local Costco carrying 220 W panel

bmet
bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Yesterday I saw large solar panel at Costco here in San Antonio. I didn't have my reading glasses with me, so I had difficulty seeing the name plate WHILE HOLDING this huge panel safely. Costco didn't have any of the name plate specs on their info tag.

Grape Solar

220 Watts
29 Vmp (Voc was in the mid 30s)
7.5 A Imp
8.4 A Isc
MC 4 connectors
$569
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Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: local Costco carrying 220 W panel

    Grape is a re-branded Chinese panel courtesy of a company in Oregon I think. There was some other investigation into them on the forum a while back, but I don't think anyone's bought yet.

    For comparison: http://www.solar-electric.com/kykd215wasop.html
    Kyocera 215 Watts $510
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: local Costco carrying 220 W panel

    no minimum order, but there would be tax.....
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  • russ
    russ Solar Expert Posts: 593 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: local Costco carrying 220 W panel

    2.59$ per watt DC is not a big deal today.

    The Coot is correct - Grape Solar is rebranded panels based in Oregon.

    I have not seen any comments - negative or positive as of yet.

    Russ
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  • Crotalus
    Crotalus Solar Expert Posts: 26 ✭
    #5
    Re: local Costco carrying 220 W panel

    This might be of interest to someone. http://www.kval.com/news/business/94323949.html
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  • bluewickedburner
    bluewickedburner Solar Expert Posts: 78 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: local Costco carrying 220 W panel

    I bought some of their 100 watt panels, they produce very close to what is stated. I read some information about them not so positive but so far it is all anecdotal, lots of people don't like them only because they are Chinese. It used to be the Japanese too. If something works, works well and holds up, what does it matter who made it?

    We used to buy milling machines from China, they held up fine and aside from not being as pretty as Bridgeports did the jobs just as well.

    On that story about interns, Microsoft did the same thing but much worse and for ma many years,

    Sorry if this is going off topic but it seems like any time something like this comes up, the race becomes more important than what is really going. I don't agree with their government but as a people they are some of the hardest working I've ever seen. With the right tools and information, they can and so produce on par with anyone else. Most people who complain about anything made in China seem to buy plenty of it.

    Hope I didn't offend anyone but that works both ways too.
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: local Costco carrying 220 W panel

    Amazon carries this same panel for $593 AND free shipping. What does the panel cost now?
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