I purchased 40, 4"x1.75", cells off ebay over a year ago. Finally got around to making a panel with them.(picture)First panel, on left, offers 4 voltage options - 1.5, 3, 6 & 9 volts via the phono jacks. If need be the second panel can be used in conjunction with the first to supply 12 or 18 volts.(picture)During storage/transportation the panels are reversed and sandwiched together to protect the cells.The construction is a little ghetto - plywood, cardboard and lots of glue for the cell support. I slathered silicone rubber sealant over the cardboard supports and then dropped the soldered solar cell chains onto this. The sealant seems to support and hold the solar cells adequately.Seems to work. The 1.5 volt setting had a little dc hobby motor going. I was easily able to power my old portable boom box/stereo (radio, cd player, tape, etc) off it. It runs off 4 D batteries - I used alligator clips on the battery springs to deliver the power.I'm hoping to be able to power my laptop. I've got a Dell Mini 9 which doesn't consume much power. Today I spliced the mini's power cord and phono'd it. Thus I can plug it in to either the wall wort or the solar panel. If it's sunny tomorrow I hope the panel will power the laptop. The laptop's AC adapter supplies ~19 volts.Which leads me to questions.. First I'm trying to figure how many watts my panel is good for. I know it should be easy, however my meter does not measure current > 250mA (quarter amp) so I can't tell how much current these cells are producing. The flea-bay seller told me each cell is good for >1.5 amps. However I'm guessing by how quick my analog meter floored and the 4x1.74" size the cells are good for no more than 1/2 amp (500 mA). They look like poorly cut polycrystalline 'ribbon' cells. So I've a spread of 10-25 watts.. Maybe I should purchase a better meter? (lol) Anyone offer a better guess on wattage?How do irregularities in cell size effect the current each chain of cells produces?? Is it an average of all the cells' currents, or is the current only as good as the weakest cell?When I was soldering up the cells I accidentally dropped the probes of the meter and shattered three of them.. (almost picked up the entire panel and threw it across the room at that point).Was a considerable amount of tedious work to solder all the cells together - I used a 15 watt iron with a very dull tip. And the cells were more fragile than I anticipated. Definitely more fragile than glass. Very easy to crack or shatter. In the future I'll order a professional panel that's properly encapsulated. I didn't realize how these cells really need to be protected!!Cost? $70 for the cells, another $30-40 in parts, plus a good weekend's worth of work. If the panel can run, or at least charge, my laptop I'll be happy.. Unfortunately I'm not certain I've got enough watts
With lifespans of 25+ years, installing a solar PV system is something that most people will only ever do once. This makes it imperative to ensure that the components used in your installation are of high quality, dependable, and that the company has credibility, staying power and offers good warranties. Sourcing good product should go well beyond simply looking at spec sheets and comparing the rated efficiencies of different solar modules. What questions should you ask the maker of your solar panels?
The following list of questions was compiled to assist those who are considering going solar to arm themselves with the knowledge to make a good decision. It is based on a list produced by Suntech, the world’s largest manufacturer of solar PV modules, with input from Solar Choice’s team of experienced Solar Energy Brokers, who have a bird’s eye view of the solar market across Australia.
As the list was comprised by Suntech Solar, it goes without saying that Suntech’s answers to all the questions reflect favourably on the company. Solar Choice, while recognising that Suntech is a major and well-reputed player in the solar PV module industry, does not endorse Suntech as the ‘best’ solar PV manufacturer in Australia or the world. Instead, we offer unbiased views and advice regarding what products are on offer in the Australian market. The following list of questions, therefore, should be taken with the understanding that they may have a slant. They are not the only questions worth asking your manufacturer, or your installer.
Most quality manufacturers will have a minimum of 5 years’ experience producing solar panels. In the years since the beginning of Australia’s incentive-driven solar power boom, the market has been flooded with panels from companies with only short histories in the industry. Make sure you ask if they have withstood the test of time.
If a company has a production volume of 1000 megawatts (MW) or more, it has likely cleared a number of financial and production hurdles to get to this point. Generally speaking, production volumes of this size are necessary in order to attain efficiencies of scale and and establish thorough production production process competencies and testing programs.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is constantly evolving, and only a company that is investing in research and development for new processes and materials will keep abreast of industry trends. Countries like Germany, the US, and Japan have reputations for excellence in technology development. A number of high-performance solar PV technologies have also come out of Australia, most notably from UNSW’s Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence.
BEBEST are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.
Backsheets are the layer material behind the solar PV cells themselves in the module. Backsheets are ordinarily comprised of three layers that are bonded together. Backsheets are a vitalal component of the PV panel, and what enables quality modules to withstand 25 years outdoors. The world’s leading backsheet manufacturers include Tyco and IcoSolar.
Junction boxes and cable connectors are a common source of module failure. These are the bIack boxes that sit on the back of the solar panel and harness the electricity that is produced. It is important to select modules that use genuine junction boxes and cable connectors from globally recognised suppliers such as Huber&Suhner, Amphenol, Multi-Contact or Tyco.
SPC, six sigma, Quality Function Deployment, and Design of Experiments are techniques used to ensure that modules are produced at a consistently high quality.
ISO 9000 is the internationally recognised quality management accreditation, and ISO 14000 is accreditation for environmental quality control.
There are numerous gradual process and material changes that may have an effect on the lifespan of a PV module. A comprehensive and rigorous durability test program should go beyond the minimum standard IEC 61215 (International Standard: Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules – Design qualification and type approval). One such example would be TUV’s long-term sequential test.
Many panel manufacturers supply modules from abroad without a local presence in Australia. This could indicate that these companies are using Australia as a dumping ground for solar panels (of which record numbers are currently being manufactured), with no long-term plans to remain operating in the country. This could indicate that any warranty on system components might be unserviceable should that company collapse or withdraw from Australia, not to mention the unavailability of customer support or troubleshooting.
With the solar boom of the past few years, many investors have diversified their investment portfolio to include solar system component manufacturers. Many of them have no experience in solar and run the business in an unsustainable way. What does the company do to demonstrate its commitment to performance, innovation, sustainability, and growth? Is it held solely in the sway of fickle investors, or does it have a long-term vision?
The company is the world’s best 15w solar panel manufacturing supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.