NeoX
New Member
I am planning a flat rooftop installation of 14-16 panels with microinverters for my home. I have done research and considered sun elevation, azimuth angle, and run simulations in PVsyst. The best option for my roof is a 20° tilt.
I live in the Netherlands, and I am considering various quotes from different suppliers, and the cost range is surprisingly wide. Some are nearly double the cost of others for the same number of panels and microinverters.
So, I am now at the point where I'm considering the following three main things:
Glass-glass panels
Are glass-glass panels worth the extra expense as I have read here for example that the benefits in practice may not match the theory due to manufacturing quality. One of my quotes is the Trina Solar Vertex S+ dual glass monofacial module (TSM-NEG9R.28), and this manufacturer is considered Tier-1 on many sources such as here.
Bifacial panels
Are bifacial panels worth the extra expense as I see mixed opinions from the community here? However, I've also read here that they are useful if installed on a flat roof. Mine is flat, but will the benefit outweigh the cost with a 20° tilt? I could in theory increase the tilt to 25°, but then I will lose some efficiency due to mutual shading. Note that my rooftop is made from bitumen and is dark grey in colour, so I would be counting on some reflection and ambient light. I know that it's an extremely difficult metric to consider given the variety of factors for the energy generation of the backside of a bifacial panel, which is why manufacturers tend to only include energy generation data for the frontside of bifacial panels.
Manufacturer
I've had quotes from various suppliers in the Netherlands, and the most popular panel they offer seems to be Jinko JKM425-54HL4R-B which is glass-foil monofacial. Jinko is Tier-1, and from what I've seen, not a bad brand/model to choose. But I've also seen these other brands offered by Dutch suppliers: JA Solar, Trina Solar, AEG, Hyundai, Phono Solar, DMEGC, and (lesser known Dutch brand) Denim.
Dimensions
I've seen some panels available that are much wider than the standard size that the Dutch suppliers seem to want to sell, such as the LONGi 545 Wp and the JA Solar 560 Wp. However, the availability of these wider bifacial glass-glass panels seems sparse, and their product guarantee tends to be 12 years. This is opposed to the more standard size which I can find more readily available such as the Denim 430 Wp and the Hero 430 Wp (lesser known brands) whose product guarantees are 30+ years. What attracts me about the wider panels is that I can have less panels and therefore less microinverters to buy.
What I would like to understand from repliers on this forum are opinions on the above based on my location (Netherlands) and a flat roof installation. My minimum criteria are:
I live in the Netherlands, and I am considering various quotes from different suppliers, and the cost range is surprisingly wide. Some are nearly double the cost of others for the same number of panels and microinverters.
So, I am now at the point where I'm considering the following three main things:
Glass-glass panels
Are glass-glass panels worth the extra expense as I have read here for example that the benefits in practice may not match the theory due to manufacturing quality. One of my quotes is the Trina Solar Vertex S+ dual glass monofacial module (TSM-NEG9R.28), and this manufacturer is considered Tier-1 on many sources such as here.
Bifacial panels
Are bifacial panels worth the extra expense as I see mixed opinions from the community here? However, I've also read here that they are useful if installed on a flat roof. Mine is flat, but will the benefit outweigh the cost with a 20° tilt? I could in theory increase the tilt to 25°, but then I will lose some efficiency due to mutual shading. Note that my rooftop is made from bitumen and is dark grey in colour, so I would be counting on some reflection and ambient light. I know that it's an extremely difficult metric to consider given the variety of factors for the energy generation of the backside of a bifacial panel, which is why manufacturers tend to only include energy generation data for the frontside of bifacial panels.
Manufacturer
I've had quotes from various suppliers in the Netherlands, and the most popular panel they offer seems to be Jinko JKM425-54HL4R-B which is glass-foil monofacial. Jinko is Tier-1, and from what I've seen, not a bad brand/model to choose. But I've also seen these other brands offered by Dutch suppliers: JA Solar, Trina Solar, AEG, Hyundai, Phono Solar, DMEGC, and (lesser known Dutch brand) Denim.
Dimensions
I've seen some panels available that are much wider than the standard size that the Dutch suppliers seem to want to sell, such as the LONGi 545 Wp and the JA Solar 560 Wp. However, the availability of these wider bifacial glass-glass panels seems sparse, and their product guarantee tends to be 12 years. This is opposed to the more standard size which I can find more readily available such as the Denim 430 Wp and the Hero 430 Wp (lesser known brands) whose product guarantees are 30+ years. What attracts me about the wider panels is that I can have less panels and therefore less microinverters to buy.
What I would like to understand from repliers on this forum are opinions on the above based on my location (Netherlands) and a flat roof installation. My minimum criteria are:
- 14-16 panels depending on panel width.
- 20° tilt or more (more will increase mutual shading as I'm already utilising the full roof space).
- 25-35 years product and power guarantees. This seems to be becoming the norm, and seems to be standard for glass-glass panels anyway.