Questions and Answers for Grape Solar 280-Watt Polcrystalline Solar Panel-DISCONTINUED

A:  This 280W panel will produce about 840Wh per day. Which means that if you had a 100W bulb, it would run it for 8.4 hours. In order to run lighting, you need to have a charge controller, a battery bank, an inverter and cables. If you send an email to support@grapesolar.com, and tell us more about what you want to power, we can recommend or more detailed component list for you.

A:  My guess would be about 80%. The panels have a special antireflective coating on them that would be negated by reflective windows. Also, 50% of the field of view of the panel would be taken up by the horizon. I would try to find another solution.

A:  Panels can be connected in parallel as long as they have a similar Vmpp (operating voltage). The panels do have diode protection. If you are unsure about how to compare the Vmpp of each panel send an email to info@grapesolar.com with the make and model for the two panels you are considering.

A:  A Chevy Volt requires a specialized charging system. This panel can be incorporated in a system that powers your Chevy Volt charger. If you send an email to support@grapesolar.com with an address that we can look up on Google Earth, we will be able to determine what kind of system would be best for your situation and recommend a bill of materials for a Pro Desk quote.

A:  Not with just one, and not without at a minimum a grid tied inverter. The number of panels and the size of the inverter(s) depends on the current requirements of the Volt's charger.

A:  Panels produce varying amounts of power depending on how much sunlight they are exposed to. This depends on your latitude, climate, season and mounting angle. If you send an address that can be looked up on Google Earth to support@grapesolar.com, we can conduct a solar production analysis for you.

A:  In order to get the full capacity from these to cover half of your bill of 12,000 watt hours (12 kilowatt hours) you would first have to connect the solar panels to a grid tied inverter. The inverter is a device that converts the direct current (DC) from the solar panels to alternating current (AC) that is needed to power the various consumers (loads) in your house. On the surface you could just multiply the panel rating at 280 watts x 4 hours of good sun on average per day per year. That would give you 1120 watt hours per day for one panel. So half of your usage per day would be 12000 watt hrs or 12 kwh. So 12000 watt hrs / 1120 watts per panel gives you 10.7 panels. Except it is not as simple as that. There are several good on line forums that are very helpful in helping you to educate yourself before you purchase anything. I like the one at Northern Arizona Wind and Sun. That said I have four of these panels and am very satisfied with them. They were packaged well, and perform above and beyond their published ratings..

A:  A custom order through a Home Depot Pro Desk would ship differently than online orders. Depending on how many panels are purchased the shipping price may be different and there may be a discount. Contact your local Pro Desk for a pricing request. They will need to know the quantity of panels and a shipping zip code.

A:  Thank you for your recent inquiry with The Home Depot. Unfortunately, we do not offer bulk discounts for online orders. However, you may want to visit your local Home Depot PRO desk. For any other questions, please visit your local store or call us at HomeDepot.com Customer Service 800-430-3376.

A:  The inverter depends on your load and has nothing to do with your panels on an off-grid system. The charge controller depends on your battery bank. If you had a 12V battery bank you would use two Morningstar TS-MPPT-45 charge controllers with two panels going to each. You have a relatively complicated question and you would get the best advice by calling Grape Solar Technical Support (877) 264-1014

A:  You should first determine your requirements in AC watt hours to determine battery bank size, and system nominal voltage. Then figure out what size solar array will be needed to charge the battery bank at 10% of the amp hour rating of the batteries. Also you need the same information to determine inverter and charge controller output rating. It can be pretty complicated, but completely doable. You really need to educate yourself first.

A:  You need batteries, charge controller, and an inverter. These panels are most efficient on a 24 volt DC system, and still require a DC to AC inverter

A:  Hi tdw2676, Thank you for your interest in Grape Solar. You would need an MC4 cable cut in half to connect to the MC4 connectors on the panel. That cable would go to an MPPT charge controller like the Morningstar TS-MPPT-45. From the charge controller you would want 10AWG cable to a 12V deep cycle battery. From the battery, use 10AWG cable to an inverter like the Xantrex 450W. You will also need mounting hardware. A more cost effective solution would be our GS-200-KIT. It includes everything you need, except the battery and mounting hardware, and it is at a better price than a kit that would use a 280W panel.

A:  You'll need a charge controller, inverter and batteries. I suggest you do more research into solar power. It can be somewhat involved, but once set up. you're good to go as long as you have enough sunlight. You'll probably also want a backup generator for the dark days. One of these panels will run 32 watts, no problem. If you want to run heavier power tools, you'll need more watts and bigger everything for that.

A:  1. A deep cycle marine battery. 2.A battery charge controller. 3. An A.C. power inverter.( A 200 water should do fine for 4 flourecent light bulbs.).How long they can supply lights will depend on how many batterys you use.Home depot has the inverters and charge controller.The model# for the 30 amp charge controller is #68032.It wll run you about $103.The Inverter can be found on the home Depot web site or Amazone web site.The prices vary & depend on how much power you want.