Description
- New Design: Smaller in size, same output, higher cells effciency compared to most other brands
- Dimension: 35.83*26.57*1.18inch, high winds (2400PA) and snow loads (5400PA)
- Maximum Power (Pmax): 100W, voltage at Pmax (Vmp):17.0V, current at Pmax (Imp): 5.89A
- Installation: Diodes are pre-installed in the junction box, with a pair of pre-attached 3ft MC4 cables
- Warranty: 25-year transferable power output warranty
mrockwell –
Bottom Line: Rich Solar brand of 100 W polys put out 5 more watts in the Arizona heat. Also, the Rich brand has more mounting holes pre-punched, which is a plus.
I am new to the world of Solar. I educated myself watching a famous youtuber kid (W.P.) testing stuff. I decided to go with a 24 V system, using an MPPT Controller.
At the time, Newpowa was among the lowest price for 100 W polys. (But I’ve noticed that prices swing). Famous yt’er said Newpowa was okay, so I bought two to begin my 400 W array. Not getting as much power from them as I expected, I later bought two 100 W poly’s from Rich Solar, since famous yt’er showed them putting out good power in Nevada heat.
It’s June in sunny, now very hot, Arizona. The heat greatly affects the output of panels. (Resistance goes up with heat.)
This morning, in the 8 am sun, I tested my pair of Newpowa 100 W polys wired in series. (I need more than 24 volts from the panels to operate my 24 v system.) I measured 124 Watts total, for 62 W per panel.
Then I immediately tested my pair of Rich Solar 100 W polys in series. 137 Watts, for 68 W per.
Did it again, same results.
Consistent with this, the Open Circuit voltage on the Rich brand is 20.2 V, whereas the Newpowa is 18.0
Curiously, when I wire them all together (in series), I get about 300 W. Which is more than 124 + 137. Maybe an MPPT phenomenon? Still scratching my head over this unexpected result.
At the time of this writing, prices swapped, and the Rich Solar panels are cheaper than Newpowa.
G. Bledsoe –
I attached two together with hinges and hardware, they have been keeping my LiFePO4 battery bank fully charged. One panel was producing over 2 amps on a cloudy grey day with a nearly full battery. So good enough for me.
Sunny day update: 2 panels a long 10awg wire, charge controller shows 10.5 amps. Can’t complain, lots of power for my small 54ah LiFePO4 battery bank. Keeping all my devices charged and ham radio gear running all day. Yep, even on the cloudy days.
mrockwell –
This 100 watt panel has exceeded my expectations. The quality of construction is top notch. Wiring and cable connections are excellent. Great value for $80. Here are some quick lessons learned on how to maximize your power production with this panel:
1. Be aware that there are 72 cells on the panel (4 across and 18 down). If even ONE of those 72 cells has a shadow or leaf on it you will cut your total power output by 50%. I repeat that if one cell out of the 72 has a shadow on it you are severely limiting your output. For optimal power output of continuous 6 amps you need to have full sunlight hitting all 72 cells (rectangles).
2. I can routinely get steady 4-6 amps of power from this panel for 10 hours a day in bright sun.
3. My best decision was to mount this panel on a lightweight and mobile frame that I can move left or right and up and down to manually track the sun during the day. I have the panel on my patio in full sun from 8 am until 6 pm. My panel is facing southeast at 8 am, rotated about 40 degrees facing south at 11 am and rotated another 40 degrees facing southwest at about 3 pm. This simple manual tracking system TRIPLES my daily electrical output to my battery compared to a fixed and immovable installation.
4. The panel will produce small amounts of power (1 to 2 amps) even on overcast cloudy days.
5. I use this panel to keep my 100ah deep cycle battery charged and when using my 2000 watt inverter I can run (one at a time) all my power tools, 1000 watt microwave, 1400 watt vacuum cleaner, 900 watt coffee pot, operate LED lights, charge my phones, etc. The key to success is only using these items during the day (except the lights) when the panel is simultaneously charging the battery. I can even run a 5000 BTU air conditioner or a 750 watt space heater for about 2 hours before it starts to wear down my battery. I always keep an eye on my charge controller when using high drain devices to make sure my battery never gets drained more than 50%. This panel can always “top off” my battery to 100% before sunset each day.
Solar power is great, but it requires constant supervision for success. This is a very good panel.
Dave –
Worked as advertised
pgdion –
Very happy with these panels, well made, durable, and a great value. Have bought 4 of these so far and will be buying more for two off grid projects I have. Power output is as expected. There is a 1 star review that simply doesn’t get it. Wattage is voltage x current …. Not the voltage you want, the voltage the panel puts out. Pretty much all panels put out 17 to 20 volts. The solar charge controller does the down conversion, you still get 100W at13v in the end to charge your batteries.
The example of voltage is incorrect too, AC voltage is around 118vac RMS, anywhere from 110 to 125 can be expected depending on where you live. That’s not 125v peak. Peak voltage for 120v RMS is 170v. He needs to read up on a voltage and dine waves in addition to what wattage means. He says he still stands by his comment, so given that, I would disregard his rating and his review. These panels are good.
Bryan S –
Para mi campera…cargo sin problemas mis baterías..
Fernando S. –
Gleich vorweg : Gut verpackt und schnell zugestellt !
Kleines Problem bei Nutzung auf gerader Aufbaufläche … Die Verteilerbox ragt hinten etwa 8 mm über die Flucht der Rückseiten-Kanten hinaus.
Lösung zB durch Montagehalter für Wohnmobil Dachmontage mit Abstandhalter für Belüftung möglich.
Insgesamt ein sehr gut und sauber aufgebautes Panel mit Alurahmen und Kunststoff-Aufsteck-Ecken.
Das Panel war bei mir eigentlich nur für Test- und Messzwecke gedacht, aufgrund der tollen Daten, welche im Angebot nicht genannt wurden, jetzt sofort praktischer Einsatz.
Die im Bild von mir gezeigten Daten vom Panel werden erreicht.
Volle 5 Sterne für das wirklich gute Produkt von mir als fachlich vorbelasteter Person in Arbeit mit Photovoltaik.
Judah Dean –
not sure of the efficiency yet. its not heavy but it has some weight to it for sure. it connected to my generator with no issues. I used an adapter that i bought from Amazon as well :0
Francesco –
Das Solar Panel würde in einem flachen Karton mit ein wenig Verpackungsmaterial versendet, leider war dies zu dünn und Schütze das Panel nicht ausreichend sodass ein Kantenschutz zerstört war.
Die Leistung des Panels ist sehr gut und hat mich mehr als überrascht. Bei nicht 100% ideal Bedingungen kommen noch 80 Watt in meiner Batterie Box zum Laden an das ist für den Preis echt mehr als ordentlich.
Zu Langlebigkeit kann ich noch nichts sagen werde aber gegebenenfalls ein Update der Rezension geben.
Bryan S –
Pannello policristallino veramente fatto bene. Celle perfette e struttura ben fatta. All’interno della scatoletta stagna da dove partono i fili ha 2 diodi di non ritorno saldati. Io lo uso nel terrazzino con un regolatore pmw con una batteria da 74ah e me la carica in 3 ore anche se non la utilizzo tutto il giorno da scaricarla tutta e il pannello non è esposto al sole come se fosse su un tetto.
Confermo le mie 5 stelle per l’ottimo prodotto !!
Francesco –
Das Modul wirkt wirklich wertig und leistet gute Arbeit. Werde mir definitiv noch mindestens ein weiteres für den Winter besorgen, da es in Richtung Herbst nur noch einen Bruchteil leistet, was aber ja nunmal an der Sache an sich liegt. Definitiv weiter zu empfehlen.
Nameless –
It’s really too soon to say if these panels are worth the effort and money. I’m just starting out. A hobbiest really. I haven’t installed the panels permanently anywhere yet. I’m still trying different locations and angles. They appear to be made well. I’m a little disappointed in their output. At peak sun I’m only getting about 120W for two 100W panels. I don’t expect to get 100W out of each, but 60W in mid-July seems pretty low. It may be that I have yet to find the best location for them. But I am happy enough with them to have ordered two more.