greenleaf
Well-known member
You are interpreting my post wrongly. I didn't say this is the watt/area efficiency.drees said:You're looking at the wrong percentage for efficiency. For all intents and purposes, those 2 panels are identical.greenleaf said:The Canadian Solars I have are CS6P-230PX. The spec says 230W, and measured is 211W, which is about 91.74%.
For the ET-P660230B you mentioned, spec says 230W but measured is 207.5W. This is 90.22%.
You need to look at power output per square meter. That's where SunPower panels have a major advantage over other panels with an efficiency of 19% compared to 14-15%. That will get you 30% more power per square meter. Yes - you will pay more for SunPower - but if you have limited roof space and you're paying top-tier electricity rates for PG&E - it's probably worth the premium.
I am looking at how close the panel performs to its rated output. Both panels' spec says 230W but for one, you get 211W. With the other one, you get only 207.5W.
When you have two panels of the same area and price, the one with the higher output is more desirable.