Solar Panel Photo-Voltaic 25 Year Warranty

Technical Guidance - Solar Panels

WARRANTY FOR all STANDARD PV MODULES (Solar Panels) Kimberley Kampers Pty Ltd

1. Limited Power Performance Warranty

a)  Eco-camper warrants: If, within twelve (12) years from date of delivery to the Customer any PV module(s) exhibits a power output less than 90% of the Minimum Peak Power*as specified at the date of delivery in Eco-camper Product test data, provided that such loss in power is determined by  Eco-camper (in its reasonable discretion) to be due to defects in material or workmanship,  Eco-camper will replace such loss in power by either providing to the Customer additional PV modules to make up such loss in power or by providing monetary compensation equivalent to the cost of additional PV modules required to make up such loss in power or by repairing or replacing the defective PV modules, at the option of  Eco-camper.

b)  Eco-camper additionally warrants: If, within twenty five (25) years from date of delivery to the Customer any PV module(s) exhibits a power output less than 80% of the Minimum Peak Power* as specified at the date of delivery in  Eco-camper 's Product test data, provided that such loss in power is determined by Eco-camper (in its reasonable discretion) to be due to defects in material or workmanship  Eco-camper will replace such loss in power by either providing to the Customer additional PV modules to make up such loss in power or by providing monetary compensation equivalent to the cost of additional PV modules required to make up such loss in power or by repairing or replacing the defective PV modules, at the option of  Eco-camper.

Read more: Solar Panel Photo-Voltaic 25 Year Warranty

Comparison of Solar Panel Types

Technical Guidance - Solar Panels

For your reference, Photo-Voltaic Solar technology is improving in efficiency by around 0.1% per quarter for Monocrystalline cells. Efficiency of 10% means 1 sq.m panel in full sun will generate 100W of electricity. So, 2010 Panels should be 1-2.5% more efficient than 2005 generation cells!
There are 4 Major Types of Solar Technology available for the Camping Market:

Panels made from polycrystalline cells are the most common and cheapest.( Typically BP, Solarex, Sharp and Kyocera). Their conversion efficiency 13% to 15% (sunlight to electricity). However, under elevated temperatures of 50 degress C panel temp, the efficiency drops by around 20%.

Panels made from monocrystalline cells are used in high reliability applications such as telecommunications and remote power. (Typically BP, Siemens and ECO-CAMPER). Their conversion efficiency is typically 14-17.5% (higher than the polycrystalline cells). However, at elevated temp, the efficiency only drops by 10-15% so they are more consistent in output.

Panels made from amorphous cells have been used in portable items for many years (UniSolar).
Their conversion efficiency of sunlight to electricity is 5-7%, about half that of the other panels but unlike the other types, their output does not decrease in elevated temperatures.

Read more: Comparison of Solar Panel Types

Supercharged Panels Explained

Technical Guidance - Solar Panels

How do you upgrade your solar panels to “Supercharged Solar Panels”?

Solar cells are great technology. Unfortunately, they are not matched very well to batteries. Most solar panels are built to put out from 16 to 36 volts. The problem is that a nominal 12 volt battery is in range of 10.5 to 12.7 volts, depending on state of charge.

Under charge, most batteries want from around 13.2 to 14.4 volts to fully charge - quite a bit different than what most panels are designed to put out.

OK, so we have a 120 watt solar panel. Catch is that it is rated at 120 watts at a particular voltage and current. Typically 7.1 amps at 16.9 volts - 7.1 amps times 16.9 volts = 120 watts.

So what happens when you hook up this 120 watt panel to your battery? Unfortunately, what happens is not 120 watts.

Read more: Supercharged Panels Explained

Solar Panel Quality and Use Questions

Technical Guidance - Solar Panels

Our Panels are manufactured especially for us with USA silicon wafers and assembled in China. The panel manufacturer in the larger (180W+) series has compliance to Australian Standards and is certified by the Clean Energy Council of Australia. Approval 25071. We get a test certificate electronically on every panel.

Is the quality of a solar panel purely dependent on the quality of the silicon wafer?

No, although it is partly true. There are global suppliers these days of high quality wafers and this is not the quality bottleneck! The manufacturing challenge is how to capture those minute +ve and –ve charges into current and power.

This is the core activity of a solar panel manufacturer. They buy in the wafers, and then coat them with junction material and screen print the circuits that carry the current. Then the screen printed circuits are “wired” together with a special “foil” current bus. Finally the foils are gathered together and become the electrical output of the panel.

There is significant technology involved in this process. Absolute cleanliness is essential and the lamination of the wafers and the surface materials is important for performance and to prevent moisture getting in.

eco-camper solar panels are built on state of the art production lines with high quality inspection and testing.

Read more: Solar Panel Quality and Use Questions