells not bi facial so amazing output! Are you going to mount them vertically and build a wall with them like some have done with bi-facials?
I am still testing but so far vertical mounted south facing is best, also my one array with an upside-down panel produces more watts +100, next test I flip all panels and compare, in full overcast those panels you have should produce 82 watts minimum. I am sure you do not want to put white stone in your driveway to boost production but lay out mylar or reflectix on the ground in front of the row to simulate white rock boost. MY 2790 array all time low was 445w, 98% of the time 686w. Add snow and sun 3414w. 600-watt bonus. My PV had to be designed around overcast conditions, last year 105 days and 20 hours of direct sun. The arrays 3 X 2790 now, before winter array upgrades 2790W 2x3255W and a 3300W. The goal to get 14kw on a cloudy winter solstice, if I can do that 100% automation all year long. I do not have my white rock spread yet, 2790 array 1800 watts in direct sun reflecting off dirt, fine for me last 90 days an excess 1MW and went 3 weeks straight with less than 20 min absorb charging. If you try vertical and your grid tied white rock would bring the watts closer to rated max. Seriously if I bought mono panels this would be an off grid fail for me. Mono is great on a roof near the equator, not so great in Canada.
I bought a couple of those Dokio rebranded 150w panels a while back. They've been feeding my shed for nearly 2 years now. They're about £70 each right now.
I have a really cool project to figure out one day .. I want to surround my entire fence line with solar panels 2.6 acres comes out to like 120 panels for the areas I wanna do I could do as much as 200, 8ft long panels throughout fence and roofs :) .. one day the gf bringing home a Tesla from work and charging gonna be as easy as pluggin into the fence :)
They weight less because the glass is thinner and the panels are very flimsy. I own the 370's. Time will tell if I end up liking them as much as you. Less is not always great. Thanks for the videos!
Q cells is coming out with Q.TRON XL-G2/BFG Bifacial Up to 22.7% efficiency - Up to 635Wp Only a 12 year warranty with a so called 30 year performance warranty but still big and heavy at 77 lbs. Most people mount panels once and don't move them around so IDK how much weight is a concern. People looking for raw Wp. Every 4 of these panels would be 6 of the 400w Aptos panels with a extra 100w on top.
Im trying to build a pergola and will put solar panels on top of it, so the ground under it can be used again, if maintenance needs to be done it can be easily done from under since all wires are exposed, ground effects will be better for bifacial, gives shade for furniture and people under it, as well as some cover from rain/snow. Tojagrid pergolas seem to be the easiest to put together but bit pricey. Trying to figure out what panels to buy this video is extremely helpful!
Hi, I’m studying your videos to design my solar panel set up. I think I’m going to do two EG for Bright House mounts with eight 350 W panels. Can I ask you a dumb question maybe? My design is an E4 6000 XP off grid Connected to an AC load center. My AC load center has grounding into my foundation rebar. The load center also has the neutral ground bond. My question is should I ground my solar panels with a ground rod or should I run a ground wire from my solar panels to my 6000 XP, which of course is then grounded over to my load center, which of course has the actual earth ground and neutral bond. It seems like if I put, ground rods at the solar panels and don’t bring the ground into the 6000 XP that I will potentially be creating a ground loop problem? Thanks for your expertise and opinion.
I bought bifacials with glass on both sides of the panel twp years ago... same size, same warranty, same output and pretty much the same weight (24,5kg). Znshinesolar ZXM7
Funny in the last I was able to talk solar to friends from both sides . The liberals want to cut off from the Man and the monopoly of the utility . The conservatives as a prepper or hunting cabin thing . Of course now that the government is invoked with tax breaks and mandates it makes it hard also the climate change religion ! Still love it on its own merit but don’t close down the coal and nuclear plants like Germany did while Mandating electric cars and saying you can’t use gas to heat ! At the same time not letting us build new power plants or transmission lines ….
I hope you see this comment and respond. Maybe others have already asked, but I just saw the video and can't wait. What about vertical mounting? I've read that biracial panels can benefit from a vertical mounting. How might these panels compare to your tests of the ground and elevated mounting methods when mounted vertically! I don't want to mount on my roof and don't have enough space for typical ground mount methods, but I could mount them vertically on top of a retaining wall.
I recently had longi 440w panels put on an investment property in a new system. I might take them down and put used panels on and keep these for myself.
@WillProwse I got the Hyperion version of those Aptos 400. I'm pretty sure it's the same exact hardware, just rebranded. Seems to have the same specs. I'm VERY impressed that my 400s have generated up to 460, even though they're mounted flat against a black roof. I paid $120 each.
I'm curious of how these panels handle partial shade. I have lots of tall trees...but enough of a clearing to grow vegetables well. I have been leaning towards the bougie rv cigs panels. I have heard that they do ok in filtered light, and very durable if a tree should fall on them during a hurricane/tornado/etc. Thanks for all of your expertise and advice! By far the best solar electronics information on RUclips.
Great video! Regarding bifacial panels- Does the light hitting the front and rear both hit the same NP junction? I ask because I wonder what the effect is if the back were completely shaded? It doesn't shut down production like if 1 cell on the front were shaded? Thanks.
Definitely going to look at these. I have a few shattered panels that I want to replace. Two of them burned traces and shatteted the glass, and the 3rd one got FedEx'd on the way to me.
I just got 10 of the 370s delivered a few days ago I had no idea if they were going to be any good or not but the price was right so I figured I would try mounting these vertically for winter.
These look amazing, so now I'm wondering if there's any way to predict how they will do in Cloudy conditions. I know some types of panels do better do better in cloudy or indirect sunshine
Planning to order these and using the Victron MPPT RS. Time to get over my decision paralysis and order them already. I have everything I need and have been torn on what panels to get.
Due to tariffs recently imposed (in the US) the prices are going up. I bought a pallet last week, and by the time they arrived 8 days later the price of that pallet is now $150 more. Don't wait.
Grape panels- great price but only 50# per square foot(2400pa) loading capacity. It really matters in my area. Needs to be 8200pa in most of my situations. 8200pa used to be the norm now 5200pa(112psf) is more common. But then we get 30-75 feet of snow a year so I am a poor example. The APTOS are an amazing price and will probably be used in the future. Things have certainly changed since I started in solar; 1975. Thanks for the great info.
3:32 min It seems counterintuitive that 370w solar panels are cheaper than 440w panels. Does that mean if someone were to build a solar farm with 1mw of solar panels, they would be better off equipping it with 370w panels rather than 440w panels?
You should put a disclaimer that the prices you mentioned are if you order 31 panels, which is enough for multiple homes. And that 10 panels is a minimum order quantity from that website. The prices per watt are quite different if you want less than 10.
I would absolutely love to buy 2 of these panels to replace the 3-200W I bought for $750 total. I just saw there's a minimum quantity of 10 to purchase. Damnnnn!
After hearing about the solar tariffs i am glad i took a small loan to get some as even if i dont make extra payments the money i saved will pay for the intrest, and thats not even counting regular price increases..
Maybe try fitting some on an east/west orientation vertically such as a fence line Compare their overall output over the winter months compared to some traditionally mounted 🤔
Love the review. The biggest problem with great panels like this, or any quality panels, is that nobody will sell them unless you buy a full pallet of 36 panels and pay $500+ just for shipping. Even local solar installers and distributors refuse to sell smaller panel amounts.
Local electrical supply places should sell solar panels in the amount you want - when they stock them. That's what I did for my second array to get the right amount. Hopefully you can sell your excess locally and maybe save 1-2 if you really want (as matching backup). Key is you are going to want to make sure you get contractor pricing...
@@whattheschmidt Sadly, every local solar place I have called within driving distance, wants to sell me 24, 36 or more panels, and will not sell anything less. They're also pushing **HARD** to try to get installers out to do an install, when I don't need anything of the sort.
370-440W Aptos Solar Panels (affiliate link): signaturesolar.com/all-products/solar-panels/?_bc_fsnf=1&brand=52&ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN
Grape Solar $49 for 100W panel: signaturesolar.com/grape-solar-100w-12v-solar-panel/?ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN
IntegraRack Solar Panel Ground Mount: solarpowerdistributors.com/?ref=klabszvw
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I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
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You need a PERMIT for the roof? LOL how backward is that for a country that has so much FREEDOM. *Eagle screeching*
You have ground mount but what rack system do you recommend for RV Rooftop install? I have been with you since you were building in your RV and I am wanting to install above my roof a/c units. I have found a few people who have done it with Unistrut but they are all one off builds.
@@HermanWillems oh man don't get me started. this is not the land of the free. And we don't have a free market. Drives me insane
Land of the Fee, Home of the Slave
@@WillProwseI know you are gonna use them vertically. I know all your secrets Will…all of them.
I bought 20X of the 370W aptos panels from Signature solar a few months ago -- got them online and loving them. Your love for them makes me glad I made the right choice. Also enjoying participating on your DIY solar forum as well :) They came in super clutch during the 30 hour grid blackout we had last week from severe storms (that + EG4 indoor batteries)
I have a pallet of the 370W Aptos panels in my garage, which I bought a few weeks ago for $96 each. Incredible deal and Signature Solar shipped them out incredibly fast.
What was the shipping cost?
Nice, once you build your system, I would love to see it! Post on the forum if you can 😁 diysolarforum.com
Really would love to see what output numbers everyone else gets with these
Yeah what was your shipping cost
@@WillProwse Signature Solar shipped my pallet of Hyperion 395W/495W panels for free. They run specials on occasion that you should watch for.
lol here we can get 440W panels for 60 to 70 euro each. But that's probably because panels are tax free. Whole pallet for like 2500 euro or even sometimes less with some extra discount. (The Netherlands, most solar per capita in the world)
you had me at "I didnt want to get permits" We are the same. over years running
Mine are on the roof anyway. Phuck a permit.
Fuck permits, who owns the home ?
Can you still claim the tax credits without the permits? Locally we also have property tax abatements for 30%... Also State Tax Credits ...5k
I live in the country and I don't have to get permits for anything 🤷
My thoughts is giver wants us to change , they should not charge for permits and make them faster to obtain
The 370w size was a perfect fit for my bus conversion, and I ordered a full pallet 31 panels.
I have a custom designed rack that holds 2 wide the entire length of the bus and has 2 more rows the retract from each side for a 10 panel main plus 10 pop outs trick was keeping two rows plus brackets under 8ft wide 12 panels was an options but a saved a bit of roof space for a small 12x8ft deck and starlink dish. the bus roof is 48ft long. All my running gear is under the bus A/C heating, batteries etc so the roof is clean 42kwhr of battery and a 18kw eg4 powers it all the front engine bus i basically made the rear section into a shop with 2 cnc machines from the rear axles back the rest is on par with a 32-34ft Class A RV. With 1.5 baths rack and pinion slide with a kids bunk. A open concept kitchen / living area. Custom fiberglass dash board.
The master bed room has a full rear waterproof bathroom with a full size shower and dual sinks. I have a GE ultra fast combo washer/dryer setup on board. 95gals of fresh water 50gal gray and 50 gal black tanks with a pump-out grinder setup so i can dump my dumps anywhere.
ro water system and i can recover the and filter the water from all 3 A/C systems.
sounds like a land yacht of an RV!)
@@morkovija just me and 2 kids living full time
That sounds incredible! What's the retraction method for the side panels?
Kindly share your setup (videos/pictures), sounds like a well-thought out solar system!
شما برای ساخت نیروگاه خورشیدی در ایران چه کمکی می توانید به ما کنید
Yay! My solar sherpa drops new knowledge. I can't believe how much progress there has been since 2020 when I did my first off-grid system. I thought I was hot stuff with my 4 100w Renogy panels, a 12v 200Ah battery, and Renogy solar charge controller and 3000w inverter. Everything I bought is working like a champ four years later. I'm very excited for my next build. I bet I spend a similar amount of money this time but I'll have a lot more solar input and battery storage. It's a great time to be a solar enthusiast.
'Hot stuff' 😄 Yeah that made me laugh.
When I bought my first panels in 1989 we were paying $18.95 per watt (adjusted to 2024 inflation). I am still using those Arco panels.
@@ForbiddTV i don t think something like this can be said in 35 years about any of the panels produced today. I don t thing any will survive and still work
@@silviannistor Let us hope you are wrong.
Thats for sure, better then anytime to go off grid.
I’m so glad you made this video. I just put 32 of those on my shop with an EG4 18 KPV absolutely love them averaging 12,800 W to 14,000 W.
How do have them mounted?
@@rickb5575 I have a steel building that is 70 X 30 and the roof is facing east and west. I used the Snap N Rack metal roof kit worked out awesome!! We recently had a thunder storm come through with gusts of 80MPH winds and the panels didn't budge. Expensive system but worth it.
@@HVACSteve951 exactly what I needed to know. I’ll look that system up. I have a metal building and one side faces south, 60’
I put my 19.2kW (48 panels) solar array up back in August on an empty lot that I own adjacent to my house and I used these exact panels. I live on the Gulf Coast here in South Texas and there panels are rated to withstand very extreme weather conditions, (hurricane winds, very hot temps etcl). I absolutely love these panels. They are much cheaper when you buy a pallet (31) panels. I was lucky to get the same pricing from Signature Solar for the other panels to get the 48 total.
Yesterday I took delivery of a pallet of Hyperion bifacial 395W/495W panels from Signature Solar for $106 each which comes to 27 cents a watt. Seems like it might be essentially a clone panels you show in your video.
They have gone up in price since I bought them last week and are now $110 each. With the new US trade tariffs put in place, the prices of these panels is expected to go up about 20% when present inventory in warehouses are exhausted.
On a side note, we were paying $18.95 per watt (inflation adjusted to 2024) when I installed my Arco 40W panels in 1989. I am still using them but it shows how low solar has become. Anyone who is waiting on price should get them immediately to avoid the price increases. It's never going to be lower until the tariffs are removed. A solar panel right now is cheaper than window glass if you need some perspective on this.
Used or surplus windows are cheaper, like privacy glass ones. But putting solar in that is all glass could comply with building codes requiring breakable walls and on the inside you can put OLED or cheap video panels in as dude(s )have been doing for decades now. The tariff issue seems understated in comments I have seen so far?
@@arts8302 Update one week later, the same panels from same company have gone up again to $115 each or 29 cents a watt.
I came here to ask about this panels since the aptos are sold out. How are this panels performing for you. Im ready to make a purchase, just want to know if they are good.
@@L-NEGRO I haven't installed them yet, but I checked each one as I took them off the pallet and they all had open circuit voltage.
@@ForbiddTV hit me back when you do if you can. I wanna know how they perform and can't find any videos on them.
Very nice! If they offer some free shipping again, I'm going to jump on a dozen of these babies. I've got 12 Canadian 445W Bi-facials now that do an amazing job for me, but during our northern tier winters, I can use all the solar I can suck up. A dozen of these should give me enough to keep me from having to use the generator and chargeverter nearly as much. And you were right. With just 5 EG4 LifePower 4 batteries, I can run my inverter powered A/C, our electric clothes dryer and the rest of the house and still have the batteries fully charged before noon on a partly cloudy day. After I fill up the rack with one more, I'll be set.
Thank you Will for a great overview of these products. I greatly appreciate not only your breath of knowledge and experience but enthusiasm for your subject.
There are videos showing vertical mounting of bifacial solar panels in an East West configuration improves the total ouput wattage over the standard way to mount solar panels..
Are you saying one side faces East and the other side faces West... or installed East/West with sides facing N/S?
I'd really like to see you do a test of these panels in a vertical-mounted configuration. I'm moving up to snow country and I think vertical mounted panels on an east-west orientation would maximize exposure while preventing snow accumulation. Additionally, to maximize exposure, I want to have half the panels facing west, and half facing east. I really appreciate your vids, I've learned a lot!
I was going to ask the same thing!
How does daily production compare between vertical and angled?
Does the additional morning/evening production offset the Noon(normal) production?
Got the signature solar May deal, Aptos 370w. $96. No tax, free shipping. Bought 10 to start.
How did you get the tax free? From where?
This is so cool. I remember the solar systems people were putting on their houses around 1970. What a joke. I'm dying to get to a new property so I can go solar.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂
I just bought some of these from Signature Solar when they were offering free shipping a few weeks ago. I am a little shocked I got the right ones! I also bought a drywall cart to make it easier moving all these things around.
I don’t even do any off the grid living or solar panel stuff but I found one of your videos before I reviewed a battery and your videos are just so pleasing to watch and well made.
Is that weird? 😂
Did you see the study out of Switzerland where they took bifacial solar and stacked them perpendicular to the ground with the faces facing east and west? They got higher outputs and better cooling.
Germans are also doing this down their fence panels, given how cheap these have become.
And getting out of any permits to put them on the roof is reason enough to "mount" them on the wall IF THAT WORKS in your situation. It works in mine and I'm going to do three banks (all three banks will NOT be visible from the road): One East, One South and the other west. The south facing bank will be sized to carry the day load and fully charge the batteries.
Now wouldn't that make them the ideal fence panels for East and West perimeters? Of course you'd want to be sure your neighbor's lawnmower isn't side-discharge. Just a crazy idea. I wouldn't expect anyone to actually do this. That doesn't mean you couldn't consider this idea for the lower part of a greenhouse wall. Dang! The possibilities.
There are a couple caveats to that. IIRC, it’s only during the winter and places that snow a ton that being vertical keeps the panels clean.
Also nice to get better output at the beginning and end of the day and when clouds are blocking the sun.
With the bifacial if you do near ground mount, put down white rock on the ground. You will get more light reflection. Cheers!
Or reflective foil or white anything.
I use reflective insulation rolls. I REALLY love that pit he has for them panels! All he needs is a strap system and they would be great in a storm!
A mirror!
@@drod6424 white rock won't degrade over time, its easy to clean and wont blow away. No need to fasten it down.
@@chrisolsen5280 white rock won't degrade over time, its easy to clean and wont blow away. No need to fasten it down.
I have to move my panels off my Sheed because I didn't see the fall and winter months coming. My shed is getting Solar Blocked by my 3 story home, though during the solar months when Installed them I had 6-7 hours of sunlight on the panels.
I found a spot which will require me to move our raised garden closer to the shed, and construct a base foundation for my panels where the garden was because looking where the sun is hitting the ground, the garden area is getting 10-12 hours of un-obstructive solar lights..O well, something to look forward too soon.
I don't mind doing this type of work, because this work brings our home great reward, I mean not everyday I can set something up to actually reduce the utility companies hands from digging in our pockets.
I just bought 9 370w. Aptos to put on my RV. Building a rack that has a centered panel then just above it there are 2 opposing sliding panels. I have 3 sets of these where the 6 sliding are on one MPPT then the 3 underside ones on another MPPT. the 6 sliding are exposed and generating all the time. Then when needed or sitting stationary I can slide them out and expose the other 3 for additional generation. This way I'm basically having a ground mound set that is stored and mounted out of the way and ready all the time. The movable panels only side 24" so they extend beyond the roof less than my slide outs. this helps prevent wind lift pressure and shading on the slide out roofs to help prevent heat absorption on the thin roofs at the same time. Next I plan to adapt actuators for sliding and tilt capability. I have found a cavity that I hope to use EG4 280ah. indoor batteries in a rack form rather than put actual rack batteries and leaving a dead cavity behind them. Two of these should do the trick. Also with using Victron multiplus II inverters I am able to plug into shore power running my system self contained and only using grid power as a boost when needed. this capability will help when at parks that meter charge for electricity.
You did what I would do for a mobile system. I even thought about mounting down the side of a box truck conversion with a recessed wall. Super easy to make a short on your phone, almost every solar RV build video I have seen needs to see you're set up. Too bad RUclips will only let 455 people see it before they bury it in a dead file.
Is there anyway you direct a link to pictures or a video of this setup? Sounds ideal
I bought the 100w grape solar panel a few months ago to pair with my EcoFlow River Max. These first generation solar generators capped out at 25v of solar input, so two of them in parallel was perfect for me. Going to eventually make a DIY solar briefcase out of them.
Good timing, I just picked up three pallets (93 panels) from Signature Solar yesterday. I was very happy with everyone I delt with, and even bought a couple T shirts lol
I thought the site said 10 minimum. We’re you able to buy just a few?
@@artinist that's 10 panels minimum at that price, I bought 3 pallets of 31 panels in each pallet... hope that helps.
93 panels?!?! Would love to see a video of your finished project!
I bought 62kW of Canadian 590W mono panels, works out to 25c per watt AND they were shipped to South Africa!
Any chance of a Vertical test with the Aptos panel to measure output. PV fence ect.
I'm currently installing 20 of the 370w panels that I got from sig solar on my roof right now. Coupled them with Aptos Mac 800R micro inverters that I picked up for 89 dollars a piece at cse solar solutions. Get the Mac 800 R version instead of just the Mac 800. The R version comes with the AC cable already connected to the micro inverters so you don't have to buy 300 to 600 dollars worth ofvAC trunk cables. 20 panels and the 10 micro inverters to run them for right around 3300 dollars is extremely tough to beat. I'll post my install on your forum. Cheers!
Nice, my Aptos panels on the house are Will Prowse approved lol! 49 440W panels roof mounted in sunny south Fla
I’m about to pull the trigger on 31 of the same here in Central Florida. How are they performing? Are you getting less than or more than 90% of stated output?
Wow.. that's a LOT of power. Well done.
You must be from Santa Cruz because you pronounced Aptos correctly.
My mom lives there lol I grew up in Monterey
I bought 10 of these back in April from Solar Sovereign . I had been waiting on the 370W to go on sale because of their lower weight compared to most. Having panels that weigh 43lbs instead of 60+ can make such a big difference if you're handling these things by yourself. Do be careful while carrying it around/up a ladder/mounting it - it isn't glass on the back so it can be a little easier to damage - but presumably that's part of how they got the weight down so much.
Hi, I just bought these panels from solar sovereign last week, how was your experience with them? I'm honestly a little nervous since it´s a relatively new company...
@@luisdaniel75 They get shipped from Signature Solar, and they came pretty fast for me.
So good to see you're still at it with the solar man.
Grape Solar panels are great! I owned 4 100w Grape Solar Panels for 8 years. They work great!
My shipment of 12 of the 370w Aptos arrives Friday. SS got them here in just 7 days. Thanks Will, was looking for the perfect panel and your video came out that night! It’s only a shame I had to order batteries and my 6000ep from another vender cause SS was sold out… want I get for waiting for over a month to pull the trigger…
hey Will, been a long time subscriber and appreciate all the knowledge transfer over the years. one thing id like to see mentioned, for safety reasons, is grounding the solar array. not suggesting you go into detail, but maybe mention that people should do research how to properly ground the array especially in areas with frequent weather to protect persons and minimize/isolate equipment damage. ive been window shopping solar equipment for years and grounding is information ive only recently discovered. it seems often overlooked
It would be fantastic if you could take this set of panels and take us through a step by step of creating an off-grid system with say the Eco-Flow Delta Pro Ultra - maybe even with their Smart Home 2 panel. In my head that would be the most straight forward DIY-ish project. Would love to see it. Thanks for all of your insights!
I did just that with the 440s. Using 3 on the low PV input and 9 on the high PV. It’s plug and play! You really don’t need anything additional to start. Pulled in over 26 kWh on a cloudy day today. I’m using a manual transfer switch with the 30a plug, but the SH panel does look appealing. 👍🏻
@@dennischristians I'd love to do something like this but I'm afraid I don't understand it all enough.
I purchased the 440w at $210 but shipping was free at least. I only needed 1 panel to finish my array but needed to order 10 since that was the minimum order unfortunately. I have 21 of the Aptos 440w Monofacial for my grid tie array and 5 Bifacial for my off grid array. They don't match perfectly but close enough at roof level. The solar industry discontinues items too quickly so finding matching panels is difficult down the road; It wasn't even a year between my grid tie and off grid install and I couldn't get the same panels.
I got a bunch of these panels cheap and used them to replace a bunch of older 200-watt panels. Wow, what a difference. I see huge bifacial gains with panels mounted on a white flat roof.
Whoa! Thats a lot of solar bro! Insane! 😂 Good seeing you doing well 👍🏾
Will Prowse LEGEND , thanks for your effort's !
He's awesome!
Will thank you so much for everything you do! been on the fence about what panels to get, have the EG4 18k invertor, a rack of 6 batteries, might order a second set too, and well now i have a pallete of the aptos 370 on the way, hopefully putting on my roof won't be too much of an issue, will start looking into that next, thank you again for everything you do, i bought your book too :):)
They seem great, thanks for this 👍 they are mostly out of stock now. Wonder why 😊 I'm shocked how much the prices have come down in the last 2 years. Last time i checked, they were about $2/W, and now, less than $0.50. Almost $0.25.
I have payed 85,- Euro incl. delivery for my 420W bifacial full black modules here in Europe, Austria. Delivered from Germany. No tax on solar modules at the moment until the end of 2025.
We run 18 Jinko 415 watt panels over three roof areas. Very happy with performance. Our interest is now shifting towards exploitation of that power via more batteries
Thank You for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste .. 🙏🏻 😊 ✌ ☮ ❤ 🕊
I don't think he's into all that bullshit. Just independence from the the corporate grid.
We need the panels to output at 18 to 20 amps to support the maximum allowable for our off-grid inverters. This will allow us to get closer to the maximum input voltages and thus maximize cost efficiency. This panel actually serves to eliminate the opportunity to parallel panels to reach that ideal amperage. Half-stepping in the right direction is worse than not making any move at all. 9 amps is more practical than 12.9 for most people.
I have never heard of Aptos. Honestly I would choose a Canadian Solar 25 year warranty panel over a 30 year Aptos panel because I believe Canadian Solar is more likely to be around years from now to honor a warranty. Also, unless you have perfect or at least great conditions for a bifacial panel, it’s not a huge selling point, imo. I would choose reliability.
For bi-facial gain, GO VERTICAL!! Use them as a fence :)
Can’t. Way too much shade. Unless I can make a fence on my roof ridge line. 🤔 😉
ALLPOWERS has 100w flexible solar for 25% if you buy six. I got six. I should be able to fit 400w on a Caravan roof inside the rails. Another option is 200w and a basket. It comes to $75 shipped for each.
I just discovered your channel and subbed, Solar companies want $20k to put solar on your house that then takes 15 years to pay off, that's crazy!! I want to DIY it myself, I have a big unshaded back yard I want to panel, now I just have to learn about the other stuff!
Incorporating them into a fence would look nice and if oriented the right direction could produce some serious power
I thought I did pretty good with 370W ZShine panels off eBay for $120 each. They tested out to be excellent through my Victron toping out at 380W. My other (2) 300W panels are some older Grape solar panels. Excellent panels also!
Bifacial panels are only worth their cost if you have a white, silver, or other highly reflective background like snow or an unpainted metal roof. Otherwise, there's no benefit for the added cos especially if you plan on mounting them flat on your roof.
In California on our home property we were required to have a foundation, fence, warning signs and inspection if we wanted panels on ground for "safety". It was cheaper to mount on roof.
Haha
Leave CA?
@@tangocharlie9291 I came back to care for my Parents for several years as they went through hospice. After they passed I was able to take advantage of Prop 13 which leaves me in a very old house (lol early 50s for SoCal) with low cost of living due to low taxes. But one I don't feel is worth remodeling as anyone buying will be doing so only for value/location of property and will tear down house. Weird conundrum.
Solving the PV wattage and amperage issue takes some research. In general, most MPPTs/Hybrid inverters can take 18-22A per MPPT input and 450-500v DC. The issue with many large solar panels is you can put 8-9 panels in series to get to near the max voltage but you are not close to the max watts the MPPT can handle. You can't put 2 strings of 8-9 these panels in parallel because you will exceed the 18-22A max input. The Aptos panels, due to their relatively low voltage and relatively high amperage, allow to series string panels that can come very close to max watts allowed for MPPT input while not exceeding the amperage limit.
these efficiency gains in solar are SUPER exciting!! except now i worry about them constantly improving and investing too early
Awesome I just got 10 of the 370W versions. Have 3S3P to a Victron 150/70 ❤
Very cool Will, 4 would fit perfect atop my extended cargo van, looks like 10 min. purchase though.
Yeah seems more geared towards homes, I want to put one on top of my truck camper, it would be perfect with the white surface on top of it
You channel is so positive that I would prescribe your videos to depressed people as a source of inspiration. May the Lord bless you for that positivity. I have flat, 2 percent slope concrete roof. Do you have any suggestions on certified solution to mount rails to the concrete slab? Thank you!
It is in south florida and walls and roof are ICF - super energy efficient.
Just starting my journey into solar, so apologies in advance for the question. Would these panels be compatible (and scalable) when pairing with say, an Anker SolixF3800 or Ecoflow Delta 3 Pro given their solar input requirements?
I saw a study recently that recommended mounting bifacial panels vertically like a fence. Significant gains were apparently made. Saves on ground space too.
Thanks for the review. I think these in the 440 watt will best fit my RV. The weight factor alone is better then anything I can find. 4.4kw on an RV should keep things powered. 4+ hours to charge fully depleted battery. Only concern is the rigidity. I have some other 435w bifacials and while heavy, 56lbs, do flex more then other panels. Not much issue as I am going to have to build frame for them anyway as they will be on an elevation mount. Only thing even better would be 6"or 1 cell wider.
To quote Shania Twain! " That don't impress me much"! There are plenty of panels out there that produce more and weigh less! I have a 415 watt Trina on the roof of my van that regularly pumps 415 watts! And just bought a Jinko 580 watt to test. These are mono facial N type cells not bi facial so amazing output! Are you going to mount them vertically and build a wall with them like some have done with bi-facials?
How big are they and how much do they weigh?
Do you know of very good transparent solar panels that can be used to replace glass on a greenhouse?
I am still testing but so far vertical mounted south facing is best, also my one array with an upside-down panel produces more watts +100, next test I flip all panels and compare, in full overcast those panels you have should produce 82 watts minimum. I am sure you do not want to put white stone in your driveway to boost production but lay out mylar or reflectix on the ground in front of the row to simulate white rock boost. MY 2790 array all time low was 445w, 98% of the time 686w. Add snow and sun 3414w. 600-watt bonus. My PV had to be designed around overcast conditions, last year 105 days and 20 hours of direct sun. The arrays 3 X 2790 now, before winter array upgrades 2790W 2x3255W and a 3300W. The goal to get 14kw on a cloudy winter solstice, if I can do that 100% automation all year long. I do not have my white rock spread yet, 2790 array 1800 watts in direct sun reflecting off dirt, fine for me last 90 days an excess 1MW and went 3 weeks straight with less than 20 min absorb charging. If you try vertical and your grid tied white rock would bring the watts closer to rated max. Seriously if I bought mono panels this would be an off grid fail for me. Mono is great on a roof near the equator, not so great in Canada.
2024 - vertical is the way to go, 24 hour pulls have higher overall efficiency due to a cooler exposure.
thank you. Good to see quality panels are lowering in price and size.
I bought a couple of those Dokio rebranded 150w panels a while back. They've been feeding my shed for nearly 2 years now. They're about £70 each right now.
I have a really cool project to figure out one day .. I want to surround my entire fence line with solar panels 2.6 acres comes out to like 120 panels for the areas I wanna do I could do as much as 200, 8ft long panels throughout fence and roofs :) .. one day the gf bringing home a Tesla from work and charging gonna be as easy as pluggin into the fence :)
A giant string, not to exceed 1000v. Some kind of mppt that can handle that voltage input.
Do a vertical mount.
They weight less because the glass is thinner and the panels are very flimsy. I own the 370's. Time will tell if I end up liking them as much as you. Less is not always great. Thanks for the videos!
Q cells is coming out with Q.TRON XL-G2/BFG Bifacial
Up to 22.7% efficiency - Up to 635Wp Only a 12 year warranty with a so called 30 year performance warranty but still big and heavy at 77 lbs. Most people mount panels once and don't move them around so IDK how much weight is a concern. People looking for raw Wp. Every 4 of these panels would be 6 of the 400w Aptos panels with a extra 100w on top.
Im trying to build a pergola and will put solar panels on top of it, so the ground under it can be used again, if maintenance needs to be done it can be easily done from under since all wires are exposed, ground effects will be better for bifacial, gives shade for furniture and people under it, as well as some cover from rain/snow. Tojagrid pergolas seem to be the easiest to put together but bit pricey. Trying to figure out what panels to buy this video is extremely helpful!
I’m in that 🛶 too. I want a multi purpose solution. Pergola with two car spots south facing. Shade ain’t cheap anymore $$ is it!?!
Thank you for your hard work. You have no idea how much we love this.
Hi, I’m studying your videos to design my solar panel set up. I think I’m going to do two EG for Bright House mounts with eight 350 W panels. Can I ask you a dumb question maybe? My design is an E4 6000 XP off grid Connected to an AC load center. My AC load center has grounding into my foundation rebar. The load center also has the neutral ground bond. My question is should I ground my solar panels with a ground rod or should I run a ground wire from my solar panels to my 6000 XP, which of course is then grounded over to my load center, which of course has the actual earth ground and neutral bond. It seems like if I put, ground rods at the solar panels and don’t bring the ground into the 6000 XP that I will potentially be creating a ground loop problem? Thanks for your expertise and opinion.
installed REC400 and get 420 watts a Lot - only panel ever had that outputs more than rating
Finally got my 10 hyperion 400 watt bifacial panels setup. and love them. These new panels coming out are very impressive.
I bought bifacials with glass on both sides of the panel twp years ago... same size, same warranty, same output and pretty much the same weight (24,5kg). Znshinesolar ZXM7
That's a great deal. Half the price per watt compared to what I've been getting off Amazon. They are located in north TX as well🤟
I'm always stoked when you release new vids. You make content that I can show my friends who associate solar in a negative way due to politics.
People are so crazy, aren’t they? 🤦
Funny in the last I was able to talk solar to friends from both sides .
The liberals want to cut off from the Man and the monopoly of the utility .
The conservatives as a prepper or hunting cabin thing .
Of course now that the government is invoked with tax breaks and mandates it makes it hard also the climate change religion !
Still love it on its own merit but don’t close down the coal and nuclear plants like Germany did while Mandating electric cars and saying you can’t use gas to heat !
At the same time not letting us build new power plants or transmission lines ….
I hope you see this comment and respond. Maybe others have already asked, but I just saw the video and can't wait. What about vertical mounting? I've read that biracial panels can benefit from a vertical mounting. How might these panels compare to your tests of the ground and elevated mounting methods when mounted vertically! I don't want to mount on my roof and don't have enough space for typical ground mount methods, but I could mount them vertically on top of a retaining wall.
I recently had longi 440w panels put on an investment property in a new system. I might take them down and put used panels on and keep these for myself.
Just ordered some Hyperion bifacial panels through your link for a eg4 heat pump/ac hybrid unit I also ordered at same time.
Great channel , thank you
@WillProwse I got the Hyperion version of those Aptos 400. I'm pretty sure it's the same exact hardware, just rebranded. Seems to have the same specs. I'm VERY impressed that my 400s have generated up to 460, even though they're mounted flat against a black roof. I paid $120 each.
I'm curious of how these panels handle partial shade. I have lots of tall trees...but enough of a clearing to grow vegetables well. I have been leaning towards the bougie rv cigs panels. I have heard that they do ok in filtered light, and very durable if a tree should fall on them during a hurricane/tornado/etc. Thanks for all of your expertise and advice! By far the best solar electronics information on RUclips.
Great video!
Regarding bifacial panels-
Does the light hitting the front and rear both hit the same NP junction?
I ask because I wonder what the effect is if the back were completely shaded?
It doesn't shut down production like if 1 cell on the front were shaded?
Thanks.
Definitely going to look at these. I have a few shattered panels that I want to replace. Two of them burned traces and shatteted the glass, and the 3rd one got FedEx'd on the way to me.
I just got 10 of the 370s delivered a few days ago I had no idea if they were going to be any good or not but the price was right so I figured I would try mounting these vertically for winter.
These look amazing, so now I'm wondering if there's any way to predict how they will do in Cloudy conditions. I know some types of panels do better do better in cloudy or indirect sunshine
I just bought new JA 550 watt panels for 85 dollars each here in the Philippines. That's 15 cents per watt.
these are sold out everywhere. is there anything comparable thats available?
Planning to order these and using the Victron MPPT RS. Time to get over my decision paralysis and order them already. I have everything I need and have been torn on what panels to get.
Due to tariffs recently imposed (in the US) the prices are going up. I bought a pallet last week, and by the time they arrived 8 days later the price of that pallet is now $150 more. Don't wait.
I'm still so lost...but grateful
Grape panels- great price but only 50# per square foot(2400pa) loading capacity. It really matters in my area. Needs to be 8200pa in most of my situations. 8200pa used to be the norm now 5200pa(112psf) is more common. But then we get 30-75 feet of snow a year so I am a poor example. The APTOS are an amazing price and will probably be used in the future. Things have certainly changed since I started in solar; 1975. Thanks for the great info.
I sell solar panels for DIY in London and I'm around LOTS. Right now I have 110W to 405W. My favourite brand is AIKO solar.
3:32 min It seems counterintuitive that 370w solar panels are cheaper than 440w panels. Does that mean if someone were to build a solar farm with 1mw of solar panels, they would be better off equipping it with 370w panels rather than 440w panels?
You should put a disclaimer that the prices you mentioned are if you order 31 panels, which is enough for multiple homes. And that 10 panels is a minimum order quantity from that website. The prices per watt are quite different if you want less than 10.
Holy solar panel array!!
Great Batman ref.
I would absolutely love to buy 2 of these panels to replace the 3-200W I bought for $750 total. I just saw there's a minimum quantity of 10 to purchase. Damnnnn!
I have about 30 of the Aptos panels and they work great
After hearing about the solar tariffs i am glad i took a small loan to get some as even if i dont make extra payments the money i saved will pay for the intrest, and thats not even counting regular price increases..
Maybe try fitting some on an east/west orientation vertically such as a fence line
Compare their overall output over the winter months compared to some traditionally mounted 🤔
Thanks, 10/07/24 Aptos Out Of Stock. I'll keep trying!
Love the review. The biggest problem with great panels like this, or any quality panels, is that nobody will sell them unless you buy a full pallet of 36 panels and pay $500+ just for shipping. Even local solar installers and distributors refuse to sell smaller panel amounts.
Well, I just ordered 10 of the 440W bifacials. Can't wait to set them up on a new ground mount!
Local electrical supply places should sell solar panels in the amount you want - when they stock them. That's what I did for my second array to get the right amount. Hopefully you can sell your excess locally and maybe save 1-2 if you really want (as matching backup). Key is you are going to want to make sure you get contractor pricing...
@@whattheschmidt Sadly, every local solar place I have called within driving distance, wants to sell me 24, 36 or more panels, and will not sell anything less. They're also pushing **HARD** to try to get installers out to do an install, when I don't need anything of the sort.