Silfab Solar opinions?

chsdiyerchsdiyer Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
I was set on going with LG panels for a number of reasons.  Today I was at a friends house who has Silfab solar panels on his roof and that was the first time I'd really heard of them.  I just looked them up and they list 18.5% efficiency, almost identical temperature coefficient to the LG and their panels are $0.72/W compared to LG's $1.00/W.  I think their warranties are pretty close too...LG guarantees 87% at 25 years and Silfab is 82% at 25 years.  It almost seems like a no brainer to go with Silfab, but am I missing something?  I'll save about $2500 going with Silfab.

Comments

  • mcgivormcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2017 #2
    Guess the consideration of, will the company still be in business for warranty claims, if needed, LG is a diversified company so chances are they would be around, what other than PV products dose Silfab produce and will they survive in a competitive market. The price difference is attractive, so I guess it's a question of paying the money and taking your chances.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery bank 
    900W  3 × 300W No name brand Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah FLA 24V nominal as a backup system. 
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergencies and welding.
  • chsdiyerchsdiyer Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭✭
    #3
    Good  point.  Back in the day i thought surely evergreen solar would make it, especially with all the money the government was giving them. Lost a lot of money in that stock :/

    Although, LG as a company might not go anywhere, but they certainly could close their solar business.   If that happened, I'd imagine that they wouldn't honor warranties anymore either
  • mcgivormcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    As a company, if they were still around, despite retracting from the solar business, they should honor their warranty, unless of course  the solar division is separated from other business, as in a separate company, but my thinking is they will be in for the long haul, just opinions.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery bank 
    900W  3 × 300W No name brand Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah FLA 24V nominal as a backup system. 
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergencies and welding.
  • Dave AngeliniDave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 4,140 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
    BP Solar closed and honors their warranty to dealers. Why would you think that a large diversified company would risk their reputation?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Mountains near Mariposa/Yosemite CA
     http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
    E-mail [email protected]

  • chsdiyerchsdiyer Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭✭
    #6
    I certainly don't see them going anywhere, but I also clearly am not usually right.  I would assume that if that segment of the company shut down who would be there to handle warranty claims?  LG appliances division? i don't know how large companies are structured.  What do they do, refund your money?  If they're closed and not making panels any more, they can't replace them, right? 
  • mcgivormcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #7
    What alternatives are there, Yingling solar, Ho le Fook solar?  Just some random fictitious names, LG an established company, with a reputation to maintain, I'm sure they won't waste their name disputing a claim.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery bank 
    900W  3 × 300W No name brand Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah FLA 24V nominal as a backup system. 
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergencies and welding.
  • chsdiyerchsdiyer Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭✭
    #8
    Yeah, you're right, they probably wouldn't.  I'm just don't understand how that process works if they do.  
  • mcgivormcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 2,423 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Ask them directly, you'll be surprised at the answers you get when direct questions are asked, I do it all the time, nothing better than asking the horse what's in his mouth.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery bank 
    900W  3 × 300W No name brand Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah FLA 24V nominal as a backup system. 
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergencies and welding.
  • EstragonEstragon Registered Users Posts: 3,043 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #10
    There are lots of legal ways to wiggle out of a warranty.  In the end it comes down to whether the cost of brand damage from using those ways exceeds the cost of the warranty.  A big company with a large consumer business like LG with a relatively small solar panel component business would likely set up a contingent liability when they exit/sell the panel business, and charge claims off as they occur.  
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
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