Do you have a good source for lifespans of panels by country of origin?

triceratops 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I meant it as a general thing. These days all manufacturers, from all countries, offer 20+ year warranties. Not just Chinese ones.

However you inspired me to do some research, and I found this: https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/best-solar-pa....

The article lists top PV manufacturers and their efficiency ratings, production warranty, and other statistics. There are several Chinese companies on the list with 25+ year warranties. The article's top-rated manufacturer in the category of "Longest production warranty" is ZNShine Solar, a Chinese company that offers a 30 year warranty.

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JumpCrisscross 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Thanks! What is the significance of all-black models?

	▲	triceratops 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I think it's more cosmetic than anything else. All black panels blend in better with dark roofs.

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toasty228 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

80% of panels are made in China, if they were all so terrible I doubt they would dominate the market so much

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JumpCrisscross 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> if they were all so terrible I doubt they would dominate the market

Plenty of markets are dominated by the less-durable product offered at a lower up-front cost.

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toasty228 2 hours ago | parent [-]

They all come with ~30 years warranty, I think you're stuck in the 1970s when it comes to Chines manufacturing capabilities, the top of the line chinese factories are just as good as EU/US ones, probably even more high tech

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JumpCrisscross 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> you're stuck in the 1970s when it comes to Chines manufacturing capabilities

Probably not, having done contract manufacturing in China quite recently. Asking for a source isn't the same as disputing an assertion.

> top of the line chinese factories are just as good as EU/US ones, probably even more high tech

This is my guess. I like to substantiate my guesses.

	▲	benj111 9 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		iPhones are made in china...

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sephamorr 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

For a residential setting, installation quality probably dominates, and I doubt country of origin is statistically significant. Otherwise look at warranties which specify a performance curve over lifetime (generally 25y, also some are independently guaranteed by an insurance company that might actually survive that long). There are public performance datasets from NREL, TUV, but be careful about choosing representative examples (e.g. utility scale reliability is different from rooftop)