German Solar Panels – Best Quality,Brands in Australia,Comparision vs Chinese

6 Jul, 2011
Germany,Q-Cells,Schott Solar,Solar Energy,Solar Panels,Solarworld

Germany till a couple of years was the home of the biggest solar panel manufacturers in the world.This was driven mainly by the German Renewable Energy Law (EEG) which is the most successful renewable energy subsidy in the world.The German Solar Market has become the biggest in the world for the last 2-3 years and an estimated 25 GW of solar panels would have been installed in Germany.Capitalizing on a large domestic market a number of solar companies like Q-Cells,Solarworld,Solon and others became the biggest in the world.However the rise of the Chinese solar panel manufactures has made these companies shrink with some of them like Q-Cells facing questions of survival.The prices of the Chinese solar panels has become lower than the costs of the German made solar modules putting the economic viability of the German solar panels in question.Though the quality of the German made solar panels is higher and some of the best solar panels in the world are produced by the Germans,the price differential has meant that Chinese have captured almost 70% of the global solar panel market leaving little for the German solar panel companies.The Italian Feed in Tariff Law Contio Energia 3 has given somewhat of a boost to the German solar panel makers as it gives higher subsidies for solar projects,farms using European based modules.However German solar panel producers are in a secular decline with most of them shifting their factories to Asia.Q-Cells and Bosch have set up big solar manufacturing facilities in Malaysia while Solarworld is doing so in the US.Another Big European Solar Producer REC is closing its factories in Norway while expanding it in Singapore.

German Solar Panel Brands

  1. Solarworld - Solarworld is the Biggest German producer of solar panels,the company is one of the few to still have operations in Europe and USA.The company has been battered by low cost competition .However Solarworld is strongly expanding in USA as growth slows down in Germany.Solarworld is also entering the polysilicon sector through a JV with Qatar.Only Western company not to have a major factory in Asia.Solarworld recently said that the Chinese are making “war” on the Europeans through massive subsidies being given to their domestic companies like Suntech and GCL-Poly
  2. Q-Cells - The largest solar producer of cells in 2008 faced a horrendous 2009 running losses of as high as Euro 1 billion.After restructuring it has moved its factories to Malaysia and has diversified into solar modules and systems.The German company has seen its stock price drop more than 95% from the peak levels.It is using Flextronics as an outsourced module producerfor its cells.The company has expanded into making Photovoltaic modules and systems.The company also makes  thin  film modules through its Solibro subsidiary.Q-Cells has massive inventories and has not put itself for sale.But given its high cost factories,big debt and little value since it does not sell solar panels on a large scale,it has not found a buyer yet.
  3. Bosch – This German Auto Giant has expanded into Solar Energy by buying up small German companies like Ersol and Aleo Solar.Bosch is now vertically integrated with operations in solar wafers,cells and panels.Bosch Solar Panels are expensive and they don’t have much of a distribution either.
  4. Schott – The German Glass Maker is a big component supplier to the CSP industry but does not provide a turnkey solution.Schott is also involved in the Solar PV Technology area producing both crystalline silicon panels as well as thin film panels.It recently established a JV with Chinese company Hareon and plans to build 700 MW of solar panel capacity in emerging markets around the world.It has won a contract to supply 20 MW of thin film modules to Indian Solar Company Premier Solar with 10 MW of supply in 2010 and 10 MW in 2011
  5. Solar Fabrik - Small solar panel,wafer and cell producer.
  6. Solon – Solon one of the biggest solar panel producers and installers in Germany has become a shadow of its former self and had to be rescued by the government as it ran into financial difficulties.It makes solar panels but has now shut its operations in the USA instead outsourcing the panel making to others.
  7. Sunways - Its a small German  company that makes solar cells and solar panels.The company also is involved in doing some solar projects.However when the existence of its bigger brothers hangs in balance the future does not look bright for Sunway
  8. Conergy – Conergy was one of the largest solar installers and developers in the world but the 2008 crisis threw the company into problems.It built a 250 MW solar panel factory in Germany however that is closed now because of the high cost structure.The company has subsidiaries in various parts of the world but faces problems of survival.LG was going to buy the company but has canceled it
  9. Centrosolar – It is  based in Munich, Germany, produces photovoltaic (PV) systems for private houses and industrial properties.In 2008, Centrosolar opened a 47,000 square-meter, 150 MW solar module factory in Wismar, Germany

German Solar Panels Comparision with Chinese Solar Panels

1) Cost and Price – The Chinese Solar Panels are much less pricier than German Solar Panels.You can buy a good Chinese solar these days at around $1.8-2.00 watt range from retail while German made solar panels cost around $2.5-3 /watt.Factory prices of both are much lower than this and you can get good rates in wholesale solar panels.The cost of the Chinese solar panels is also much lower

2) Quality – The quality of German solar panels is better than Chinese solar panels though some brands like Yingli,Trina have quality which would match that of the German solar panels

3) Scale – The scale of the Germans has become considerably smaller that that of the biggest Chinese solar panel producers

4) Going Concern – There is some concern about the going concern basis of some German solar companies.Note your warranty on a solar panel for 25 years would become void if the seller of the solar panel becomes bankrupt.Also some Tier 2 Chinese solar panel producer face survival questions as well.

You can read about the Chinese solar panel brands here.

German Solar Panels in Australia

Solarworld and REC are the main European brand of solar panels which are available in Australia.Note the smaller manufacturers don’t have the distribution in Australia unlike the big panel producers.However these companies may not be the best solar panel in Australia that you can buy.

Australian Solar Inverters – Review of Manufacturers ,Prices and Comparision – Best Solar Inverter

6 Jul, 2011
Australia,SMA,Solar Energy,Solar Inverters

Solar InverterAfter Solar Panels,Solar Inverters are the second most  crucial component of the overall solar system accounting for around 10% of the overall costs.Solar inverters connect the solar panels to the grid converting the DC to AC which is used by the grid.Note for off grid solar installations,solar inverters are required as most electrical devices need AC for their operation.There are both grid tied and non grid tied inverters available on the market.Solar inverters have become highly sophisticated with features like optimization and monitoring etc.The efficiency of solar inverters are a major factor in their purchase as  well as the quality and reliability.Inverters comes in various sizes and can be as large as 1 MW for utility applications.Note unlike solar panels,solar inverter manufactures are much bigger in size with SMA Solar having a 40% global marketshare.

Solar Inverter Reviews

Solar Inverters can make a huge difference in the amount of electricity generated by solar panels over the lifetime of the solar array.You should be careful of any lesser known inverter brand they are offered as part of a home solar power system before installing them. While some of these inverters may have certification this does not mean they can perform as well as the good brands.Skimping of a few dollars here and there may make you penny wise and pound foolish.

Types of Solar Inverters

  • Stand-alone Solar Inverters – They are  used in  systems without a connection to the power grid.Inverter draws Energy from Solar Energy. Many stand-alone inverters have attached batteries.These are mainly used in off grid application and in residential/commercial applications where there is no net metering available.
  • Grid Tied Solar Inverters – Many solar inverters are designed to be connected to a utility grid, and will not operate when they do not detect the presence of the grid. They contain special circuitry to precisely match the voltage and frequency of the grid. Grid-tie inverters are designed to shut down automatically upon loss of utility supply, for safety reasons. They do not provide backup power during utility outages.These are higher priced than standalone and require special laws to be used.They are always used in solar power plants connected to the grid.

Here is a list of solar inverter manufacturers in Australia

  1. SMA Solar – The Big Daddy of the Solar Inverter Market with a   40% Marketshare of the Global Market,this Germany company has become the most valued solar company in Germany beating out the old stalwarts like Q-Cells  and Solarworld. SMA Solar sells all ranges of solar inverters in various sizes which are suitable for every size and segment.SMA Solar sells for a premium as compared to the lesser known brands but its long history of quality and reliability make it the hottest selling solar inverter.
  2. Xantrex/Schneider Electric – This European Electrical Equipment Giant got into the solar inverter market by buying up Canadian Producer Xantrex.Like SMA Solar Schneider is known for its premium high quality products.
  3. Power One – The US power management company has shown the fastest growth in 2010 and has increased its marketshare to around 13% to become the No.2 global player.Power-One is mainly concentrated in Europe and is now expanding to Asia and its home market of USA.PowerOne 2kW, 3.6kW. 4.2kW, 5kW and 6kW inverters are all AS4777 and Clean Energy Council approved.Power One has very good quality and sells cheaper the European manufacturers of solar inverters.Power One meets the trade-off in quality and price and IMHO the best solar inverter.
  4. Excelsior – This is a local Australian Brand of Solar Inverters.The company sells lower priced products and has been in the business for around 20 years.The comapny sells most of its Solar Inverter after sourcing it from SMA Solar .The price range is $1800 for a 1 kw inverter to $5000 for a 5 kw inverter.
  5. RefuSol – This is also a German manufacturer of solar inverter and is sold by distributors in Australia like the other solar inverters.
  6. Selectronic – Another local Australian  manufacturer of power inverters in Australia since 1983. It sells in the range of 0.1-13 kw .
  7. Kinglong – This is a Chinese inverter manufacture with headquarters in Beijing and three
    factories throughout China which has been growing rapidly in recent year.The company’s main selling point is its price which is cheaper than the European solar inverters.However you don’t get the efficiency of the premium models with Kinglong.The company sells solar inverters in the price range of $500 for a 1.5 kw inverter to $1500 for a 5 kw inverter under the brand of SunTeams.
  8. Sharp – Sharp is not known for manufacture or sale of solar inverters.It however sells a very small range of solar inverters mostly to boost its solar panel business in Australia.It sells a JH1600 E 1.6 kw solar inverter.

Solar Inverter Prices

Solar Inverters sell for a wide range of prices depending on the quality,brand and features.In general European solar inverters from SMA,Xantrex sell for a higher price than that from Chinese makers.The Chinese solar inverters are the cheapest as you can buy a 5 kw solar inverter for $1500 compared to $5000 for a premium solar inverter from SMA.Power One falls in the middle and it gives better quality and reliability compared to the Chinese and sells at a lower price as well.

Read more about solar microinverters and differences with solar inverters .These solar microinverters are becoming the rage in USA.

Amorphous Silicon Solar Panels – Sale Price,Manufacturers,Lifespan and Amorphous vs Crystalline Silicon

6 Jul, 2011
Applied Materials,Masdar,Sharp,Solar Energy,Solar Panels,Trony Solar
Amorphous Silicon Solar Panels

Astroenergy Amorphous Silicon Solar Panels

Amorphous Silicon Solar Panels were the big rage in 2-3 years ago when the prices of polysilicon the main raw material were touching $500/kg making the mainstream crystalline silicon solar panels very expensive.Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) on the other hand is a non-crystalline silicon which is deposited as an extremely thin layer on glass and other substrates.The cost of the silicon is much lower though the efficiency of solar cells which are made from a-Si is about half of those made from crystalline silicon.Applied Materials with its SunFab turnkey amorphous silicon (a-Si) equipment capitalized on this opportunity, lining up a number of customers with some customer orders in the range of a Billion Dollars.Oerlikon Solar was the other major thin film equipment market winning customers in Europe and China.Sky high poly prices also gave birth to numerous Thin Film startups planning to Manufacture and Use their own equipment rather than selling it .

Thin Film Technology came into prominence with Polysilicon Prices ruling at $400/kg

Solar Thin Film Technology is supposed to be  the 2nd Generation successor to the mainstream Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) Technology which accounts for around 85% of world production.With Polysilicon(c-Si raw material) being priced at an exorbitant $400/kg in 2008 (cost of $30/kg) due to supply shortages,many companies entered the Thin Film space attracted by the huge profits in the solar industry.Applied Materials with its SunFab turnkey amorphous silicon (a-Si) equipment capitalized on this opportunity, lining up a number of customers with some customer orders in the range of a Billion Dollars.Oerlikon Solar was the other major thin film equipment market winning customers in Europe and China.Sky high poly prices also gave birth to numerous Thin Film startups planning to Manufacture and Use their own equipment rather than selling it .

Polysilicon Prices crashed to $50/kg turning Business Models Upside Down

With the Polysilicon prices crashing by almost 90% in the intervening 2 years (due to entry of multiple players) to $50/kg at present,most of these business models have become defunct.With the exception of market leader First Solar,no other thin film player has managed to penetrate the top 15 solar producer rankings.Most of the thin film divisions of larger companies have already been written off while smaller startups are struggling to survive with mainstream c-Si module prices down by more than 50%.You can read  about the First Wave of Solar Thin Film Bankruptcies here.

Major Amorphous Silicon Manufacturers

Though a lot of companies have gone belly up in the amorphous silicon thin film business,some stalwarts still remain which have grown stronger with the elimination of the weaker hands in the business.Amorphous Silicon still holds good potential though it faces stiff competition from other technologies like Cadmium-Tellerium,CIGs  and the crystalline silicon.Oerlikon and other comapies like Mitsubishi have developed the tandem microcrystalline technology which increases  the efficiency from 7-8% to 10% by adding another layer of microcrsytalline silicon to the amorphous silicon layer.Companies like Sharp,Astroenergy are the main players remaining now

  1. Sharp – the Japanese Zaibatsu known more for its Electronics Products is also the world’s No 1 Company in terms Solar Module Revenues.Sharp has been the solar world leader since the past 4-5 years despite stiff competition recently  from upcoming Chinese Crystalline Solar (c-Si) players and Thin Film Leader First Solar.The Chinese have gained almost 50% of the world’s marketshare in Q409 from a non existent share in 2006 boosted by their low cost production .First Solar through its world beating Cadmium Tellerium(CdTe) Thin Film Technology has also managed to vault itself to the No.2 position in 2009.Sharp has started shipping a-Si modules from its 1 GW capac ity plant in Sakai.With its established distribution strengths and technological abilities in LCD Technology,Sharp is one company that can survive the c-Si onslaught.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp can capitalize to completely capture this space.However the cost structure of Sharp is not clearly known right now to make a clear call on how this will turn out.
  2. Oerlikon- This Swiss manufacturer does not make amorphous silicon solar panels,it sells the equipment which makes solar panels.The company remains the only large pure play manufacturer of a-Si equipment after Applied Materials called it a day.The company is claiming low costs at much better efficiency for its new equipment.Oerlikon has said that its new generation equipment will cuts cost to 70c/watt and improve efficiency to 10% from the current 9%.This equipment will be shipped to Asian customers like Astroenergy by 2012 making it competitive with other solar technologies
  3. Energy Conversion Devices – After First Solar,Energy Conversion Devices seemed the mostly likely viable company in Thin Film Technology.After a few quarters of profits in 2008,the company went into the red as its flexible a-Si modules failed to cut costs as fast as others.It has been shutting factories in the US and shifting to low cost locations.Still one of the biggest independent Thin Film Producers.Seems more likely that it will be bought out then survive independently.The company is facing problems currently as its triple junction amorphous silicon cell technology has much higher costs than the currently available crystalline silicon panels.
  4. Kaneka – This Japanese manufacturer is present in a number of product lines like chemicals, functional and expandable plastic products, foodstuffs, life science products and synthetic fibers as well as solar energy modules. Kaneka researches, develops and manufactures its own solar panels leveraging our advanced materials knowledge and our core competency as a chemical manufacturer for over 60 years.The company started research in 1980 on a-Si and has a HYBRID PV Module which it sells globally.The company has expanded production to 150 MW a year at Toyooka Factory from 20 MW a year.Kaneka‘s HYBRID solar panel has a tandem structure.
    Its dual-layer structure of microcrystalline and amorphous silicon can capture from short to long wavelengths of the light spectrum
  5. Masdar – Masdar, Abu Dhabi owned Green Company plans to build a  Solar Thermal plant called “Shams 1? near Abu Dhabi. Masdar PV has been in the news recently with the Dismissal of its top executives as its German Thin Film plant is facing trouble.Masdar PV sourced technology and equipment from Applied Material’s Thin Film Division which is struggling to survive against the onslaught of Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) competition.Applied Materials has drastically reduced support to its “SunFab” amorphous Silicon (a-Si) thin film technology with 90% drop in Poly Silicon prices making a-Si technology uncompetitive.Q-Cells and Suntech,two major customers of Applied Material’s SunFab product have already written off their investment.With these two Solar Stalwarts failing to make a-Si products viable,it is highly unlikely that Masdar PV will get much success from this venture.
  6. Astroenergy – This is a Chinese company which is part of the Chint Group of companies.Astroenergy sells crystalline solar  panels as well as tandem and amorphous silicon solar panels.The company hopes to survive the onslaught of competition through the help of its big parent and offering a numerous types of solar panels targeted towards all groups.
  7. Trony Solar - Trony Solar is the largest Solar Thin Film Producer in China and uses a-Si Technology to producer Solar Panels used mostly in Off-Grid Applications.TRONY is located in the Longgang District in Shenzhen. By 2015 the company plans to achieve production of 1,000 MW thin film solar cells by three stagesThe company uses its own custom made equipment and manages to get decent margins for its products.The company recently listed on the HK Stock Exchange.

Other manufactures are Anwell Technologies,Mitsubishi and Xunlight.
Amorphous  vs Crystalline Silicon

1) Efficiency – The Efficiency of Amorphous  Silicon Solar Panels is about 7-10% depending on different manufacturers while that for crystalline silicon panels can vary from 15% for common solar panels to 20% for the most efficient solar panels from sale by Sunpower.Note the efficiency of Monocrystalline Silicon Cells is on the higher side.

2) Cost – The cost of a-Si solar panels is generally lower by 15-20% due to the efficieny difference with crystalline silicon panels.However the drastic fall in prices of crystalline solar panels of late has made the differnece lower which has impacted the sales of Amorphous  Silicon Panels

3) Weight – The Weight of Amorphous  Silicon Panels is much lower than that of normal Crystalline Silicon Panels because the Thin Film that is used implies that the substrate can also be thinner.

4) Availability – Crystalline Silicon Solar Panels are much more widely and easily available than A-Si Panels

5) Flexibility – Its possible for  Amorphous  Panels to be flexible because their lower weight means they can be put on flexible substrates like plastic .This is not possible with crystalline silicon solar panels.

LifeSpan and Sale Prices of Amorphous  Silicon Solar Panels

The lifespan of Amorphous  Silicon Solar Panels is on par with that of other solar panels and most manufacturers give a warranty of more than 20 years that it won’t degrade more than 80% of its stated power performance.Note crystalline silicon solar panels also come with a standard 25 year warranty and a 10 year product warranty.

The prices of Amorphous  Silicon Solar Panels  can vary quite a lot depending on the size of the solar panels and the substrate that you are using.In general smaller size 25 watt solar panels cost as much as $10/watt while bigger sizes like a 150 Watt Solar Panels will cost you $3/watt.Chinese Amorphous  Silicon Solar Panels are of much lower cost retailing for as low as $1/watt in bulk orders or for $1.5-$1.75/watt in retail.

Samsung Solar Panels Review of Prices of PV Cells Module (UK,Ontario)

5 Jul, 2011
Samsung,Solar Energy,Solar Panels

Samsung had decided a couple of years ago that it wants to be a major player in the Green Industry and has lined up billions of dollars to invest in solar and wind energy over the next decade.The company is already starting up massive solar panel plants and wind turbine factories as it hopes to capture a large chunk of the clean technology industry.Samsung is a global leader in the Semiconductor area which it is trying to reinforce by huge capital expenditure.Samsung has strong expertise in the areas of LCD and Memory manufacturing and technology, which it can easily leverage to develop Solar Thin Film technology.However,Samsung is focusing its efforts on high efficiency Crystalline Solar Technology.It recently  announced a big investment commitment to Ontario in offshore wind and solar manufacturing and generation.The company wants to rival conglomerates like GE and Siemens which already have a large presence in wind,solar and smart grid technologies

Samsung SDI to invest $2 billion into solar power

Solar PanelsSamsung is entering into production of polysilicon setting up a 10,000 ton plant in an equal JV with US Poly Producer MEMC.The plant will be set up in South Korea and will go onstream by 2013 as it takes around 2 years to set up a plant. Samsung Electronics the parent company of the Group has transferred the solar panel business to Samsung SDI for 161 billion won.This will focus the Green activities of the Samsung Group to Samsung SDI as it looks to become one of the largest Green players in the world.Samsung SDI has made an ambitious plan to invest $2 billion into the solar power to capture 8% of the global market by 2015.Given the track record and the massive resources of the Samsung group it may not be a castle in the air.However it remains to be seen how successful it will be given that Korean Solar Energy is itself seeing massive investments and rivalry between the big chaebols.Note the competition in the solar energy market is fierce and is currently seeing a major price war which has already resulted in big time casualties like Evergreen solar.Samsung solar panel manufacturing facilities are located in  Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Samsung Solar Modules Review

Samsung does not have very well established distribution channels though it sells solar panels in Australia and UK.The company’s lineup of solar panels from its website suggests that it is selling 188-250 Watt Solar Panels mainly with efficiency of 14-16% which is normal for other solar panels.The Solar Panels use the Monocrystalline Technology.It sells white and black solar panels.Don’t know what the white solar panels mean though.

Samsung Solar Warranty is quite standard for the industry with no surprises and has the normal IEC and UL Certifications.All in all Samsung Solar Panels are very typical crystalline solar panel without any distinction from the rest of the solar panel industry.It does not seem that Samsung is trying hard enough in the solar panel industry as of now though I expect it to change in the future.

Samsung Solar Panel Prices

Samsung Solar Panels Prices are retailing only in a few places and that too for about $2.5/watt which is too high for a new solar panel producer when much more established solar panel brands can be bought at $1.8-2/watt.Samsung Solar Panels have no differentiation from other in technology and features.Until Samsung puts more effort into the solar energy space you might be better off buying solar panels from other quality brands especially when Samsung solar panels are also quite high priced as of now.Samsung Solar Panels are also restricted in terms of the power ratings and they don’t seem to have specific solutions for different segments of the market like commercial and utility segments like Sharp or Sunpower.

1 LPC232SM-02 232W Monocrystalline Module
2 LPC235SM-02 235W Monocrystalline Module
3 LPC238SM-02 238W Monocrystalline Module
4 LPC241SM-02 241W Monocrystalline Module
5 LPC244SM-02 244W Monocrystalline Module

Solar Panel Reviews of Different Brands

Sunpower Solar Panels

Sharp Solar Panels

Sanyo Solar Panels

First Solar Solar Panels

Bosch Solar Panels

BP Solar Panels

Kyocera Solar Panels

LG Solar Panels

Sharp Solar Panels

Understanding the Costs of a Solar System Installation

Solar Panels Costs

Solar Panels cost for the cheapest solar panel manufacturers in around $1.10/watt and they retail for around $2-2.5/watt of residential customers.Note for utility large scale buyers of solar panel buyers,the cost is much lower.Solar Panels Costs have trended down quite in the last 3-4 years except in 2010 when they went up as solar panel demand increased by more than 150% .Solar Panel Costs are the biggest component of a Solar System Cost.The costs for Solar Panels  are lower for Thin Film Solar Panel for example First Solar Panels are much lower in cost but have lower Solar Panel Efficiency .Solar Panels in general cost between40-60% of the total system costs

Solar Inverter Costs

Solar Inverters cost around 50c/watt for small buyers of solar systems but can cost lower for large kilowatt inverter sizes and for scale buyers.Solar Inverters are a crucial component of a solar system and make up around 10% of the solar system costs.Here is a list of major solar inverter brands

Solar Installation Costs

These are the costs paid to the installers/electricians to connect solar panel systems and the balance of systems (BOS) to the grid or the customer installation.Solar Installations costs can vary between 10-20% of the total costs

Balance of Systems (BOS)

 Balance of System components are the solar mounting systems,wires,cabling etc which are needed to mount the solar panels at the right inclination to generate the maximum energy while wire and cabling is needed to connect the solar panels to the inverter and each other.Note BOS can form between 15-20% of the Solar System.Again note the percentage of costs are an indicator and can vary substantially depending on the technology used,region etc.

Permitting,Inspection,Regulation,Other  Costs

Most Solar Panel Installations get a government subsidy in most parts of the world and involve a lot of paperwork,regulation,inspection etc.These can vary substantially depending on where the solar panel installation takes place.In USA the red tape involved is quite cumbersome and can form upto 30-40% of the total costs in the worst cases.In Germany which is the world leader in solar energy,the process is very smooth and can be done at 5% of the total system costs.

 

Solar Panels Ontario Canada Guide on Cost,Sale,Manufacturers and Rebate (Microfit)

5 Jul, 2011
Canada,Canadian Solar,MEMC,Solar Energy,Solar EPC,Solar Panels

Solar PanelsSolar Panels Demand has exploded in Ontario Canada boosted the the provincial government MicroFit program which gives a generous feed in tariff (higher electricity price) for the solar power generated from silicon solar panels fitted to your home or office.The Feed-in-Tariff depends on the size of the solar installation and is guaranteed for 20 years at a fixed price.This implies that you not only save on power bills but also get a much higher electricity price for the solar energy electricity that you are generating.This has led to a veritable boom in solar panels sale in Ontario and made it the fastest growing solar energy region in the whole of North America.However solar panels cannot be bought from anybody to qualify you for a government rebate.Only Solar Panels which meet the domestic production criteria can get solar rebates from the government.

Solar Panel Rebates in Ontario

How to get Solar Rebates for your home under microfit program.Under the microFIT Program, you will be paid a guaranteed price for all the electricity your project produces for at least 20 years.You can read the complete contract here

There are three key steps involved in participating in the microFIT Program:

  1. Applicants will first need to obtain an offer to connect from their local distribution company before the OPA issues a microFIT conditional offer of contract.
  2.  Build and connect your project
  3. Accept your contract

What is Domestic Content Requirement

To ensure that you get the government rebate you must make sure that 60% content of your solar system installation is made in Ontario.The calculation of this is a bit complex and best left to installers,however if you are competent enough here are details of the domestic content requirement

Solar Rebate Pricing

For Solar PV Installations on the Roof you can get 80c/Kwh while for ground mounted solar plants you get 64c/Kwh.Note this is for solar panel installations under 10 kilowatt in size.You also have to first get the contract approved from the electricity distributor which might have a  long waiting list.

Read about the current pricing and rules here

Solar Panels Costs

Solar Panels cost for the cheapest solar panel manufacturers in around $1.10/watt and they retail for around $2/watt of residential customers.Because in Ontario you cannot freely buy any solar panel it might you cost much more.Please not solar panel prices have decreased by 30-40% in 2011.You should shop around to get a cheap deal from a decent quality Chinese solar panel brand.Because of the domestic content requirement you may have to pay $3/watt for your solar panel also.Note for utility large scale buyers of solar panel buyers,the cost is much lower.Solar Panels Costs have trended down quite in the last 3-4 years except in 2010 when they went up as solar panel demand increased by more than 150% .Solar Panel Costs are the biggest component of a Solar System Cost.The costs for Solar Panels  are lower for Thin Film Solar Panel for example First Solar Panels are much lower in cost but have lower Solar Panel Efficiency .Solar Panels in general cost between40-60% of the total system costs

Solar Inverter Costs

Solar Inverters cost around 50c/watt for small buyers of solar systems but can cost lower for large kilowatt inverter sizes and for scale buyers.Solar Inverters are a crucial component of a solar system and make up around 10% of the solar system costs.Here is a list of major solar inverter brands

Solar Panel Manufacturers in Ontario

Note with the Domestic Content Requirement it has become essential that the solar panel must be made in Ontario.Even if you get all the wiring and installation done in Ontario it won’t quality for domestic content because some of the silicon,wafers,cells or modules has to be made in the province.Since making solar panels is the easiest part,only solar panels are produced domestically in Ontario by most companies though some companies are making solar inverters in the province as well.

Major Solar Panel Manufacturers in Ontario

  1. Canadian Solar – Canadian Solar is the largest solar company in Canada with most of its manufacturing in China.The company not only produces silicon solar panels but also does solar integration work as well as develops solar farms. The Company sells a wide variety of solar panels unlike other producers.The Solar Panel Selling Price is also quite cheap.The Company is headquartered in Canada with factories in China and Ontario.Canadian Solar is the 5th biggest producer of Solar Panels in China.
  2. Flextronics, the leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider has managed to successfully leverage its Electronic Manufacturing  Expertise to become the top OEM choice for Solar Companies .Flextronics came into prominence as a premier solar outsourcing partner when German solar cell giant Q-Cells gave its Solar Module outsourcing contract to this company.The company has opened a solar panel producing plant in partnership with MEMC/Sunedision in Newmarket.
  3. Siliken is a Spanishcompany involved in  production of solar grade silicon and solar panels. Siliken has two module manufacturing plants, one silicon production plant and an inverter manufacturing plant in Spain. Siliken has module production plants in the US, Mexico, Canada and Romania
  4. Silfab has a one of the biggest solar panel operations in Ontario having started operations in 2010 and expanding it in 2011

Small Solar Panel Manufacturers in Ontario

  1. Lumin Solar has a  Ontario based manufacturing facility producing solar panels in the 240+ Watt size range.ocated in Thornhill, Ontario, Lumin Solar serves a wide breadth of industrial, commercial and residential customers throughout the local Ontario region, Canadian and Global markets.
  2. Opsun Panels Inc., a subsidiary of Opsun Technologies Inc., has  a 50-megawatt (MW) solar panel production line in the province. Opsun also  its SunRail mounting system and StructuralPV commercial solution in Ontario.
  3. SolGate, located in Ontario, Canada is at the forefront of science . We are proud to be the first large-scale solar panels manufacturer in the province of Ontario. Our 24,000 square foot manufacturing facility just north of Toronto boasts a current annual capacity of 20 MW of PV power production
  4. Magnum Pv will begin production of its high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in October 2011 at its 142,000-sq.-ft. facility in Brampton, Ontario. The company will make monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules in 245, 250, 290 and 300 watt models.
  5. Centennial Global Technology Inc. is a Canadian owned and operated, Ontario based solar panel or photovoltaic module manufacturer

How Many Solar Panels do You Need

Calculating how many Solar Panels you need is quite tricky as it depends on the Solar Panels Efficiency,Design of the Solar Array,the place where you live etc.

1) Solar Panels Efficiency – Some Solar Panels are more efficient.For example Solar Panels made by Sunpower and Sanyo are the most efficient which means they require less area.For space constrained homes,they are the best bet but they cost more per watt hour of electricity generated.Click on the heading of this paragraph to understand more aboutEfficiency.

2) Sun Light or Solar Insolation – This measures the amount of sun light that your solar panel installation recieves.Typical Solar Insolation is  around 1000-1500 watt hour per year.This means that if you install 1 watt of solar panels you will get 1-1.5 units of electricity per year.You should first calculate how much electricity you require per year.If you require around 7200 units a year you would need to install a 5 kilowatt or 5000 watts solar array.You can find out the solar insolation you receive from free websites like a) www.nrel.gov/rredc/pvwatt if you live in the USA and b)re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/countries/countries-europe.htm if you live in Europe.These websites also give you information about the solar insolation/radiation you live

3) Design of the Solar Array – This is very important in ensuring that you get the most power out of your solar panels.The design of the solar array should always be done by a good solar installer.Note this is a fragmented industry but you can find more about the big solar installers in the USA here.You should ensure basic stuff such that there is no shading of your solar panels,the roof does not leak,the materials used are good.Also having a good solar inverter is important.Nowadays you can get individual solar microinverters for each solar panel as well.Note almost 1-520% of the power generated by your solar panels is wasted in converting from DC to AC.

Also Read about how Solar Panels generate Electricity

Why Sharp is being forced to abandon its Japanese Solar Factories

5 Jul, 2011
Japan,Sharp,Solar Energy,Solar EPC,Solar Panels

Sharp which was the biggest solar company in 2010 in terms of revenues is being finally forced to move its production away from Japan to low cost countries in Asia.Note the relentless cut in prices of solar panels by Chinese solar panel companies has made life impossible for high cost panel companies in Europe and Japan.While US Companies like Sunpower and First Solar always had the majority of their production in low cost locales like Malaysia and Philipines,European solar firms had also started shifting their production overseas with Q-Cells moving to Malaysia and REC  to Singapore.The current glut in solar panels has let to massive bloodletting in the solar industry with some established companies like Evergreen,ENER on the verge of bankruptcy.The sharp cost improvements and increased supply of crystalline silicon solar panels is set about to bring radical changes in the solar industry after a massive boom in 2010.The Second Wave of Thin Film Technology Bankruptcies has already started and we can expect more of that soon.Most of the production bases in Europe should be shuttered as well as costs have become higher than the selling prices.PV Crystalox and REC are already in a lot of trouble,cutting production and forecasting losses in the second half of 2011.

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