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When you consider that solar cells are dark blue to almost black, they
soak up sunshine and get quite hot so they are operating at temperatures
considerably higher than 25' C (77' F). This increased cell temperature
translates into a voltage drop and therefore less output.
The air mass changes as you move from sea level to mountaintop. The
atmosphere is thicker at sea level so more sunlight is interrupted by
dust and pollution and less gets transformed into solar electricity.
Conversely, the same panel operating from a mountaintop will see more
intense sunlight and will produce more power.
This is not to imply that panel manufacturers are purposely trying to
deceive you. It is because "real world" operating conditions are so
variable that they had to come up with some standard test conditions so
that all panel ratings are derived after being subjected to the same
conditions as every other panel. Therefore, you have a basis for
comparison between manufacturers. Just realize that on average you will
probably only see about 80% of the rated output of solar panels in "real
world" operating conditions.
How reliable are they?
There is very little that can go wrong with a solar panel short of
physical damage. In fact, all panels pass Jet Propulsion Labs Block V
tests, which are: withstanding 125 m.p.h. wind loading, surviving one inch
hail at terminal velocity (52 m.p.h.), and thermal cycling at temperatures
beyond what you will find here on Earth (short of tossing them into molten
lava !!).
There are no moving parts to wear out and they don't consume any fuel. As
long as there is enough light to cast a shadow on the ground, they will
produce electricity. They are so reliable that Crystalline panels come
with 20 to 25 year warranties and the Amorphous panels now come with 10 to
20 year warranties.
The Crystalline panels have been around long enough to have earned their
20 to 25 year warranties. They are fully expected to last longer than 35
years. The Amorphous panels are relative new comers and the earlier
versions had some troubles with power degradation over time and
delamination. The newer versions claim to have overcome the worst problems
and have 20 year warranties. However, they have not actually been around
long enough to prove that they will survive those 20 years.
Amorphous panels may prove to be the panels of the future eventually, but
right now they haven't "earned their wings" so to speak. Considering that
they cost essentially the same per watt as crystalline panels and may be
dead in 10 years, I firmly believe the best investment for my money would
be the crystalline panels.
How efficient are they?
Since roof space on an RV is at a premium, efficiency is worth
considering. Efficiency in this situation is defined as: How much of the
available energy in sunlight is transformed into usable D.C. electricity?
In other words: How many of those 1000 watts/square meter coming from the
sun will be available to you?
Amorphous panels are about 6 to 8% efficient. So you would expect to
have about 60 to 80 watts/square meter. Amorphous panels are the least
expensive per watt but require twice the roof area to equal the power of
the crystalline panels.
Angle of Sunlight. If the panels are not squarely pointed at the sun,
you will lose some of that sunlight to reflection off of the surface of
the panel. For the most part, the panels are mounted flat on the roof,
so, you can expect to lose some power to reflected light. This is most
pronounced in the winter when the sun is at a lower path across the sky.
There are tilt mount options that will allow you to tip the panels into
the sun and, therefore, recapture those rays. Just remember to lay them
back down before you take off down the highway!