Sunforce does the Job (5.0)

I've purchased the Sunforce 39810 80-watt solar panel, and completed the easy installation. I also purchased the 30 Amp controller. Both units are working as advertised. The panel provides approx 4.7 amperes on a sunny day to recharge my battery.

An excellent bargain for either battery usage or grid tie - great size too (5.0)

In evaluating solar panels (and systems of many panels) the typical pricepoint is $5.10/watt in high volume production. If you are finding better pricing than that something is wrong.

An example may be inefficient panels that use larger panels, causing massive panel size such that it is 4-8 times larger than this panel with the same output.

Other inefficiencies to watch out for are caused by voltages that are not useful. You could, for example, have a panel that output 500V at 1/10 A for 50W sold for $250 - looks good financially but very few charge controllers go much over 250 volts (and many dont make 250 volts - some are 12 or 48 volt systems). So that panel is not much use

This panel is in the sweet spot - enough power to be useful (80W/3 is a simple approximation for what useful power you can get with a battery all day long - about 25W or so given inefficiences. So theoretically it could support a 25W load 24x7 with an 8 hour day of sun.

The last inefficiencies to watch out for are panels that need heavy sun before they produce any output. Some panels produce usable (1-2 amps) output with just ambient scattered light such as a foggy day, while others give near zero output unless the sunlight strikes them head on. This panel design gives output whenever there is light, which is good. More light is always better, but it could be worse.

So to sum it up - there are no pitfalls here. It passes all the checks for pricing and performance. We load tested a string of 12 of these for a customer to profile their output to help decide if a rotator would help and it showed that very little gain would come from the expense of an automatic rotation system due to the panel's efficiency at many angles. With 12 panels we produced 1KW for 8 hours with taper up and down on both sides.

Best of all this can be used in series strings for grid tie systems or with battery maintainers

Off grid power (4.0)

This product works great it provides me with enough power to keep in touch with the outside world.

Rising force in the market (4.0)

80 Watts/4.67 Amps = 17 volts.

Be sure to size your system appropriately to minimize voltage drop to your inverter.

Sunforce isnt the cheapest, but still a good price and a nice, solid product with a 25-year warranty.

Note: GET A SOLAR SURVEY - you might not qualify for any tax rebates if you dont get one!

Also do the math yourself. If you live on the 43rd paralell and get 4.4 sun hours per day average, do NOT place these at 43 degrees! Tilt them closer to the SUMMER sun angle. You'll get more sun in summer and less in winter, but you arent getting much in winter anyways! You'll get more yearly output (or get a tracker and not do any math)

The technology is getting better; cheaper manufacturing processes and better spectrum band as well as improvements leading to higher efficiencies. If you want better stuff, I dont know how "long" you should wait. It can only get so good, the potput isnt going to duble or anything. Laws of physics

80 watts of pure power (5.0)

As my first venture into solar energy this has been a nice panel. I've had it about a month. I paired it with a "Xantrex Technologies 802-1500 XPower Powerpack 1,500-Watt Portable Backup Power System" and a "Sunforce 60032 30 Amp Digital Charge Controller". The panel is 12 volt, 4.6 amps though at this point I'm seeing up to 13.6 volts and 5 amps. I suspect over time as the panel weakens it will be more toward the 12 volt, 4.6 amp. The panel was simple to hook up and came with what was needed. I did go purchase new wire as I needed more distance for where I mounted it. I'm able to charge the battery from dead to full in 2 days. If I were to rotate the panel through the day I feel I could fully charge in 1 day.

Nice for backup charging and learning. For any real application you would need a ton of these though.

Came intact (4.0)

I bought this as a gift. Due to the past reviews I was worried that it would arrive broken. IT DID NOT! It was still shipped by Fed Ex as of 12/2009 and arrived in one piece. none of the panels were broken. Since it was a gift (and it's the dead of winter) it hasn't been set up yet so I don't know the final outcome hence only 4 stars. But if you are on the fence due to shipping worries - don't fret!

ok but spend a little extra for something with higher voltage (3.0)

Everthig came fast and in good condition. It is easy to set up but I would rather pay a little higher electric bill than use this to charge my phone and bluetooth. Anything more the box starts to screem. I purchased a 400 watt converter and the same thing happens when I plug in anything stronger than my telephone and bluetooth. if anyone has any recomendations please post, because so far I have found this solar panel kit pretty useless. I plugged a small coffee pot in and the box starts to scream. I read almost all the posts here before I purchased this thing and thought it would be useful. So far useless. Please post if anyone has any recommendations. I will be more than willing to repost a better review if it is something I did wrong or misunderstood. All the best.........

excellant (5.0)

just as i had hoped---for the money this is great----did not use the inverter as i had a 750---but have it as a spare----panals great--stand good---does the job

Great buy (5.0)

I now own four sets of these panels. Yes, I would have preferred to buy fewer panels with higher output but this package comes with everything you need and is so easy to set up. After my second set I finally moved the panels to the roof of the cabin I use them at, each set comes with enough wire to run to the charge controller inside the cabin (I now use a 25 amp controller, not the one that comes with the package).

This is a great "learner" set if you want to learn the basics of solar power and it is easy to add to it if you are like me and can only afford to add a little at a time. I may be buying a fith set unless I can scrape up enough money to buy the 60 watt single panel that sunforce makes (also available at Amazon)

And free shipping option, for a 60 pound package shipped to Hawaii via USPS Priority mail!!! I am becoming an Amazon junkie.

Temporary installation (5.0)

All items arrived quickly and in good shape. Installed in the backyard and charging a new DieHard battery with wires going thru a window. I called temporary installation because is intended as a minimum source of power for a 60 watts TV, modem and router, a lap top and a window fan, just a back up for power failures very common in Florida in the hurricane season.
When the season is over I will make a permanent installation in a shed and running a wire from the inverter to the house to have some AC to power some devices. I will provide a picture then.

Maybe I will see a small drop in the monthly bill. I recommend this product. Good value and performs as advertised.

Great Panel (5.0)

This is an excellent panel at a great price. I use it with a HQRP solar controller and a Walmart 115ah deepcycle marine battery and couldn't be more pleased.

Solar Panel 20 Watt (4.0)

Materials used to construct this product are very good.
I use it to keep a 12 Volt battery charged.
It is being used with a Brunton 12 volt solar controller.

great little light (5.0)

Even in Maine, where this little sun in the winter, this works wonderfully. Bought it because of security concerns; appreciate it now because it lights the way for us when we come home after dark. simple to set up, long cord so you can position collector to face sun but put light where you want it. And it is all solar powered. Remember that it is LED lighting so it is not a strong light. Just enough to light your way or intimidate someone who is not supposed to be there.

6 inch L bracket (5.0)

Ordered the solar light in December 09, the 6 inch "L' bracket is in the package but with no instructions. If you will look closely at the grey plastic mounting bracket one of the slots has a flat side. Slide the L bracket into the hole with flat side, is it used to "hang" over a 2X4 or other support and tighten with the nut run down on the threads instead of using screws to secure the base. Used the solar light in our camphouse- "Alamo". It had charged for several weeks, to be honest it worked great, we had more than enough light with the 5 led lights on. We turned the light on and off as needed so I cannot attest to the amount of run time we will have overall. I do recommend this product. We used a couple of the battery powered "candles"-they actually flicker- ($5)from Walmart as night lights around the door and outside to see when getting up during the night.
Happy in South Texas

It's done OK by me (4.0)

I purchased this item to put in my barn. So far it has worked fine. Easy to install. 16' cord was plenty for me. Reading other reviews, it could have been made better, but hey its GREEN and only about $ 25. If it works for me thru the spring, I will be more than pleased and will have felt I will have gotten my money's worth.

Shed, a Litte Light (5.0)

This is a great light for those spaces you need it. I purchased 2, one for the shed and the other for my feed area. Both work equally well, better than I expected. Mounting was a breeze! The long cord allowed the panel to be situated in a premium spot and the light to be where it was needed the most. The two settings are handy. Full allows me to work further away from the source, and half lasts an amazing amount of time.

I must admit, the shed light has yet to make it into the shed. It is used in the "yet to be wired" shop. The solar panel just sits on the windowsill and I strung the light up and over a cabinet for just enough light to move safely around in the large area (move a box, find a screwdriver). My skeptical son even was amazed at how much light it puts out.

Would I buy more? You bet!

Great solar light for my greenhouse. (5.0)

This light is great for my greenhouse. It can be used for a shed also.

New Camping Freedom (5.0)

I purchased one of these about 8 months ago, along with the Sunforce digital 30-A controller and Duracell 800-w inverter to use on our motorhome when in campgrounds with no hookups or when boondocking. Works great! Really nice to have the extra freedom, and to not run the noisy/smelly generator. Provided plenty of battery charge for lighting, furnace fans, laptop, TV, etc for week long trip to Oregon outback in September. Have also used for numerous 3 - 5 day stays in California and Arizona in Feb - Apr. I built a portable/adjustable stand that takes only a few minutes to set up.

Sunforce 7 amp charge controller (5.0)

So far this Sunforce controller has met my expectations. I connected it to a 10 watt solar charger and it tells me that it is charging. I have been using it for about 3 weeks without any problems.

Must have Item (4.0)

Not a lot to write about the charge monitor as it is all sealed and all you have to do is follow the wiring on the unit. I installed it inline with a solar panel on my tent trailer. Works good

Pictures can be deceiving (4.0)

This product works very well and the customer support was excellent. The photos indicate that the device is connected via screw terminals located under a cover at the bottom of the device. In actuality there are wires leading to battery terminal ring connectors on the load side and wires that need to be spliced to the line or solar panell side.

Pretty Useful (4.0)

Good price, easy installation, and it seems to do what it's supposed to. As noted in other reviews, the instruction sheet for this product is lacking --- it doesn't indicate what possible combinations of LED lighting may signify.

I installed the controller with a 15W solar panel also purchased through Amazon. The yellow LED stays lit continuously and the red LED that should indicate a full charge never appears. However, the battery appears to stay fully charged. We just returned from a week long camping trip in Eastern Oregon and never once had to run the generator to top off the battery. We only run lights each night for a few hours and a propane reefer. It probably also helps that we simultaneously installed a deep cycle battery.

So far, I'm totally satisfied with this purchase and recommend it for basic solar installations such as ours.

Sunforce 7 amp Charge controller (5.0)

Great item has been working now for 3 weeks with no problem. I have it connected to a 15 watt solar panel and to a 75 amp hour battery.

My first solar panel - Quite good but not as specified (4.0)

This is my first solar panel, as soon as i received it I wanted to verify the power it said it could generate by solar light, when I exposed it to day light its built in blue LED lighted and I checked the output voltage, it was more than 15VDC (open output), then I measured the shortcircuit current which indicates should be 600mA, I obtained almost 400mA, under a very sunny day. Quite good I think, I can use it to adapt to some small appliances's charger.

Goto Ebay (1.0)

i rather buy and sell on ebay
because they are cheap amazon is expensive

Could be better but for the price you cannot beat it with a stick! (4.0)

I ordered one Coleman panel to see how good it was. I am a long time Coleman collector and this fits just right! Brand power at its best! I have had it about 2 weeks and have it connected to my campers battery. The camper has a stereo system which requires a "hot" lead to maintain memory so this creates a drain on the battery. After this panel, no more worries about the drain! This panel in full sun is putting out 22.65volts and drops to 17.3 on a cloudy day, even when it was raining!I ordered two more and expect them to arrive tomorrow. I will build a frame to attach the panels to and hook all of them to my battery bank (3 D/C NG27). I expect to be able to use them for a generator (less) week of camping next month! If it fails then expect me to update this review! I think ICP could have had a better way of connecting multiple panels though. Coleman dosen't supply the gang plug, so I have to cut the plug ends off and hardwire them together. Not too much of an issue though.

Solar Panel For Boat Battery (3.0)

I am still testing the merits of this purchase. I Bought it to keep my boat battery charged , since I use the boat infrequently. I may have needed to buy a larger panel to get more charging power...
Still in the tryout stage.
JRB

Works Great (5.0)

I just got this panel. Put it out in the Georgia sun, and its putting out over 22 volts. As with everything I get from Amazon, it came on time and in perfect condition. So far I'm very happy.

Good starter set of panels. (4.0)

The panels were shipped to me on the west coast from the east coast and arrived in good shape, the outside box was tattered but the inside boxes were fine.

Was disappointed that the controller, battery tester, modified sine wave inverter, wire, brackets, and bolts were all loose inside the box with one of the panels; looked like they could easily damage the panel's white backing.

Connecting the wires with lugs attached for the first panel to the controller was easy. When I tried to connect the second panel to the first one I found the provided screws too short to allow for a lug on the end of the wire. I had to cut off the lugs and flatten the wire before the screws would engage. I'm sure it's fine but it's not as secure this way.

GOOD POINT: On day two with only one panel in service I had a reading of 7.2 amps compared to max rating of 7.14. That only lasted for a couple of minutes, I usually avereged above 6 amps on sunny cool days except early morning and late evening. When cloudy I had power reading anywhere from 1 amp to 3 amps.

BAD POINT: Of the 108 rectangular cells, I only had to shade a couple of them for the output to be reduced to near nothing. Don't install the panels near a flag pole or mast, just the smallest amount of shade will make them useless.

I watched the 4 minute video on Amazon that showed the panels being setup in a field. From that idea I've designed a teeter totter frame to mount on the roof peak that does not have a southern exposure. It teeters east in the morning and totters west in the evening with about a 48 degree range and a 8 degree tilt to the south. From what I've read elsewhere this gives me 20% to 40% increase in output during the summertime when I need it the most.

My RV and I are happy campers (5.0)

Rather than pulling out a generator and electric cord for daily charging of my RV batteries I decided to purchase this set and hoped it would supply all my electrical needs while camping. It does, very well. I took the advice of another poster and purchased a more efficient charge controller separately, the Morningstar MPPT and it's display panel. The MPPT controller increases the charging efficiency by up to 30% or more. These solar panels now easily keep all 4 of my trailer batteries charged and recently averaged at least 10 amps of charge for each daylight hour. I searched all over the web and Amazon had the best price on this particular set, or anything like it. The money saved is enough to upgrade the controller for more efficient charging. The set came with nice extras like a 200w inverter, voltage test gauge, plenty of wire and 6 mounting brackets per panel.