(Not another) monocrystalline vs polycrystalline solar panel comparison

[@annathor6284]

Some feedback on the experiment: You need to capture the power output not just the voltage. The latter is likely determined by the number of cells, but it does not guarantee you that the panels sustain a similarly high current. I would guess that the polycrystalline panel has a lower output current. Efficiency also considers power not voltage ratios. So your experiment on the "performance" is incomplete and therefore misleading. It would be nice to have the complete measures.

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks for letting me know! I will have to correct that in another video.

[@Friedbrain11]

@@BelindaCarr The current at voltage is needed to determine whether or not the manufacturers are telling the truth about the watts of their panels :)

[@KaceyGreen]

I was thinking this as well

[@Cracked1ce]

yes. and it is even more complicated then that. you can't just change your multimeter to current and measure short circuit current. you have to measure the current and voltage at its Maximum Power Point (MPP) in order to get the power output. That is what an MPPT solar controller is doing when it charges batteries or feeds back into the grid. Also the cells are wired in series not parallel. each cell generates ~0.5-0.6V. x 33-36 cells in series = 18-22V.

[@beaconsolutionswebsitedesi2700]

Polycrystaline panels have a higher voltage & monocrystalline have a higher current. There are more variations.. Cloudy days has light coming from multiple directions, which could aid poly While mono holds slightly higher efficiency in higher temperatures Poly's higher voltages can also mean inverters can work longer (they have a minimum voltage above which they operate It mostly boils down to, if you have enough space go to poly, if space is not a constraint poly

[@jameshutchins3396]

I love the research and attention to detail you put into your videos. Editing is wonderful as well. Thank you for your time and effort

[@yakgelder]

Me too!

[@RealDiaz]

As a certified solar consultant I was surprised and delighted to see this in my feed.

[@BelindaCarr]

Thank you! I don't have your knowledge and expertise, but I hope I conveyed the info adequately.

[@RealDiaz]

@@BelindaCarr 😎👍

[@paulogouveia5683]

The most important thing is the wattage output under test and under load, you can have 2 panels with 20v under test but one could be 2.5amps and the other could be 2.2 amps, voltage × amps = watts. For example you can have a 2 car batteries that are both 12v but 1 could have double the Watt hour output or an 12v alternator that produces half the amps of the other. So voltage is only a small part of how to determine what panel is best, next time plug each panel to a charge controller and add the same load and you will be amazed with your results as voltage is determined by circuit load. Im a fully qualified electrician and have had solar panel installation training

[@johngott8224]

I’d like to suggest that you collaborate with someone with expertise in this field, like an EE, who can help you develop a more complete testing procedure. I think it would make a great final product and realize the potential of what you trying to accomplish with this video. As others have pointed out, the voltage readings you are taking are essentially meaningless without additional factors included. Additionally, as others have pointed out, the panels behavior will be dynamic and nonlinear, so there should be plenty of nuance you can explore in your tests, which would make the comparison even more worthwhile. I really enjoy your content and I want this to be an encouraging suggestion.

[@johngott8224]

With as much engagement as I see in the comments section, it seems it would be worthwhile to revisit this topic,

[@dustinfrost5214]

Sht up einstein

[@cynthiaarmstrong7972]

This is the best breakdown of the manufacturing process that underlies the reasons for WHY poly vs mono work the way they do. Thanks Belinda!!

[@HoSae]

Great comparison between the two panels, Belinda. Thanks for sharing.

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks for watching!

[@StevenTripp-e2v]

Lady your the teacher of the year . Thank you for the great work you do.

[@MaN-pw1bn]

Love to see the update on this, because there has been so much wonderful feedback.

[@2bczar4u]

Down the rabbit hole of solar, baaaaaahh. Just when I thought my questions were answered apparently there are a lot more questions, lol. One question I would like to have answered is how to tell which ones are cheaply manufactured and who isn't? I suppose a second question is, how good are those flexible ones? A third question is can you have a mixed bag of types and does it degrade efficiency if you do? Ok, don't want to be greedy with my questions. Thank you Belinda and other responders. I am glad I found your channel.

[@plove9136]

Rich poly panels are great and not made in China, India and Vietnam .

[@SianaGearz]

With the voltage test you have mostly measured the number of series semiconductor junctions. There are definitely elements connected in series, or you would never get far beyond 0.7V, most likely around 0.6V, since every junction is also a silicon diode limiting its output voltage, but not limiting the harvestable current. Indeed for the mono-si panel with 33 series junctions, 0.6V*33 = 19.8V which tracks closely with your experiment. The poly-si panel with 36 series junctions should top out at about 21.6V by the same paper napkin math, which is by no means exact, but experiment is also within this bound. There also should be bypass diodes in the panel, external to the solar cells, to allow a partially shaded assembly to still produce some output. In order to account for this and several other factors, solar regulators use MPPT or "maximum power point tracking", applying the optimal load impedance to the panel or a homogeneous array depending on the output. Ultimately, unloaded test is of no meaning, you really can't determine their power without both a regulator and a battery or consumer that can take as much power as you're able to harvest.

[@operationhotshotinc.6887]

So happy I found this channel It popped up in my feed randomly

[@Dibblah1900]

One of the screens shown in that manufacturing video is fascinating. Due to the doping, the semiconductor junctions are not just light -> electricity. If you supply a forward voltage to the cell, it lights up. This is very dim, but can be seen in very low light with a long exposure camera. You can use this to see how well the soldering worked, check for cracked cells in a completed panel, etc. Great video as always!

[@NQR4real]

Another easy to follow, informative video. Really enjoying your channel.

[@seansteede]

Just found your channel and love your style - so funny to hear your thoughtful and serious data based review suddenly interrupted by the Rock....refreshing and enjoyable YT channel - subbed!

[@ablueslenz]

Good information! I am considering solar panels for my house and now feel a little better going into the research before purchasing them.

[@taohuang5648]

0

[@ckilr01]

You can get more energy from an old washing machine motor wind or water power set up. You can built it free from junk.

[@mrkrause3]

Another great informative video. I hope you will continue to offer solar panel videos as the solar panel industry/ products continue to progress. Thanks again!

[@Gurci28]

Monocrystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates, typically in the 15-20% range. This high efficiency rate means they produce more power per square foot, and are therefore very space-efficient. Monocrystalline solar cells are more efficient because they are cut from a single source of silicon. Polycrystalline solar cells are blended from multiple silicon sources and are slightly less efficient. Monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient type of panel compared to polycrystalline and thin-film options. Typically installed for larger power systems in commercial and residential properties. 0:05 [Architectural Digest; Forbes; Geotherm Hvac com; Unbound Solar]

[@AllanSavolainen]

You do need to measure both voltage and current to compare those panels, and preferrably use a MPPT solar charger as the panels might have different load curves.

[@georgiatrudell7787]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@kingalysterianlion5542]

Great Video!! Keep making these wonderful videos. Happy New Year!

[@richhagenchicago]

I like your videos. A couple of comments on this one though: Voltage is not output. The number of cells in series matters for voltage, but not for current, and power is the product of both. For a reasonable comparison, you are really looking to measure the maximum power point under operating conditions, including your partial shading. Just measuring voltage output does not tell you too much about the energy that they will produce. Just like measuring the pressure out of a water spigot does not tell you how much water you can get out of it in a given time. The power out is a function of the voltage and the current, so you need to monitor both simultaneously under loads to get an accurate picture of its power output. Some solar controllers, used mainly for battery charging drop the panels output voltage to just above the battery and the current at that voltage is what gets through to the battery. The panels you had there are basically configured for 12V battery charging applications in that the voltage will be high enough from the panel to push current into a 12V lead acid battery under most circumstances. Panels for such purposes generally have open circuit voltages under daytime solar insulation of between 17 and 22 V or so so that the voltage of the panel is high enough to push the current through to the battery. Other more sophisticated controllers monitor the voltage and current outputs of the panel or panels and calculate and hold the panel at the maximum power point, the voltage at which the panel generates the most power, and that power is converted to a voltage just high enough to push it into a battery, or an inverter to push back to the grid, depending upon the application. Solar panels designed for grid tie applications often have more cells in series and much higher output voltages, and are also often strung in series to voltages near 600V or even 1000V as at higher voltages you can move more power over a given size of wire with lower losses as the power lost is equal to the square of the current divided by the resistance of the conductor and the current is much lower with panels in series as compared to connecting them in parallel at lower voltage. The ability to use thinner conductors with lower loss makes solar installations cheaper.

[@coryshook7648]

I learn a lot from you! Useful information! Great presentation!

[@eagle2855]

Lady, you are good in dispensing information the right manner. I always enjoy listening to you, Thank you. I have hesitantly been considering installing solar power generation.

[@softkitty2553]

Is there any chance you could indicate what good quality brands panels are and what poor quality ones might be around?

[@johnwyman6331]

Thank you for your efforts in presenting this information. Just to let you know, measuring only voltage does not give the power output of a panel. Just as measuring RPM only does not give the power output of an engine. A lawn mower engine at 2000 RPM, and a big truck engine at 2000 RPM do not both produce the same amount of power. With engines you also have to measure torque at load in order to calculate horsepower. With electrical generators including solar panels, you also have to measure the amperage at load in order to calculate Watts. I recommend people interested in solar to buy two panels, and four 6 volt golf cart batteries along with a 12 / 24 volt charge controller. With this equipment you can learn about series, parallel, and series parallel wiring by wiring it up as a 12-volt system, or a 24 volt system. Then you can take your bedroom Off the Grid! By the way, photovoltaic cells produce approximately one half of a volt each at load, a little higher unloaded. So each of those panels cells must have been wired in series.

[@johngott8224]

I would be interested to know the comparison of how the output degrades over time (0y, 1y, 5y, etc). I also think you could spend more time on factors like: a. panel failure (availability of replacements, as an incentive to buy from an established “premium” brand) b. future increased efficiency as the technology improves (a deterrent against buying a very premium, top-performing model today) c. the efficiency of the two panel types at different angles (assuming most people have a static mount, is there an advantage to one type throughout the day/year? In other words, can you make up the cost difference of the mount is not optimal? d. does the pairing of micro inverters vs. a string inverter change the overall system comparing the two types of cells?

[@epicuritus9761]

Excellent video! Loved the conclusion you arrived at and the testing methods used. Very fun and informative. Keep up the good work!

[@BelindaCarr]

Thank you very much!

[@sandyj342]

Very methodical and analysis! You take great effort to produce such a quality video.

[@Handles_AreStupid]

To be clear, the power output is rated at 50W. This means that if one panel measured 14v and the other measured 20v, they would have a current output of 3.57A and 2.5A respectfully. The number of cells is irrelevant as it it more important as to whether they are connect in series or parallel. When the cells are in parallel, the voltage stays the same but the current increases for each cell added. When the cells are in series, the current stays the same but the voltage increases for each added cell. If you had 10 cells rated at 5v (volts) 1A (amps), you could connect them to get 5v at 10A or 50v at 1A. Ultimately, both systems would output a consistant 50 watts of power regardless of how you connected them, you won't get a penalty or benefit for either configuration, you just use which ever is most useful for your application. Neither cell configuration would be outputting more power than the other.

[@KaceyGreen]

One of my favorite topics! I somehow missed the other video, will watch it shortly. Love that you got working units to show, then I forgot whether mine are mono or poly, and want to go back to my carwash video to check, but I've gotta get to an appointment first.

[@BelindaCarr]

You've got more practical knowledge on the subject than I do! Side note, you're almost at 1k subs. Woot!

[@KaceyGreen]

@@BelindaCarr woot woot! Thank you, yes I was an enthusiast before but with that kind of investment I figured it was time to dig a little deeper 😊

[@electrodacus]

Open circuit voltage is what you measured and that is mostly proportional with the number of cells as all cells are connected in series and they are basically a diode and so have a voltage drop of 0.6 to 0.7V mostly dependent on cell temperature. The current is the one that is proportional with the amount of light. Unfortunately this smaller panels have fake ratings in most cases like the Renogy max power point voltage of 18.3V (just 33 cells) is not true an inflated to make the panel look better in terms of efficiency and rated power. The Rich Solar panel has more realistic spec so will likely be correctly rated at 50W. If you want to compare Mono with Poly crystalline panels the take large 60 cell panels from one of the top 5 or top 10 manufacturers as those panels will have correct specs as they are sold in huge volumes representing likely close to 80% of world production. Today there is no more than about 1% difference in efficiency between mono and poly and also almost no cost difference as the solar cells are a fairly small part of the total cost of the solar panels. Cost amortisation for solar panels is lower than $0.02/kWh making them the lowest cost energy source thus the reason I use solar PV to fully power my offgrid house including heating.

[@ToppledTurtle834]

So is the 3 day cooling to minimize the amount of crystals in the panel? I know that that is what happens when you cool metals more slowly and wonder if that is what happens with these panels as well

[@alpaykasal2902]

When you blocked the sunlight from the panels with the paper and the towel, i wondered what wavelengths the panels absorb as the paper and towel may let some wavelengths (such as UV and IR) through.

[@whyyoulidl]

Thanks again for this (I'm on a roll with your back-catalogue); Not sure if you picked this up, but at 01:07 - the decimal point is 1 unit out?

[@yasminfinlay8018]

What are your thoughts on Geothermal energy systems for energy supply?

[@fkgaasdkjnv4824]

Your channel is simply amazing, very informative and interesting as well. Love the hilarious clips, and your accent is very beautiful. Your video on shipping container scam drew me in, and was eye opening. Somehow your totally correct and logically sound arguments were hurting people's feelings over their hardset belief of saving the planet one shipping container at a time. LoL

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks a lot for the support!

[@bdwilcox]

Same here. I was hoping she would also direct her keen eye towards the current barndominium craze to see if those are all they're cracked up to be.

[@RobinFoxy]

Thanks for the video, I have received a quote for a solar installation for my home with Mono panels from SP-FG-390W is this a reputable brand?

[@Jo-xf4nt]

Yes, I'd like to know a reportable company as well.

[@primitivebob8781]

Very glad to have found your channel. Very nice, smart and interesting videos.

[@jmackinjersey1]

I'm just wondering why you added another set of wires(resistance), instead of pressing/attaching the meter leads directly to the first set of wires?

[@ArgonDavid]

More energy release is crucial so polycyrstalline is better especially when inclined. If it were like sunflower mode that is movement facing Sun will give more better output.

[@qborne]

Can you educate us about windows and different type of walls and 3d print applications in housing

[@michaellane4762]

I had to subscribe. Intelligent information and clips of the Simpsons and pro wrestling. How can you not love a channel like this.

[@jasonbrown467]

and the office

[@thockoro]

Belinda what are the things to look out for to pick a good quality pannel? You mentioned cheap vs expensive but how do I know I'm not just buying and overpriced low quality product?

[@RC-su4mz]

Can you do a video on what manufactured is best to buy from if they're going to install solar panel on a house

[@daviddorge1559]

Your drop in video shots kill me lol. The Rock one was the funniest

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

Helpful video. Just enough to get me in trouble. Thank you!

[@BelindaCarr]

Haha! Thanks.

[@Гринго-и1б]

Belinda amazing videos, thank you very much! Can I ask what is your professional background?

[@ultimatevixn]

which one is likely to cause a fire at your house? I would like to try solar panels to offset electric cost.

[@generalawareness101]

Two 50w in series or one 100w would you say is best for most people?

[@decem_unosquattro9538]

Which type of panel would you buy Belinda? Monocrystaline or polycrystalline?

[@nelumbonucifera7537]

I wonder why silicon ingots aren't cut longitudinally, for less wasted material and panel area. Obviously longitudinal wafers would vary in width, but all would be cut down to smaller standard cell widths anyhow.

[@BelindaCarr]

Good question! Orientation of the crystals, maybe?

[@bdwilcox]

Beyond the grain orientation of the crystals determining cut angles, longitudinal cuts never equal precision no matter what the material (wood, metal, plastic, silicon, etc.) Longitudinal cuts always incur greater thickness variations as materials flex under their own weight and precision is reduced the closer the cut is to the end since the material at this point is "floppy" as its only held on by a small sliver of material. This may not matter that much with wood or even some metal item that will be milled more precise, but silicon wafers depend on that precision.

[@nelumbonucifera7537]

@@bdwilcox Hmm, not clear why flexing would be an issue, with decent work-holding. But if length of cut is a problem, we can cut the ingot into shorter chunks before longitudinal slicing.

[@nelumbonucifera7537]

@@BelindaCarr I believe the orientation is determined by the seed crystal. Wafers are manufactured with various crystal orientations.

[@bdwilcox]

@@nelumbonucifera7537 Take a look at the "stack of pancakes" silicon deposition pattern in figure 13.10 here: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-48933-9_13. Now image cutting through that longitudinally with the resulting flex and vibration. It's like making an axe handle whose grain goes across the handle; any lateral force and it cracks.

[@BB-sm8ey]

Great video as always, except for the final statement about brand quality - lacking any evidence or quantitative data. Are lower prices a factor of volume or corner cutting? Are lifespans really reduced, because I don't see that (friends who install fields of solar see consistent failure rates pretty much irrespective of brand)... I would love it if you explored that more deeply.

[@martinli2544]

hmm, in terms of solar energy, I think it may be worth it to consider panel stacking; let's say for example you will have a octagonal prism, with the insides paneled up, and to just a few units of expansion there is yet to be another layer of panels and so forth, each of these (from shell to shell) with a gap just narrow enough for a light beam to pass. Now to these panels, we should focus on material that will absorb only a specific wavelength of light, say one shell does blue, another does, green, or each shell as you rotate around the faces of the prism has all the color frequencies covered(the ones that exists in the emission spectrum of your light source). The point of this is to maximize the absorption of ambient light emission itself, in that if supposing you can have a material for each wavelength, you can split a light source, make it cohered, and disperse each to their designated 'capturers'. The second advantage to this is that your panels don't take up a shit load of land space, this they are all stacked. So where then will the energy for this laser come from? I think the answers for this should lie in spending some consideration/focus on thinking about the way day & night cycles create motion. For example day is hotter, night is cooler. If in day you accumulate heat and at night you evolve that heat, you basically have a battery that is made out of heat, heat accumulation can drive a turbine via kinetic energy delivery as the medium used moves from phase change/magnetic change/and other kinds of transformations available to that medium out of heat difference. And the kinetic energy delivery can even be done indirectly via processes like from air moving thru a pipe therefore creating sound which vibes up a resonating unit, whose work should be translated into light emission and the subsequent coherence of that light into laser power, which then is delivered to the shell and so will power the solar panel array...but then again, if you have the power then to create a laser why not just deliver the energy generated via the heat evolution process itself? And my answer to that should be that it may be one of many ways to build up voltage&watts into a level that is worthwhile for domestic/corporate use. Oh and for the solar panels being arranged this way, you can also shelter it from any outside elements like wind, etc and it won't give glare. I guess in my mind atm I'm seeing it play role as a kind of intermediate form of energy transformation where suppose you only had a very low overall potential gradient difference to work with for whatever reason, and so to survive there you have to be able to live off of the smallest bits of heat potential difference, too small to save up in terms of physical work, so it is all thrown into circuitry and amplified up via light absorption of that output.

[@billtaylor292]

Greetings! Welcome to Earth. Sorry, your ideas won't work here because we have different laws of physics. And what planet are you from?

[@Kyle-rl1dd]

Your percentage of efficiency is off you need to check out the big companies that produce solar and look at their spec sheet it's a lot better than what you said in the video. Like for example check out Canadian Solar website, they just came out with I knew solar module in the earlier part of 2020 and their percentage is a lot better then what you are talking about. Actually there's a lot of things you got wrong but I'm just focussing on one.

[@victorhex6380]

Very good informational video.

[@marionecula9771]

Very interesting vlog. Educational, with direct, life situation applications. Thank you!

[@Tjaldprd]

potential (V) is nice and all, bu have you tried comparing it under load ? Love the 'energy to produce' aspect, very important.... Cheers!

[@MandrewP]

You just make wonderful videos!

[@NothusDeusVagus]

I enjoy your presentations partially because you seem to present a considered and largely unbiased point of view with the information that you have on most subjects... the fact is that as humans we are all biased and discriminatory. It's hardwired into us as an integral part of our survival skillset and even if we are mindful of it and try to mitigate the effects on our choices it still has some influence on our perceptions, feelings, thoughts, actions etc. it's clear that you at least try and it is appreciated. I am of the belief that Experiments are rarely complete failures so long as something is learned from them. That which is learned may not always be what you set out to discover in the first place but thats the universe for you so we just have to deal with it. I make no claim to a scientific background 🤓but I can be awfully pedantic and certain things stick in my mind and one is that an ideal, sucessfullly thought out, planned and executed experiment should be repeatable and be consistant in it's structure subjects and conditions in every aspect especially when the exercise involves a direct comparison of two or more defined products, items, systems and the data that is expected to be collected is likely to be diverse and from that diverse data, expected to provide an actionable conclusion. If my understanding is correct, in this case you were exploring the various costs involved in production of those products, the installation of those products, not so much the care and maintenance of them but you did cover their performance overall. The defined periods of time and the conditions involved on those products however were not as well defined and to my world view which I am told can be overly simplistic, your experiment was more of a fact fishing expedition. It didnt quite cut the mustard where one or more of the aforementioned examination points were concerned. The conclusions left me uncertain. The presentation suceeded in that I'd want to research more on the subject to gain a workable understanding on the subject but I'd be hesitant to base a "to buy or not to buy" decision on those findings🧐... You still get a thumbs up and a smiley face 🤩because I'm a fan but...

[@raulescobar3881]

You’re awesome! Thank you for sharing this great information!

[@bhypnotize8535]

What are some of the top brand ( solar panels)

[@pvc4343]

In your view what would the best manufacturer to buy from? Thanks

[@jasonbrown467]

excellent video. maybe should have showed current while doing those voltage tests. the industry says mono is the way to go but when i saw many youtubers getting 105 watts out of poly thats where i put my money. i bought 4 rich solar 100 watt poly panels, wired them in series and rand that over 60 foot of 16 gauge wire and the max output was 398 watts. but my power production sucks bad in over cast days, so i bought 4 rich solar mono panels to test and use, but they haven't made it out to the yard yet.

[@edwardliquorish8540]

Sina drums and Belinda Carr. Love you both.

[@jons6125]

You videos are great and most of the information in this video is awesome but voltage is probably a poor metric for the panel output comparison?

[@pyronac1]

the polycrystalline panels has more cells, each cell adds voltage and amps depending how it is wired in. now, what i really want to know, is the degradation lifespan of each. what is the yearly loss of power for each and how long before one becomes useless?

[@aldoogie824]

So what you’re saying is that the polycrystalline type is the OSB of solar panels.

[@stanw909]

I just sold my 1994 Bounder motorhome with 210 watts of monocrystaline panels. 26 years old and still putting out the juice.

[@garrystreeter-noaafederal2049]

Good video, however I would be interested in knowing output power vs angle to the sun. If poly is less angle dependent for stable output, then I would not need to have adjustable mounting angle for consistent power output in higher latitudes.

[@James-lb3jo]

I wonder what is the maintenance cost and life span of solar system ? I am guessing but it would depend on the quality of materials / products and installation . As you can tell I am no engineer .

[@PatrickLespinasse]

What about the claims that one type of panel works not only during sunny days but overcast days as well. Any truth here?

[@robertwilson5615]

Interesting video, thanks. If you do another panel video, you might mention that so-called 12V panels are really 18V. Go to Amazon and you'll see that the 12V and 18V panels for sale have similar specs - open circuit voltages of 20-24V and maximum power point voltages of 18V or so. The 12V mis-label possibly comes from the use of the panels to charge 12V batteries, but they really are 18V panels.

[@alexanderdewaelenva]

you shouldn't be measuring voltage but Watt's to test the capacity of the solar panels. Every solar panel will basically deliver its nominal voltage is 'some' light falls on it, even with indoor lights for example. However, it does not mean they will deliver the rated power in that situation

[@galas455]

Good information, thanks Belinda

[@Corvid_Moon]

Such a professional and well-made video! Very informative, especially as I plan to go off-grid soon. Subscribed :)

[@dooovde]

You'd only need 40 of these panels to use a hair dryer...

[@robertoaguiar6230]

Would be nice to see voltage/cell or per area compared

[@grondhero]

I would like to have solar panels, although I know they're obviously not going to be the end-all for electricity concerns. Living in DFW, I wonder if these ads I see that state I can solar panels installed for "zero or little cost" is actually true? Or is that just a marketing ploy? Do you think it's currently worth getting solar panels for a home?

[@BelindaCarr]

I think you've referring to the PPA companies that come knocking at your door and hunt you down in Home Depot. You're basically leasing the panels from them. They are many downsides to leasing versus owning panels and I would personally choose the latter!

[@wearemilesfromnowhere4630]

A major factor to consider with that type of installation is, you do not own the panels or the system. Let's say you have them install it, then five years later, you want to sell your house. That can get quite complicated if the potential buyers have any issues with the company that installed and owns it. I have friends in Florida that put up a system and paid for it out right and friends that did the free system. The first worked as an asset when it came time to sell, the second had the sale fall through because the buyers viewed it as a liability. I'm sure it was more complicated than that but you get the point. Cheers!

[@Cracked1ce]

@@wearemilesfromnowhere4630 You put it perfectly. avoid leasing panels like its COVID-19. If you want to get started, just buy some used panels and a 1000w grid tie inverter off of ebay and play with it. if you want more, then you'll need a proper installation which can rack up some cost in permits and having certified people install them. I am also in DFW, Luckily i live outside the city limits and could do all the work myself. I have a 12Kw installation that cost me ~12K. and with the 30% tax break last year my all in investment is ~8.5K. at 11c a KWh it will pay for itself in roughly 4.5 years.

[@darrylbanjoo2675]

Excellent video, very informative.

[@lowrads3653]

You could probably do a whole series on diodes and dump loads, the changing environment of feed-in tariffs, and the separate factors which govern the value of storage or production.

[@davidhilderman]

You have to draw current from the panels to do any sort of useful test. Measuring voltage has no indication of power output. It's like comparing a D size NiCad battery compared to a AAA alkaline battery. The D size will have a lower voltage than the AAA size, but will be able to output much higher power.

[@daniellassander]

Very good video, factual and interesting at the same time that is hard to pull off, so really well done. One thing which is also important is the average lifespan of these solar panels just as some added information, if their life span differs ofcourse. Love your videos, im here for more.

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks, Daniel! Both panels claimed to have a useful life of 25 years.

[@murphymmc]

@@BelindaCarr Good information, but "useful life" is a fairly ambiguous term. What is the diminishing return in that 25 year "useful life"? That will affect the economics of a marginal, at best, investment. When the government subsidies are removed in the next few years it will be an even more marginal if not sketchy investment. To date, the group benefiting the most from the existing solar technology is the manufacturer. Payback, maintenance, diminishing performance all point the advantages of spending the money on a "super" insulated structure vs. alternate and inefficient energy products. Could you do, a study on the benefits of using efficient conventional systems, i.e. heat pump, mini-split systems, water heated via heat pump coupled with structure that incorporates R-50 plus walls and roof? An effective air seal plus a system using high R-factor and thermal mass combination will be a century long + investment rather than an expensive solar panel system and we haven't even gotten into the additional cost of the electrical wiring needed to make solar(or wind) practical.

[@SimpleTek]

I'd love it if you did a review on thermal solar energy collectors like an evaporative tube array!!! I do a lot of work with storing solar thermal energy for greenhouses and I love your reviews!!!!

[@daviddarnell8898]

Showing volts is like telling us the psi in a water system. We need the volume as well to know if we can take a shower. Electrical volume is measured in amps. Amps (volume) times volts (pressure) gives us watts (liters per hour times psi). Watts tells us how much total power is being produced at any instant.

[@kraftzion]

Great channel! I would be interested in a comparison at different times of day. I watched a comparison of 2 different kinds of solar panels on another channel a while back, i am assuming it was poly vs mono. He found that while 1 produced more energy at peak, the other produced more energy off peak. I believe his conclusion was that the 1 that produced more energy off peak(higher angle of incidence) produced the most total energy.

[@brotherbart8040]

What's interesting is, every (and I mean every) comparison between two similarly rated poly vs mono panels the polycrystalline wins typically by a large margin and it doesn't matter sun, hazy, partially blocked, temperature, and price. The only thing monocrystalline seems to win is in aesthetics. It makes me wonder when the manufactures say monocrystalline are more efficient, do they mean more efficient for them to make? Do they mean when comparing a 2020 monocrystalline panel to a 1980 polycrystalline it's more efficient (but polycrystalline panels have gotten much better since then). I bought one monocrystalline panel seeing the advertisement saying they're more efficient, and it didn't produce enough so bought another only to find so many people have found polycrystalline more efficient and cheaper. I wish I'd gone with the polycrystalline. Someone compared mine to a similarly spec'd polycrystalline panel and the polycrystalline produced 19% more energy... that's a lot more AND it was cheaper.

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Excellent video

[@aecarina]

vad anser du om teslas tak?

[@joemomumbo]

Thank you, belinda

[@hubbardhamlin2]

@ Belinda Carr. I love when you inject humor into your videos. "the wrestler clip". I am a subscriber.

[@mikeiver]

MPPT... your comparison of the two should have used an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charge controller. As far as panels are concerned it is very easy. If you have a large area for the panels then it comes down to simple math. Area, efficiency, cost per Watt. Mono panels tend to be premium devices and as such long life. They also cost allot more the last time I checked. But they last and are power dense. On the other hand, poly panels are less efficient but they are now near parity in cost per Watt to a mono. You need the same power, this means more panels, wire, racking, space, and labor to install. For mono panels you end up with around 17.1Watts per SQ foot and for poly panels that dropps to 15.4Watts. Good panels should deliver 80% output at 25 years. The mono runs around $307.00 per 300Watt panel and the poly runs around $256.00 per 270Watt panel. Both are 64.57x39.06 inches. Here is the take away. All things considered the cost of the panel per Watt for the mono panels is actually cheaper at $1.02 per Watt vs the poly at $1.05 per Watt. So all things equil i would be buying the mono panels.

[@Solarismypassion]

really good informative video ..thanks

[@godsonjohnson5549]

The voltage output of an energy source does not determine its power value; the amount of current that the source produces is central to its value because it is the current that is actually being stored. The voltage is indicative of the resistance value being experience and this is inversely proportional.

[@billtaylor292]

I enjoyed this video. You sound so smart. People trust your opinions. But you have almost no knowledge on this topic. With all due respect, I believe you are doing a disservice to the solar community.

[@Texaca]

...you provided NO information, state your case...

[@billtaylor292]

@@Texaca She does not show meaningful tests. Open circuit voltage of 2 different cell count panels is meaningless.

[@billysgeo]

Please add metric units to your videos. Thanks

[@M3231-s3v]

so at the end you mention that some manufacturers are better than others but you didn't say which ones?

[@pesomistic7656]

i have both the poly runs cooler under the Texas sun during summer, thus sustaining a higher output longer. Mono runs noticeably hotter by 1pm output starts dropping.

[@brianpatrickbarnes]

BC, The static voltage test is not measuring anything useful because there is ~zero current and therefore no power. Having them spin a fan or pump water and then measuring the power by simultaneously measuring voltage and amps would be more interesting. Timing the pumping a gallon of water alternating between the two panels would be an interesting test of Useful Power! ⚡ Hooking them up in opposition and seeing which one detonates first might be fun to watch! 💥 If you break one, Nuke a fragment in your ex's Microwave to see if you can create Plasma. 🔥

[@asherajja4206]

Good job on the intro lolol still laughing about that

[@bobcalder724]

great video as always ....

[@shreyaskumar5366]

You should have also tested the short circuit currnet for both panels at it yould have given total Power (Volts × Current = power in watts)