oakleyb
Well-Known Member
Which company would you use, i had a quick search lastnight and prices seem to vary quite abit - do you get what you pay for ?
solar pannel purchase
- Thread starter oakleyb
- Start date
Noddy
Well-Known Member
I'm about to buy one. Probably off of Geoff at Tomjo Marine. He's based in Portsmouth but does all the boat jumbles.
Prices seem OK for well known brands.
Prices seem OK for well known brands.
Helina
Well-Known Member
Try Siemens and benefit from their bribing policy !
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Jonny_H
Well-Known Member
Which company as in which brand of solar panel or which company as in which retailer?
Solar Panels - Kyocera have had very good reports, and their warranty specfically covers marine use (something many others don't). BP are also good, as are Unisolar. When I was looking the Kyocera's got excellent feedback and seem like good Watts / £
Retailer - Midsummer Energy seem reasonable and extremely helpful. Bardon Energy also sell a good range and occassionally have offers on. If you search ebay you find a lot of retailers for the type of panel you want (but make sure they're not based in Singapore or Fiji as shipping costs are high and duties will be due), I found mine through ebay, Adviss Renewables - seemed the best price for the Kyocera 85 Watt we have just bought.
If you speak to someone (we spoke to Geoff at Tomjo at a boat jumble and various others before buying) you will get lots of info re built in diodes etc. Some panels (like the Kyocera) are made up of smaller modules linked together, so if one module is shaded it only affects that modules output - the cheaper ones tend to be one larger module so any shading impacts the whole panel's output.
Hope this helps
Jonny
p.s. I also found a good firm in the US who supply mounting brackets for a range of panels at half the price (after shipping and tax!) than you can get them for in the UK - PM me if interested.
Solar Panels - Kyocera have had very good reports, and their warranty specfically covers marine use (something many others don't). BP are also good, as are Unisolar. When I was looking the Kyocera's got excellent feedback and seem like good Watts / £
Retailer - Midsummer Energy seem reasonable and extremely helpful. Bardon Energy also sell a good range and occassionally have offers on. If you search ebay you find a lot of retailers for the type of panel you want (but make sure they're not based in Singapore or Fiji as shipping costs are high and duties will be due), I found mine through ebay, Adviss Renewables - seemed the best price for the Kyocera 85 Watt we have just bought.
If you speak to someone (we spoke to Geoff at Tomjo at a boat jumble and various others before buying) you will get lots of info re built in diodes etc. Some panels (like the Kyocera) are made up of smaller modules linked together, so if one module is shaded it only affects that modules output - the cheaper ones tend to be one larger module so any shading impacts the whole panel's output.
Hope this helps
Jonny
p.s. I also found a good firm in the US who supply mounting brackets for a range of panels at half the price (after shipping and tax!) than you can get them for in the UK - PM me if interested.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Yes, Kyocera from Midsummer energy. I have just bought 125 Watts from them. The panels look excellent, plastic coated backs, adequate frame, good electrical connections in watertight boxes.
I've made my own mounting arch, simply and as cheap as possible, from 1" tubing and standard fittings. Mountings from panels to arch I had made locally, only £30.
I've made my own mounting arch, simply and as cheap as possible, from 1" tubing and standard fittings. Mountings from panels to arch I had made locally, only £30.
sarabande
Well-Known Member
I bought two 40w Kyocera panels from
http://www.aireandsun.co.uk/
a couple of months ago.
Price was competitive, postage immediate, and the sales people even drew up a connectivity diagram for me !
No connections other than satisfied customer.
http://www.aireandsun.co.uk/
a couple of months ago.
Price was competitive, postage immediate, and the sales people even drew up a connectivity diagram for me !
No connections other than satisfied customer.
bazobeleza
Well-Known Member
I bought a Sharp 80w polycrystalline solar panel off Ebay last year. It has been excellent with no amp or volt drop when shaded by shroud shadow crossing the panel.
I think with the top manufacturers it is down to where you can get the size of panel for the best price / service.
I think with the top manufacturers it is down to where you can get the size of panel for the best price / service.
Jonny_H
Well-Known Member
We already have an arch - but the panel to arch mount we got from the US is two stainless bars which screw to the panel and have clamps on them to attach to the arch. The clamps have hand clamps on them so you can slacken them off to tilt the panel to get max output without using tools.
Think for the 85 watt panel the mounting kit was £40 including postage from the US (which has half the cost!)
Clamps look like these:
- only mounted horizontally onto the stainless bars.
Jonny
Think for the 85 watt panel the mounting kit was £40 including postage from the US (which has half the cost!)
Clamps look like these:
Jonny
