6 Best Solar Panels to Get Most Out of Your Solar Power System

The Renogy, despite high pricing, is our first pick mainly because it is the most useful. The home takes priority when most people think of installing solar panels. However, your house is also the most intensive power consumer you own due to the number of people who live there in addition to the electrical appliances acquired over the years. It, therefore, makes sense to purchase a solar panel that can output the most power. This is where the Renogy Monocrystalline solar panel excels at with a total output of 300W.

Most people will opt to install this on their roofs because this is where it gets the most exposure to sunlight. The secret is to find a spot that can bear the weight of the panel, since it is also rather bulky. There are however no rules against installing the panel elsewhere if the need arises. You are also not likely to want to move the product about owing to its size and weight. This means constant exposure to weather elements. Able to withstand winds of 2400 Pa and snow loads of 5400 Pa, the durability of the panel is something to write home about.

Off the grid, cabins can benefit most from having a few of these panels. You can line up a few of them together, so they produce enough power for all the utilities of the premises. The same is the case for commercial establishments.

What we liked:

• Highly efficient panels that give plenty of power
• Work great in parallel
• Well-built and steady
• Great customer service

What could be better:

• Large and heavy
• Some customers reported bad packaging

If flexibility is what you’re looking for, then this is probably the most flexible solar panel there is with an arc limit of 248 degrees. For the panel to be able to bend that much, it must be quite thin. The resulting weight is 6.2 pounds, which is a 70% decrease from what you would find on other standard solar panels of the same caliber. Being so lightweight, you would expect the panel to have little to no protection against the wind, and you would be wrong.

Just like the 300W residential Renogy, this product can withstand both winds of 2400Pa and snow loads reaching 5400Pa. All you would need to do to achieve this would be to install it using the adhesive on the back of the panel. For RVs, this is also probably the best solar panel there is. You won’t have to drill holes into your roof, and although it is not the 300W figure you get with commercial panels, 160W is still pretty solid output.

For large-scale applications, you can decide to combine a couple of these panels to increase the output. As a result, it is possible to completely go off the grid with your residential property if you buy enough of these panels.

What we liked:

• Lightweight and easy to move
• Well-built and steady
• Efficient
• Responsive customer service

What could be better:

• No grommets or holes, which limits the possibilities to attach the panel

A lightweight panel makes it easier to transport and move around, and this model by Suaoki doesn’t disappoint. The panel folds and has a handle to make it easier to carry and hang. As per the power output, it’s not the most impressive. However, it is good enough to charge smartphones and portable devices. Since our smart devices come with us everywhere, the panel features a USB port for direct charging. Also included is a 10-in-1 connector cable that you can use with most laptop models. It would be wise for you to check your laptop adapter for instructions on voltage and current levels to ensure compatibility.

For added safety, the manufacturer put in an intelligent chip that works to curtail overvoltage, high temperatures and extremely high currents that could cause damage. The TIR-C technology, which is an innovation of the manufacturer, offers several other protection features. For one, it can detect the optimal charging current of the connected devices. This way, the charging power is not too much, and the time it takes to charge a device fully is shorter. Other features include short circuit protection, reverse connection protection, and EMF protection.

Like most other solar panels, you can expect this one to be weather sealed. However, leaving it out in a snowstorm may not be the smartest thing to do. If you travel a lot, this panel takes up little space in your trunk or in your RV. You can use it on the beach and camping trips.

What we liked:

• High efficiency
• Easy to store and transport
• The included plugs and cables come in handy
• Looks stylish when closed
• Great customer service

What could be better:

• Customers reported defective panels
• The panel tends to sag when not supported

Like the name suggests, this particular panel caters mostly to the needs of RV owners. The overall flexibility and the mounting holes make it easier to mount on any irregular surface. This could be an RV, as mentioned earlier, a boat, your cabin in the woods or even your home. Also, a plus is the weight of the solar panel. Overall the 100W power output is nothing to brag about. Unfortunately, you cannot connect two of these panels, since they could cause an over-current and damage both the battery and the panel.

While the panel does bend, it is advisable not to test the limits of how far it can go, so you don’t end up breaking the product. A rather impressive feature is the inclusion of a blocking diode that is most useful at night. While most panels will lose power when it is dark, the blocking diode on the BougeRV will prevent reverse current drain retaining most of the energy collected in sunlight.

Also, this is the second installation of the same product with improvement in the design. The manufacturer added extra strands between solar cells, and this makes them stronger and less prone to breakage.

What we liked:

• Well-made and durable
• Flexible
• Reasonably priced

What could be better:

• Efficiency drops significantly when the panel is even slightly off-axis with the sun
• Customer service not responsive

At just under $170 this is a quality solar panel for the money. The low price gives you 100W power output and in optimum conditions can give you up to 500W by the time the sun goes down. Given that it is a large unit, you can permanently connect it to your roof with a few screws. The corrosion-resistant aluminum helps to protect the innards of the panel from damage caused by the elements, including strong winds and snow.

The junction box is also IP-65 rated, which means it can withstand dusty conditions and water jets without allowing damage to what is inside. For charging smartphones, the device comes with two USB ports. Also, the solar charge controller ensures that power levels remain within acceptable limits.

What we liked:

• Good starter set
• Easy to set up
• Affordable

What could be better:

• The controller that comes with the panel is inefficient, and users may have to purchase a better one

Featuring the lowest power output of any panel to make it onto our list, this item still has some things going for it. Most notably is the small size and weight. Outdoor activities like hiking and climbing usually involve carrying a lot of weight in your backpack. The last thing you need is to add a lot of extra weight because you want to go on that hike and still use your iPad. On that front, the ROCKPALS solar panel excels in that it only weighs 5.66 pounds.

The packaging is also pretty decent where the solar panel is encapsulated in a waterproof oxford cloth. Most components of the panel are also waterproof except for the junction box. There are a total of three USB charging ports mounted on the solar panel. Also, there are several adapters for laptop, solar generator, and power station use.

You are also likely to notice a similarity to the Suaoki 100W we mentioned earlier with the inclusion of an intelligent chip. Just like in the Suaoki, the chip identifies the connected device and determines the optimum current. This way, your devices are safe from high voltage and high current accidents.

What we liked:

• Foldable and portable
• Handy pouch in the back to store cables and adapters
• Efficient

What could be better:

• Adaptors seem to be loose when plugged