Components of Solar Panel

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AlbertWhite
AlbertWhite Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Hey guys,

whats the difference between a panel that comes from the manufacturers and one that you build yourself? also, why do the manufactures cells have greater efficiency and do better?
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Components of Solar Panel
    AlbertWhite wrote: »
    Hey guys,

    whats the difference between a panel that comes from the manufacturers and one that you build yourself? also, why do the manufactures cells have greater efficiency and do better?

    You could build a car engine for your car, from parts on ebay. Lots of work, maybe you will skip magnaflux because the seller said it was OK. Build it up, and you find the rings are not right, the carb does not flow, and a bearing in the bottom is bad. Take it apart, fix the bad parts, put it back together, and you find an extra bolt for a main cap. ....
    Now the factory built starts to look better and better. They can laminate, impregnate, vacuum seal and sell the bad parts to someone who sells them on ebay. They can buy cheap, the low iron, thin, tempered glass that the local glass shop would charge you $400 for. 2% here, 3% there, it all adds up
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  • AlbertWhite
    AlbertWhite Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭
    #3
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    Re: Components of Solar Panel

    so are there any internal parts in the manufactured solar panels that aren't a necessity when building your own...for example a cooling fan or other electrical parts that increase the quality?
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Components of Solar Panel
    AlbertWhite wrote: »
    Hey guys,

    whats the difference between a panel that comes from the manufacturers and one that you build yourself?

    UL Listed
    Warranty
    Better Output
    More Durable
    Won't make your insurance company freak out.
    Won't freak out the electric company.
    also, why do the manufactures cells have greater efficiency and do better?

    They make batches of cells. They test the cells. Cells that put out enough are used. Any cells that don't measure up (factory seconds) are sold off to someone who puts them on eBay.
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Components of Solar Panel
    AlbertWhite wrote: »
    so are there any internal parts in the manufactured solar panels that aren't a necessity when building your own...for example a cooling fan or other electrical parts that increase the quality?

    No fans.

    Mostly they just have tighter cell spacing, better cell output, better soldering, proper code-approved wire of the proper size, higher vacuum, better seals to hold the vacuum, stronger frames, good glass, UV resistance - just that sort of stuff.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #6
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    Re: Components of Solar Panel

    And, you can see what a home made / junk made panel looks like here:

    Panel Fire Question

    Build a small one for your experience... Not worth building at home for 1,000 watts worth of panels.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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