Harbor Freight 100 watt panels

[Jfarthing]

I saw a coupon for $149.00 100 watt Harbor Freight portable solar panels incuding a controller. Anybody know if it is any good? Harbor Freight sells good stuff usually in my experience

[ROBERT CROSS]

For solar I would research quality before price...

I've been down that road, the only tools I buy from HF are the ones I bought in an emergency and thrown away.
My livelihood has depended on tools, I relate to them differently.

Bob
🇺🇸

[kidjedi]

Originally Posted by Jfarthing

Harbor Freight sells good stuff usually in my experience

Well, I guess that depends on your definition of "good." If you mean cheap enough to justify purchasing for a specific task and then not needing it again so any further use is a bonus, then yes. ;-)


And I'm not saying I don't do that all the time!


In fact, I was checking these very panels out just yesterday. I think if you want to power some LED lights and charge your devices, these inexpensive panels could fit the bill. But if you need reliability and efficiency for keeping house batteries charged for "real" use, you'll be better off investing in good panels and especially a better controller.



The Harbor Freight panels are more like "hobby" panels (which can be great for the appropriate applications).

[rmkrum]

There are different technologies offered in solar panels. In order of quality, they are:


1) Monocrystalline. These are cut from a solid ingot of grown silicon, are very durable, and have the best output. They have a uniform blueish color on their individual cell surface. Sold by AMSolar and other reputable vendors, this is high-quality stuff. Usually supplied in rigid, aluminum-framed modules with sturdy low-iron glass panes over the panels.



2) Polycrystalline. These are cast, and have a random pattern of bluish and silver crystals on their individual cell surface. Not as efficient as #1, nor do they last as long. These are often used in large home solar installations because they are a lot cheaper to make, and it's hard for the usual homeowner to determine what their construction is. Similar mechanical construction to #1 above. Midrange stuff.



3) Amorphous. These are vapor deposited on the BACK of a sheet of very thin glass. Usually a uniform grayish color. Look like a set of stripes running the length of the glass. They have the least efficiency, lowest output and the shortest life of the three types. They are also fragile and easily broken, since the glass is not separate from the silicon. This is what is typically in the inexpensive Harbor Freight kits...


4) Flexible. Personally would not even consider "flexible" panels for serious use. They have to be made of plastic, and realistically, plastic and other flexible transparent polymer materials go bad in a hurry in direct sunlight. Typically they turn an opaque brown is a few years of direct sun exposure, they do not take heat well, and the output rapidly deteriorates as they age...this technology is not ready for prime time yet, IMHO.

[Airtandem]

I RETURNED MINE; they DISCHARGED a friends cell phone. NO, the wires were not reversed. Could not get good output on a sunny day.

No questions were asked, it was as though HF knew of the problem.
Mike

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Airtandem

No questions were asked, it was as though HF knew of the problem.

HF has a no questions asked policy about everything. That's part of why they're an attractive alternative for expensive stuff.
I use their breaker bars and torque wrenches.
I have their Hydraulic table, a floor jack, and some jack stands. All have been flawless.
..and plenty of free items when there's coupon.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

There are different technologies offered in solar panels. In order of quality, they are:


1) Monocrystalline. These are cut from a solid ingot of grown silicon, are very durable, and have the best output. They have a uniform blueish color on their individual cell surface. Sold by AMSolar and other reputable vendors, this is high-quality stuff. Usually supplied in rigid, aluminum-framed modules with sturdy low-iron glass panes over the panels.



2) Polycrystalline. These are cast, and have a random pattern of bluish and silver crystals on their individual cell surface. Not as efficient as #1, nor do they last as long. These are often used in large home solar installations because they are a lot cheaper to make, and it's hard for the usual homeowner to determine what their construction is. Similar mechanical construction to #1 above. Midrange stuff.



3) Amorphous. These are vapor deposited on the BACK of a sheet of very thin glass. Usually a uniform grayish color. Look like a set of stripes running the length of the glass. They have the least efficiency, lowest output and the shortest life of the three types. They are also fragile and easily broken, since the glass is not separate from the silicon. This is what is typically in the inexpensive Harbor Freight kits...


4) Flexible. Personally would not even consider "flexible" panels for serious use. They have to be made of plastic, and realistically, plastic and other flexible transparent polymer materials go bad in a hurry in direct sunlight. Typically they turn an opaque brown is a few years of direct sun exposure, they do not take heat well, and the output rapidly deteriorates as they age...this technology is not ready for prime time yet, IMHO.

A year ago I installed 3 semi-flexible on our trailer . They are monocrstalline with a fiberglass back.They are not pet plastic and about solid 1/4 in thick . Have a Victron MPPT controller and so far doesn't seem to be any degrading of the panels output . Lensun panels . Pat

[Mattirs]

The problem will be with the controller more than the panel. Efficiencies of conversation of Sun light to power controls the size of the panel. 100W panel that is 25% less efficient than another will be 25% larger with some adjustments to be made for the effect of temperature and low levels of light.
A 100W panel is a 100W panel until you start working at the extremes, the biggest factor is the controller.

The manual does not give enough information to let one judge how well it will work with the batteries. It looks like it will be okay, just make sure the wire between the controller and the batteries is large enough to keep the voltage from dropping too much to effectively charge the batteries. Looks like it will be good as a trickle charger and a not very deeply discharged battery charger.

There are a lot of good reasonably priced controllers on the market.

Thanks
Matti

[TomsEid]

I would NOT recommend getting Harbor Freight watt solar panels. I buy a lot of stuff there- they're great for expendables and hand tools- but I got one of their 25 watt panels for my '61 Tradewind and after about a year it died- just stopped working altogether. And it looks like their 100 watt unit is just 4 of the 25 watt panels hooked together. And the warranty is only 90 days.

After mine died, I replaced it with this [URL="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HHDC6NQ/"]
Mighty Max 100 watt panel, which sells for $84 and has a one-year warranty (and which I extended to five years for another ten bucks or so). So far (17 months now) it's worked flawlessly and kept my oversized solar 12v battery fully-charged.

[TouringDan]

I would spend a little more and make sure you get an mppt controller. You can also get high quality 100 watt Renogy mono crystalline compact panels for $115.

You might look at a thread- Touringdan’s 200 watt simple portable solar system dated 7/14/18. It works great.

Dan

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Mattirs

The problem will be with the controller more than the panel. Efficiencies of conversation of Sun light to power controls the size of the panel. 100W panel that is 25% less efficient than another will be 25% larger with some adjustments to be made for the effect of temperature and low levels of light.
A 100W panel is a 100W panel until you start working at the extremes, the biggest factor is the controller.

The manual does not give enough information to let one judge how well it will work with the batteries. It looks like it will be okay, just make sure the wire between the controller and the batteries is large enough to keep the voltage from dropping too much to effectively charge the batteries. Looks like it will be good as a trickle charger and a not very deeply discharged battery charger.

There are a lot of good reasonably priced controllers on the market.

Thanks
Matti

Victron controllers are also sold by AM solar.Just did boondocking at Quartsite with heater running a good deal of the time . We have 2 6 volts wired in series
That are almost 6 years old now . Batteries came back to 100% next day 12-1 with cloud cover . By 10:30 -11 with sun . Watching batteries very closely but really don't seem to discharge a lot yet. We don't have a inverter installed . No need for one . We like to be comfortable and are camping . Brought our generator and also have a portable but never needed them . I do agree though about Harbor Feight , electrical items are not very good . Would never buy their solar panels . Pat

[Keyair]

Big fan of most HF stuff.
I’ve looked at their solar panels many times, and 100w for $150 just is not good value.
Better panels with a longer life/warranty are out there.

[Gsmblue]

Originally Posted by Keyair

Big fan of most HF stuff.
I’ve looked at their solar panels many times, and 100w for $150 just is not good value.
Better panels with a longer life/warranty are out there.

Agree with this position, I think the value is not there on this one.

For what it is worth: I went with 2x 150W monocrystaline Renogy panels (portable) and a Victron MPPT controller.

[MT Gun]

There are a lot of 'solar snobs' out there that will tell you that it's crap. I will tell you the opposite. For the money, these are great panels and include everything but the battery for a decent solar setup. These amorphous panels will charge in lower light and usually give more watts than advertised. The plug-n-play simplicity makes it pretty much goof proof. Is there better? Of course! just break out your checkbook. but if you're looking for something simple on a budget, then grab it. I have 2 sets of the old 45W panels running my rv electrical needs in AZ. I can now get 10%+ more out of one set of panels, so I bought a set to add in and double what I currently have. Now that I've layed my opinion on you, check out the myriad videos on YouTube and educate yourself and weigh the cost vs quality for yourself. Happy Trails!

[TouringDan]

Gsmblue- good decision cuz that is what I have.[emoji3]

MT Gun- if you are happy that is all that matters. That is my criteria for all my decisions.

Dan

[gator.bigfoot]

[QUOTE=rmkrum;2220736]There are different technologies offered in solar panels. In order of quality, they are:


1) Monocrystalline.
2) Polycrystalline.
3) Amorphous. They are also fragile and easily broken, since the glass is not separate from the silicon. This is what is typically in the inexpensive Harbor Freight kits...
4) Flexible.

I'm just wondering what credentials you have in the solar industry? In your claims of reliability and performance you seem to speak from experience? Or is this just what you perceive from what is posted on the internet?

Every company that I have been affiliated with has offered the same 25 year warranty. Yes there are different efficiencies with the different types, but that is reflected in the price and usually not in the longevity of the panels. All these solar panels are still assembled with an EVA sheet which is baked onto the glass and the silicon. The same holds true for the amorphous which you claim are more fragile. The opposite is true from the these amorphous panels. These panels are a lot more stable than most. Everything depends on their construction. The ones I was involved with had a glass backer sheet so they were the most stable of any type of panel. The heaviest and the most inefficient yes and these 2 characteristics make them unsuitable for an RV, but the least expensive. They work great for solar farms and large roofs.

As for the construction between the mono and the poly they are the same, just the silicon is different. Both of these are usually sold with aluminum frames. I'm sure there are cheap vendors that have tried to sub some of these materials, but any of the vendors that I deal with this is the only construction that they sell and produce. As for these panels being more reliable than amorphous that is simply not the case. The silicon wafers are super delicate and the only way this assembly holds up is due to the EVA sheet being melted between the wafers and the glass. Which cannot be separated. The wafers are sandwiched between the EVA to ensure no moisture and that the entire assembly does not move since it is so delicate. This is done in an oven.

I have worked with the largest and some of the smallest solar producers in the world setting up factories around the globe as well as being involved in the construction and engineering of these products. Each product has it's place as well as advantages and disadvantages. You need to know which ones to apply to an RV. The differences between the mono and ploy are so small so that is usually the ones everyone picks. And the fact that a lot of these panels are geared for 12V (18-22V output) makes them good candidates. Of course now a days we have a lot of cheap MPPT controllers so you could use any panel as long as it fits on your roof.

[rmkrum]

Experience in the aerospace industry which includes a career at Boeing working on satellite systems that are still up there guiding us and communicating (GPS and others I can’t talk about) plus having examples of the several technologies on my home and on my Airstream for many years in the Southern California desert sun. Plus three degrees in engineering disciplines.
That said, it’s an opinion based on experience as a user of the technology on several levels.
I’m not impressed by the durability of amorphous technology nor the very short lifetime of flexible technology at present.

[Fair_Enough]

I was a click away from ordering Rich Solar Poly 100W panels for $80. I watched a convincing Youtube by a guy named Will Prowse where the Rich panels outperformed HQ and Renogy Mono in a side-by-side test. He has a book on Amazon, too. But, I found through him a little US company called Hightec Solar and ordered three 200W panels for $555 total.

Hopefully I didn't pinch the penny too tightly.
Clint
PS This isn't for the AS... could get those on the roof of the little 23FB... 53" x 26" appx.

[Keyair]

I’m not a solar snob. If the HF units were there on value, I would own them.
For reference, I just bought 2 Renergy 100w/5.7a compact panels off Renergy themselves on eBay. $100 each, inc shipping but plus CA tax. $218 shipped to my door. 25 year warranty.
42” x 19.5” x 1.38”. These are almost 4” narrower than the normal size which allows the to sit flatter the the roof when stowed.
The above is why I have not bought the HF units.

[Keyair]

Just another thought.
Based upon pure W per $ they dont seem to be great value.
However, looking at the spec, a few things jumped out at me.


1/ Amorphous cells, I believe perform better in cloudy or in partly shaded situations? Anyone comment on that fact/perception?

2/ The unit is actually 4x 25w panels... 39"x 13"x 7/8". The narrowness of the panels individually, is interesting. Might be ripe for fitting panels individually, in places where wider panels wouldn't go, or in areas that suffer from shading(Around AC shrouds?). Also, due to the narrowness, they can more closely follow the roof curve, or maybe go outboard of bigger panels on the more curved sections end to end.

3/ 6.8a is pretty good for 100w...