Description
- 【Industry Standard】Generates 9.8 amps of power, charges 12 volt batteries, 3′ quick connect cables with connectors, and works in series or in parallel.
- 【High Performance】 Excellent low-light performance even on early mornings, evenings, and cloudy days.
- 【Rugged Durability】Built with strong high transmission “Anti-reflective” coated tempered glass, and an anodized aluminum frame. Certified to withstand the most challenging environmental conditions.
- 【Simple Installation】 Fast and easy installation thanks to 14 pre-drilled holes that are compatible with standard Z-brackets, ground mounts, side pole mounts, and tilt mounts.
- 【Warranty】 25-year limited warranty for power output; and 5-year limited warranty for material and craftsmanship.
welder314 –
I have purchased Rich 12 volt panels for years and have been completely satisfied with them. This new 250 watt is barely larger than the 200 watt (though i ordered some of them as well). It came packaged really well with no needless excess material. It has become more difficult to find 12 volt modules and i will keep being Rich panels- solid, good performance and a great price.
Jay –
Exelente producto.
Cumple con lo descrito.
MBC –
Performs wonderfully in my DIY minivan mod. The BougeRV mounting brackets for crossbars made short work of mounting on vehicle. Performs very well in all light / weather conditions.
MBC –
I purchased this 200 watt panel earlier this month. I went with Rich Solar, because I had seen the name mentioned many times online and I figured it was in a better category than other lesser known brands. Most reviewers had commented that their packaging was good and that the output was decent, so I figured it was a safe choice, eventhough their price is a bit on the higher side.
There was a flash sale ($180 for the 200watt panel) and I decided to buy it. Before I could finish the checkout process, the price shot up to $230. So I asked if they could match the flash sale price and they did, which I appreciated and made my first interaction with Rich Solar a pleasant one. The panel was shipped soon after and arrived in decent condition. I say decent, because the box had a big dent in it and the edges appeared as if they had been dropped a few times. But the protective foam on the panel, seemed to have prevented the panel from getting damaged. Upon inspection the panel appeared to be in good condition, with some minor imperfections here and there.
My feelings changed from positive to disappointment after connecting the panel for the first time. I got 133 watts MAX output at noon. I decided to do some thorough testing over the next few days, I elevated the panel for cooling, angled it towards the sun and wiped it clean just to be sure there wasn’t any dust or dirt on it. I proceeded to test it all week and never got a single reading above 135 watts, most of the day in clear sunshine, with very few clouds, 90 degree weather, it would hover between 80-124 watts. VOC measured at 20.8V. I’m fully aware that you will never get 100% of the rated capacity out of a solar panel, but normal figures are between 70-90% and I’m getting between 40-60% with clear skies, bright sun and average summer temps. So I sent RichSolar a message through amazon reporting the issue and was given an email and phone number to contact for tech support. The email was automatically redacted by amazon and the phone number has been going to voicemail for the past 3 days.
I’m in the process of making a video review for youtube and I will update this review if a solution is found or offered by RichSolar.
UPDATE: I updated my review from 2 to 4 stars because RichSolar offered me a full refund. While the panel I received had issues, I appreciate RichSolar standing by their product and taking the hit on this one. This gives me enough confidence to buy from them again in the future.
Deborah N. Purcell –
Recently we removed a diesel generator from our live aboard boat and upgraded to lithium batteries with Victron MPPT solar controllers. We already had 3 – 320 watt solar panels and needed to add more. We installed 3 Rich Solar Mega 250 panels for an additional 750 watts. The output is amazing even on a cloudy day! Of the 250 watts they’re rated for we’ve been averaging 200 watts per panel, that’s 80% efficiency!! We chose these for their light weight and compact size. Arrived quickly, well packaged and easy to install. Good quality, well made, reasonably priced! Highly recommend.
Billy A. Barr –
This review is for the 100 watt mega slim panels. I got these so I could fit them next to the fan and maximize the space on the roof of my van. Picture shows one panel. I now have four of them and the quality is outstanding. Rich solar customer service is excellent. I called with some questions about the dimensions and what would be compatible with my system. They were extremely helpful and I am forever grateful for the time they took to go through everything with me.
Deborah N. Purcell –
This review is for the 200W panels. I am using multiple panels in an off-grid system.
They were delivered in super sturdy boxes with nice heavy foam protection. Panel build quality is very good, no visual cell defects, excellent mechanical construction, edges line up, etc. Sealant is used where required; quality and application of sealant is good. The aluminum frame has multiple mounting holes, and there’s ample room to drill more if required without affecting frame integrity. The glass appears to be good grade; it has a slight random pattern texture on the exterior surface.
Junction box and connectors are good quality. Box is sealed with an o-ring. Although they are plastic, and obviously of ‘foreign origin,’ they seemed to be solid and well made. Soldering and component attachments were good. Lead wires are 3 feet, 12 AWG aluminum. Yes, aluminum, not tinned copper. I did a chemical test to confirm. Does it make a difference? Well, compared to 10 AWG copper, these will see a loss of about 1.2 watts per panel. Not significant in my opinion.
Now for the numbers. I’m at about 33 N latitude, ~700 ft elevation, date is around April 20; we’re on DST so the max solar elevation is right around 12:45 pm. Load is a discharged AGM bank in good condition, charge controller is an Outback FlexMax 60.
In cloudless skies, output stayed about 180W per panel from about 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a peak of 188W. Power at 1.5 hrs post-sunrise and pre-sunset was 140W. These are all on an azimuth tracking mount.
For some other numbers….. On a partly cloudy day, low white clouds with breaks, output was 220W at 4pm. This is typical of the conditions, because the low clouds reflect back some of the light. And because the light is so scattered, I still got 200W even when the panel was only aligned for elevation.
On a fully cloudy day, with zero sun, output was a solid 50 watts, which is about what to expect.
About 20 minutes before sunset, on a cloudy day, output was 10 watts, still enough to keep a float charge going. Not terribly useful, but just an interesting data point.
There was a fair difference in output when alignment was less than optimal. In an Elevation-Only alignment, total output was about 800 watts from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and 1080 watts fully aligned. If you add the “after hours” power, it makes an even bigger difference. This is a higher than expected difference, and I suspect that it’s due to the lack of anti-reflective coating on the glass.
Bottom line: great panels at a good price, nice for smaller projects that don’t need the large full size panels. I would definitely buy these again.
Update 8/26/20: So I actually did buy 2 more. However, my experience was a bit less than 5 stars. The 2 panels I received were packaged in old looking boxes, without the protection of the original 8 that I bought. They were not damaged though, except for some dings on the frame. They had a different cell style, and different junction box, but had the same product label and were marked as ‘200 watts.’ In operation, they only would produce about 190 watts under test conditions (I used simulated lighting and loads for a fair comparison). In real world operation, I was able to get about 185 watts. I contacted Rich Solar, and they were quick to respond with a partial refund, and to keep the panels. In this case, I was actually ok with keeping the panels, so I accepted their offer. So what I ended up with is 190 W panels at a slight discount. I may buy again, but I will contact Rich Solar before purchasing to verify what I’m getting.