LET THERE BE LIGHT!
THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF BULLDUST SURROUNDING RV SOLAR.
ENGINEER COLLYN RIVERS SORTS FACT FROM FALLACY.
WORDS: COLLYN RIVERS |
MYTH 1
All solar modules are much the
same so buy the cheapest you
can (per watt).
REALITY
Not all solar modules are the
same. This applies not just
to output but also to quality.
There are less than 50 solar
cell makers, of which only 40
or so also manufacture
complete solar modules.
12
gorv.com.au
All others buy the cells (often
of low output). A typical 12 volt
solar module has 36 cells (72
internal connections). A vast
number of Asian assemblers
use cheap labour to solder
them all manually, with varying
degrees of expertise. These are
marketed under any number
of names or, as eBay shows,
often none at all.
The best solar modules are
(in 2017) 18%-19% efficient.
Those cheaper are 10%-15%.
Vendors claim more, but
that is of individual cells,
not 36 soldered together
with connection and other
losses. Expect to pay about
$2 per watt.
MYTH 2
A 120 watt solar module will
produce at least 120 watts in a
typical RV installation given a
typical Australian sunny day.