Chinese Panels and Batteries Recommendations

requiredwhen
requiredwhen Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭✭
Hi Everyone,

I'm going to be going over to Thailand to help a friend setup an off-grid system. I'll bring a quality charge controller and inverter from here, but will need to buy the batteries and panels there. I'm planning to get them from Alibaba and have them shipped over. 

Can anyone recommend quality Chinese brands? 

Thanks in advance,
Steve

Comments

  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    The key to your question is will do a good job in Thailand with warranty. I would search there and see who has been around the longest.
    Below are some brands that I see at my suppliers here in the US. The tier one panels often are the best because they have the longest product warranty not to be confused with the power warranty. Good Luck!

    Yingli

    Officially known as Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, the firm was found in 1998. Yingli Solar is one of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world with a photovoltaic module capacity of 4 GWs.

    Headquartered at Baoding, in China Yingli has over 30 regional branch offices and subsidiaries. Yingli Solar has made the distribution of more than 15 GW solar panels to its customers across the globe. Notably, Yingli Green Energy began production of PV modules in 2003.

    It is pertinent to note that according to HIS, Trina Solar is the top shipper of solar panels (in 2014), which was followed by Yingli Green Energy and that both the companies are based out of China.

    China, over the past few years, has dominated the solar power equipment manufacturing business and shipments as well.

    Jinko Solar

    Jinko Solar is one of the biggest PV maker in China, which has six productions facilities in Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Xinjiang Provinces of China. Its other production facilities are located in Malaysia, Portugal and South Africa while 16 other overseas subsidiaries are in Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Germany, Italy, India, Switzerland, and Spain.

    Jinko Solar distributes its solar power products and sells its solutions and services to a range of international utilities and commercial and residential customer base in China primarily. Jinko Solar has been doing business in the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions as well.


    Hanwha Q CELLS Co Ltd

    Hanwha Q CELLS Co Ltd is also a renowned and one of the world´s biggest and most recognised photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer, which is known for its high-quality, high-efficiency solar cells and solar modules.

    Hanwha Q CELLS Co Ltd has its roots in Seoul, South Korea, though. Hanwha Q CELLS offers a wide range of full spectrum of photovoltaic products, applications and solutions, solar modules, solar kits and also large-scale solar power plants.

    The company has international manufacturing facilities in South Korea, Malaysia and China.

    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,036 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If AGM batteries are part of your plan, you cant go wrong with Fullriver AGM's

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Being  off-grid in Thailand for 6 years perhaps qualifies me somewhat to offer advice, there are local companies which sell quality equipment backed by warranty at competitive prices to north America, here is a link to a reputable vendor https://shop.solaris.co.th
    the company is German and offer many quality products. Avoid Thai companies as the warranty will most likely become an issue if the case arrises, personally I purchased Schneider equipment from another vendor but have not required warranty services so can't comment on them but would assume the coverage would be through Schneider Thailand itself.

    Panels are available locally at reasonable prices, currently ~ US $130 for 300-330W modules at home supply stores but assume no warranty other than a bumper sticker warranty, for top tier see the link above.

    Batteries are available locally, mostly lead acid but from experience LA tend to have a short lifespan of 3 years or less due to elevated temperature, LiFePo4 are better suited, price wise they are very competitive all things considered. My dealings with  a vendor in China have been positive he provides excellent support on quality CALB cells. Batteries are not subject to import duties or taxes, my latest purchase of 200Ah @ 24V cost $1300 shipped to my door in 5 days.

    For all ballance of system devices, circuit breakers, surge protection, bus bars, BMS etcetera it's easier to order via Aliexpress than to shop locally, especially outside the Bangkok metropolitan area, where will you be building the system? out of curiosity 
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • requiredwhen
    requiredwhen Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭✭
    Thanks for all the advice, recommendations and well wishes. 

    I'll check out Solaris in Thailand. I agree that it would be better to purchase all components there. I lived in Thailand about 15 years ago and had a hard time finding quality solar components. Glad to hear the situation has changed!