Currently using Sharp 170 watt panels, does anyone have any issues with these panels? How do they compare to other brand panels?


Fred

I have sharp 208's which are likely close cousins. I had 1 of my 22 panels develop a quarter (25 cents) sized brown spot on the cell, under the glass, but the installer swapped it out for me. We'll know more in 10 years.

Thanks, I will have to check in 6 months when I go up there to clean them up, Im going to use Rain-x to help them stay cleaner. Over here where I live in San Diego, we don't get much rain but we do get alot of Dust. As soon as I see the Figures on GT-View start to deteriorate, thats when I will get on top of the roof.

Side Panels



Back Panels

Lucky that big antenna is NOT a close neighbor!

henry,
i wish that antenna and tower was mine as that's a ham radio antenna and i am a ham radio operator. also note in the first pic somebody taking a picture of him taking a picture.
fred,
i don't know if it's advisable to put rainx on the pvs as you don't know if the product will also impede the amount of light hitting the pvs. by the way, you have a nice setup. envy.

I'm also a General Class Ham too. Thats me on the street taking a picture from that view.



You are right, I better put some Rain-X on a piece of glass and test it in my back yard, I will also contact Sharp Solar Division and ask them that question.



What would happen if the Antenna was my Neighbor??? Do you mean it would block out the sun or something?


Fred

I've used rainX on my windshields for years, and it works really well for the first month, then it sort of cruds up. with the texture on the panels, you will never be able to polish it up, and will be full of streaks. It CLEANS really well, but I've had luck with big ladders, garden hose with 99cent sweeper nozzle on it, and hosed the crud off with plain tap water (hard water). I plan on having to do it at least 3x a year. I'm a block downwind of 10 lanes of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. I may try playing with the Mr Clean car wash nozzle with the DI rinse cartridge in it for a final spot-free rinse.

I will try that too since they work very well on the cars.


Fred

Big time problems, the antenna or utility wires would case a shadow across many panels, A line only a 1" wide can take out the whole array if it goes across many panels and thats typically what happens.

That Ham antenna that Neil has envy of would take out probably 2-4 hours a day of generation if it was your next door ( within 200 feet) as the sun gets lower into the horizon

No worries, your looking like GREAT unobstructed view ...

I have 3 hi-tension wires east of me, and if I get my data logging right, I can track each wire as it's shadow crosses my array. At least it's not a high production time of day when it happens.