Not all panels equal

[Jim van Cleve]

After a lot of looking at solar panels over several months in Savusavu
and now Suva, Fiji, I purchased a 140 Watt panel from CBS Power Solutions, in Suva.
It was a competitive buy at $370fd. Upon installation I found the connector
box and connectors to be complete junk. I rebuilt and rigged this as best I could. My other 4 panels are Siemens and I was unprepared for this.
Buyer beware, look at the back,..not all panels are created equal.

[Nikki S]

So what are the recommended best panels if buying new right now (Feb-Mar 2017)?
I know space dimensions is a big determining factor, but are any brands ahead of the pack right now?

[Paul L]

Sure the cheap panels tend to have poorly attached junction boxes, but the cheap flex panels cost 1/5 the high-end flex panels. You can drill through the panels and add wireties to attach better.

[Jim van Cleve]

All said, the Chinese panel I bought and installed is producing great power.
As a friend said, if I replace this every 3 yrs, I'm still money ahead.
Nikki S, IMHO, Siemens seem to be the best.

[MikeFergie]

Sun power are still the highest wattage per cm2

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by MikeFergie

Sun power are still the highest wattage per cm2

That's true, and many of the low-cost Chinese panels are built with Sunpower cells. You can tell by the efficiency spec'd and the power per m2.