Suntech PLUTO solar panels

[zulu]

I'm looking at Kyocera 245W panels and similar wattage Suntech PLUTO panels -- which is priced significantly higher than the Kyocera.

Is the PLUTO technology worth it?

[niel]

watts are watts.

[Lya72]

Hi,

Extract from Suntech assertion :

Up to 6.7% more guaranteed power for 25 years of system operation.

You can pay 10% more for the Suntech but if the price difference is highest, you are wasting money.

In my opinion, with a less priced good brand (and Kyocera is one), it's better to spend the difference in more Kyocera panels.

Yann

[Robin]

I looked up the Suntech panels. They claim higher efficiency and better low light performance. Hard to test the low light performance difference. Higher efficiency would mean the panel is dimensionally smaller for a given wattage. I did not look at the dimensions of either panel. In some cases, efficiency can make a difference if you are limited in roof space. Low light performance is really important where I live (Seattle area). The sun very seldom peeks out from behind the dark gray, dreary clouds, so the panels spend most of their life in the shade of clouds. Then again getting 125 watts from a 3000 watt array vs. 100 watts from a 3000 watt aray isn't going to get me excited regardless. Most people are smart enough to live where the sun actually works most of the time, so this hard to verify feature is not worth much money.

[Halfcrazy]

Well I added 3200 watts of Suntech panels to my offgrid system so I could run my electric water heater, AC and Electric heat in the winter. (Cheaper than solar thermal for my hot water).

I do not think they are the Pluto technology but I can say they crank I routinely see nameplate out of the array even in the warm summer weather here. We will see what the long term holds but for now at less then a buck a watt I would do it again...

Ryan

[zulu]

Tx for replies. I opted for the Kyoceras.