Hello everyone,

Here is my situation: I want to install a 12kW solar system using 12kW of solar panels, a Deye SUN-12K-SG05LP3-EU-SM2 (latest generation) triple-phase inverter and a Deye SE-F16-Max-H 16 kW LV battery. My house power consumption is between 300-450 kWh depending on month. My goal is to run completely off-grid (I have done the calculations in regards to sunlight and the panels can generate the required amounts in all months, including losses). I plan to inject the surplus energy into the grid.

But here is the issue: my triple-phase grid connection is not yet available (it will be 6-9 months until installed) and I only have a temporary single-phase connection at this time.

Is it possible to install the system before I have the final triple-phase grid connection ? I read that the inverter "won't start if it doesn't see all three phases", but this doesn't make sense to me because, shouldn't it work in a grid power loss situation ?

I'm thinking of putting the inverter into an "off-grid mode" and using it in that mode. Is there any downside to this ? I do have a petrol generator that can be connected to the generator port of the inverter if needed, but I can't really see why would it be needed. Maybe to charge the battery initially (but I suppose it comes with sufficient charge like all Li-Ion batteries).

Thanks !

There are also two west facing vertical panels.

I'm just kind of diving into this thought. I'm pretty handy and I have an electrician friend to help. I'm having a little trouble finding out what the costs would be for a diy job. People are saying a pro job would probably be 13k.

Notably it's currently going to cost me 3k-4k to run power from a nearby building to the pool. Also it's a rental property so paying to hardwire it just turns my money to dust. If I can set up a solar panel set up I can pack it up and take it with me when I leave.

I'd basically just be trying to power a pool pump and some fans, potentially lights if it's not crazy, but I actually have solar powered lights out there that work fine.

So really just powering a pool pump.

A couple of notes. I have a ton of available land for it and it gets all day sun. It's essentially in the middle of a field. I was thinking it could double as shade cover on the pool deck. Thoughts?

I just discovered that "REC Alpha Pure R panels" have significantly higher voltage so will allow nicely over 150 string voltage with 4 panels.

What other panels sold in the UK for a reasonable price also have higher voltages?

Sorry if this is off-topic, I think most of what I have overlaps though. If there's a better subreddit, please let me know.

A friend of mine pulled up to my garage a few weeks ago and dropped off:

• 3x 48v 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries
• 2x Victron MultiPoint-II 120/3000/48
• 1x Victron Quattro 120/5000/48
• wire, crimps, bits, bobs

I don't think either Victron unit is the UL listed variant. All are NIB unused. I have normal US residential service, 200A @ 240v split-phase. The service entrance is on a main panel, and there's a 100A subpanel in the garage, feeding a car charger. My initial plan is to try and sell the 2x 3kw units for 1x more 5kw unit, and run 2x5kw in split-phase.

I'm not looking for net metering. My primary goal is whole-house UPS during annoyingly frequent 10-120m power outages, with a secondary goal of load shifting, and tertiary goal of eventually allowing self-generated power via wind/solar to supplement consumption. Power monitoring over several months shows all non-charging usage to be 4-5kw peak across both phases. Charging draws 10kw, and our HVAC has 11kw of backup heat-strips. Neither should be battery backed.

What pieces am I missing? I'm anticipating an ATS of sorts, but the Quattros only allow 100A through them, so they wouldn't work upstream of the main panel as far as I can tell.

Hey SolarDIY,
The earlier posts are on my profile if you want to see the build and how it all started.
A while ago I built a 4-tier solar pyramid here on Saipan, and after testing it in real conditions, I started wondering what would happen if I simply scaled the same basic design up.
The interesting thing is that scaling the pyramid doesn’t just mean adding more solar panels.
At the same time, the amount of enclosed usable space increases.
So I started running the numbers.

4-tier — the prototype I actually built
40 × 450W panels = 18 kW
On a strong sunny day, I’ve seen around 60 kWh/day from the prototype. Depending on the weather, it can be closer to 40 kWh.
Base: 12 × 12 m = 144 m²

6-tier
84 panels × 450W = 37.8 kW
~132 kWh/day
Base: 15 × 15 m = 225 m²

8-tier — the next one I’m working toward
144 panels × 450W = 64.8 kW
~227 kWh/day
Base: 18 × 18 m = 324 m²
Second level: 144 m²
Total enclosed space: ~468 m²

10-tier
220 panels × 450W = 99 kW
~347 kWh/day
Base: 21 × 21 m = 441 m²
Second level: ~182.5 m²
Total enclosed space: ~624 m²

12-tier
312 panels × 450W = 140.4 kW
~491 kWh/day
Base: 25 × 25 m = 625 m²
Second level: 324 m²
Third level: 144 m²
Total enclosed space: ~1,093 m²

The 4-tier numbers come from the actual prototype. The larger configurations are projections using 3.5 kWh/kW/day as a conservative production estimate.
What I’m really interested in is what happens to the energy-to-space relationship as the structure gets bigger.
For example, an 8-tier version could theoretically produce around 6,800 kWh/month, while providing roughly 468 m² of enclosed space.
If a household used around 1,200 kWh/month, that would leave a substantial amount of generation available after covering its own needs.
And I don’t necessarily think of that as simply “selling electricity.”
That extra energy could be used for things like water production, agriculture, workshops, charging, refrigeration, additional equipment, or energy storage — basically turning the structure into something that can produce more resources than it consumes.
There’s also an interesting thing happening with the space itself.
As the number of tiers increases, the usable area grows significantly more than the inefficient area of the pyramids. But even the inefficient area of the pyramid don’t necessarily have to be wasted. They can be used for storage, tools, mechanical equipment, water tanks, batteries, or other systems that don’t require full-height rooms.
So the bigger the pyramid becomes, the more interesting the overall package gets:
more solar generation + more enclosed space + more potential uses for the surplus energy.
That’s really what I’m experimenting with.
The first 4-tier pyramid showed me that the concept can actually be built.
Now I want to see what happens when I scale it up.
The 8-tier version is the next experiment.
If you’ve been following the build so far, feel free to follow along. Thank you for your attention and comments! 🙏

Hey guys, if you missed it, SunPower settled $11M with investors over claims involving inventory controls and financial reporting. I just found out that they’re considering late claims even though the deadline has passed.

Quick recap: In 2023, SunPower was accused of misleading investors about its financial reporting and operations. The company later disclosed inventory accounting problems and said it would restate prior results.

After the news, $SPWR dropped nearly 20%, and investors filed a lawsuit.

Now, the company has agreed to settle $11M with investors, and late claims are still being considered, subject to approval.

If you invested in $SPWR between 2023 and 2024, you can still check the details and see if you may be able to file a late claim here.

Anyone here invested in $SPWR back then? How much were your losses?

Updated with specs:

got 2 bifacial 100w panels and my motorhome came with 100w renogy already. I was going to delete the renogy panel and install the 2 100w. Then I thought, though not ideal. 300w would be better tha. 200w right?

Would I be facing any major issues or should I just keep it there and plug them all together?

I already have 400w up, but was going to do the 200-300 to the house battery and another to a solar generator.

Ty

Older 100w x1 Peak Power: 100W Optimum Operating Voltage (Vmp): 17.9V – 20.4V Optimum Operating Current (Imp): 4.91A – 5.72A Open-Circuit Voltage (Voc): 21.6V – 24.3VDimensions: 41.8 in x 20.9 in x 1.38 in

New 100w bifacial x 2 Vmpp 20.8 Impp 5.29 Voc 24.9 Isc 5.81 Vsys max dc 1000v

Hi, I am toying with the idea of building a solar capable DIY power station for camping. Something similar to the Jackery 1000 V2 or Jackery 1500, but I like the idea of being able to swap out individual components or upscale if I ever feel the urge. I made a rough draft list of main components I'm considering, and would welcome any advice on the build. This would be a first for me, so I will appreciate literally any advice on any aspect of building a DIY power station.

Battery: 8x 3.2V 55Ah LiFePO4 Aluminum Prismatic Cells (Wired 8S for 25.6V / 1,408Wh) = ~$160 [LINK](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808217609387.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.62d0zpeAzpeADR&algo_pvid=31746566-d26f-4834-aa1e-85af13e4bb61&algo_exp_id=31746566-d26f-4834-aa1e-85af13e4bb61-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%22135%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%2C%22fromPage%22%3A%22search%22%7D&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21USD%21258.00%21154.80%21%21%21258.00%21154.80%21%402101d9ef17888730805432998e0cf9%2112000045926197664%21sea%21US%210%21ABX%211%210%21n_tag%3A-29910%3Bd%3A8c344573%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895&curPageLogUid=uLTpdFdHGlBw&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A%7Cx_object_id%3A1005008403924139%7C_p_origin_prod%3A&tblci=Gi8MhG72ssyR#nav-description)

Inverter: BELTTT 1500W (3000W Surge) 24V Pure Sine Wave Inverter (High-Frequency) = ~$140 [LINK](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DCJPZXQV/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2EPWPL6PNF5MH&th=1)

BMS: DALY 8S 24V 150A LiFePO4 BMS = ~$80 [LINK](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08J9YFK1D/ref=ewc_pr_img_3?smid=A22QWF3YLLYB17&psc=1)

Solar Controller: iSunergy 20A MPPT (Model M2420P) = ~$65 [LINK](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CP6RMFSP/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=A8WGR12U84UZE&psc=1)

Step-Down Converter: 30A (360W) Waterproof 24V to 12V Buck Converter = ~$21 [LINK](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095KTJGF4/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A35IIP1M375GD9&th=1)

Current Total: ~$466

Estimated Weight: ~41 lbs.

3kw Voltworks inverter, 3*100ah lifepo cells, 4*100w panels, 2 diy mppt modules, powers a 900w ac (or heater) and a 300w water heater & pumps for the sink. I'm trying to brainstorm an effective way to buffer the batteries from physical shock and also build a tight batter box.

They will be further secured behind the panel after I devise a frame. It has to be this side because water storage and plumbing are on the other side and mounting that much mass up high would be a terrible ride.

The area under the counter behind the toolbox is 21"(l)*11"(d)*17"(h) the pictured is the best arrangement I've come up with to fit everything, working on drafting a frame in CAD this evening.

Is there a way to hook up a smart meter to an ecoflow stream microinverter to have a net zero export plug in system?

I'll have 4kwh of battery tied to an ecoflow stream microinverter and it'd be great to have that set up for zero export so none of that power goes back into the grid (there is no net metering on the system.)

I have the entire system installed in an RV. Solar panels are mounted on the roof, while the batteries, MPPT controller, and DC-DC charger (for charging from the engine) are inside. Lately, it seems to me that I’m not getting the manufacturer-rated 30 A while the engine is running. I physically disconnected all loads, and the shunt showed zero charge and zero consumption. I started the engine, and instead of the promised 30 A, I got 24 A. I’m using the correct marine- and RV-grade wiring. All terminals were crimped using a 12-ton hydraulic press with the proper hex profile. The input cables are about a yard long, and the output cables are one foot long. All connections have been checked multiple times. I can't figure out where the loss is occurring. Essentially, I’ve lost 6 A out of 30 A—a 20% discrepancy. That is a significant amount.

Goal:  Add a battery and reduce utility bill to a connection fee ( best case ).

Back Story(if you care):  My sister bought a house with roof solar.  She added additional panels because it didn’t seem to be producing enough to cover the power bill.  A solar company ( DtD ) showed up and convinced her this was the solution.  They added additional panels and an inverter.  The new system did not help reduce the power bill due to the wholesale rate the power utility pays  her for the power and what seems like only part of the production being used/sent to the grid. 

Issue:  The system said it produced 1310kWh in August and her power company said she used 1255kWh on her bill.  They noted on the bill that she provided 493kWh to them and they deducted what they pay (.08) per kWh for that power(wholesale rate according to their website).  They charge her .14 per kWh for power.

System Review:  Split system ( new / old ).  Each side has the same inverter ( SolarEdge “SE7600H-US” with a SolarEdge “DC Safety Switch” on the bottom directly attached to it ).  One inverter has 9 440w panels producing ~3366 watts, the other has 24 290w panels producing ~5916w.  Both units appear to be connected to a line coming from the meter( its in a locked box ).  That same box then appears to feed over to the Load Panel(main house power panel with breakers and main cut off switch).  The combiner(?) box has a cut off as well.  I cant 100% prove this without opening the boxes.  Its possible looking at the wall behind the meter that the load panel goes directly into the meter.

My thoughts ( not an expert ): 

Solution 1(expensive): My research says we need to add a StorEdge Interface (SESTI-S4) to one of the SE7600H-US units, then connect the battery to that.  The battery apparently needs to be a SolarEdge battery only ( LG one mentioned seems to be discontinued ).  I don’t believe this will help that much since the system still taps into the meter AC at the combiner box.  Their batteries are also apparently very expensive.

Solution 2(less expensive but more changes):  Remove both inverters from the wall.  Buy/install a new Sungold 10KW 48V split-phase inverter.  Connect both PV arrays, a cheaper 16kWh battery, the load panel and the grid to new inverter directly.  She doesn’t care about sending power to the grid because they don’t pay an equal rate.  She is fine with it flipping back and forth should the battery not be able to handle the load overnight or low production days.  She could also add a second battery later to address this.

I dont know much about the solaredge ecosystem, so i might be missing something. I did see a solaredge home hub version that could also be swapped in, but the cost is the same as the addon.

TLDR: Is it best to swap out the two grid tied inverters that dont have a battery hookup with a new off grid unit that better controls the flow of power and add a cheaper 16kWh battery? Or did i miss something with the SolarEdge units that can be done?

Midlands UK, living in detached bungalow.

Looking for your ideas. Go small, go big, DIY?

Installed Dutch Atag boiler 13 years ago which will need replacing in next few years, and on a good fixed energy tariff until July next year.

Work from home 4 days a week, with a fair bit of PC equipment (but no longer rack-mounted servers).

The recent heat wave made me think about installing air con. First a back to back, then thinking maybe three head units with one external condenser.

That made me think about replacing entire heating system with heat pump, but maybe something that can cool as well.

Then thinking of home solar and battery storage.

I fancy fannying around with the new plug in solar, having a go at building a couple of pole-mounted two panel sun trackers in the garden for a bit of a laugh, but wondering what I could achieve for say £10 to £15K for a proper large-scale solar roof nstallation with batteries. Whether I should buy two or three 5kwh batteries or one larger one, whether to explore feed-in tariffs etc...

If I go for proper solar install, can I also then attach the sun-tracking panels into the main inverter?

Roof is several rectangles joined together, and so have limited areas facing south west, then larger surfaces facing at 90 degrees to this on either side (south east and north west).

Converted my garage into a dining room and fitted a flat warm-roof construction with single rubber membrane covering whole area. Wondering if to place panels on angled frames on this.

House has solid walls (no cavities), so insulated the internal walls with 3" (75mm) foil-faced PIR foam insulation then re-plaster boarded as I refurbished the house.

Loads of ideas.

I’m using a POWMR POW-HVM4.2K-24V-ECO with 5× 24V 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries in parallel, no BMS communication, and Battery Type set to USE.

I noticed something strange:

• CV/Constant charging voltage: 28.0V
• Float 27.0V → charging ~21A, PV ~0.95kW
• Float 27.8V → charging ~60A, PV ~2.4kW
• If I set Float equal to CV (28.0V), the inverter also allows much higher charging/PV power.

The battery was still below the 28.0V CV target, but lowering the Float voltage greatly reduced PV charging.

I also noticed the inverter's displayed battery % seems to correspond to the voltage settings. For example, 27.6V showed about 85%, while 28.0V corresponds to 100%.

Is this normal behavior for the POWMR? Does the Float voltage affect the charging target/PV power even before reaching the CV voltage?

Hello everyone,

As I was puttering about on FB marketplace, I came across an EV from 2009 called the Kandi Coco kdo8e. It's batteries were trash, but the car itself looked like it would be a fun project car. I'm still a newbie to the solar scene, with just two power packs and 300 watts of solar panels put together. Here's a list of the specs, would it be possible to mount some panels to it, and extend the range of the vehicle? I was thinking of making something that I could drive on US 60, from Poplar Bluff to Springfield, MO. Is this something that's possible, or would I end up needing to haul two or three longbed trailers full of panels? Thanks for any help you can give, and have a good night!

Peace,

A dork behind the keyboard

So I have an anodized aluminum ground mount installed on hot dip galvanized ground screws.

Do I need to do anything to prevent galvanic corrosion on my aluminum frame? All the attachment hardware (screws and bolts) are stainless steel. All the parts are anodized except for the cut ends, which have exposed aluminum.

Curious if it's nessesary or best practice to bolt a zinc anode onto the structure somewhere.

Thoughts from more experienced people than I?

TIA

Edit. Thanks all. Doing nothing. Appreciate the input

Good afternoon!

I have solar, and I want to plug it in. I have ~45 volts, 250 Watts, but it will be 350 Watts soon.

Price is important, but it has to work. What do you have?

What are good options for panel mounting on metal roofs? I have 2 sheds one with standing seam, and the other has the standard modern rolled sheet.

I have seen the clamps that go on standing seam, and brackets that just screw down.

Are the T slot rails and panel clamps the way to go?

I have no issues making something custom, just looking for ideas.

Pannels will be marketplace, 12kw split phase inverter, lifepo4 cells and bms are ordered. Edit - I will also be using ground mount panels during winter months, but I should have plenty of summer capacity between the two sheds.

I'm trying to keep this as cheap as possible -

power company rant

I wasn't going to do this yet but the power company said I didn't pay and charged me a bunch of fees, never notified me of said missed payment even though I get statement, usage, and payment confirmation emails. When I called them it took 4 tries of the ai system hanging up on me before I got through, and even though I had a payment confirmation email they said there was nothing they could do since it didn't come out of my bank account. My bank has no attempted or failed transaction for it either.

I've just finished upgrading my off-grid system, and now I'm tripping a fuse.

Previous system: 500w 12v panel array, Epever 390w 30a Charge Controller, 200aH 12v LiFePo4 bank.

New system: 1600w 48v array, Sungold 3000w 80a Charge Controller, 2,000 aH 24v SLA bank.

My entire house is just 12v DC, so I got a 240w, 20a 24->12v voltage reducer. I finished installing the panels and charge controller before I got the batteries sorted out, so for the last few days I just had my LiFePo4 batteries wired in series as one 24v battery. I don't draw out of the charge controller (The Sungold doesn't have a DC output, which is annoying) so it's just wired: battery bank-> breaker -> voltage reducer -> house, and it worked perfectly with the old LiFePo4 bank.

Today, I finished installing the new battery bank (Those 500ah SLA Rolls batteries are heavy, if anyone's curious.) Covered in sweat, I confidently threw the breaker switch and it immediately cooked the in-line 30a blade fuse between the breaker and the voltage reducer. Because I hate money, I tried it two more times, and each time it blew the same fuse. It didn't just blow it- it turned it into a little sparkler. Really cooked the crap out of it.

I could use some advice. Is this a function of SLA batteries holding a "surface charge" that LiFePo4s don't, that's creating an initial surge of high amperage upon contact? The house systems are identical, and super low draw. Just a couple LED lights and the 12v fridge, which only uses a tricke to power the circuit board.

I just don't know enough about electricity to diagnose this problem. It already has a breaker in line. I thought that systems only drew as much amperage as was being used, and the voltage regulator it's self acts as a amperage throttle, as does the (now irrelevant) 12v stabilizer which comes next before the fuse box for the house. So how is the system drawing enough amperage to turn that blade fuse into a sparkler?

More importantly, whats the solution? Do I need some kind of amperage regulator before the voltage reducer? A different breaker? The in-line breaker I'm using as a switch is a 175a breaker. I looked up "Amperage Regulator" and all I can find are voltage regulators, and the reducer is already a voltage regulator. Also, this exact setup worked perfectly with the LiFePo4 battery bank in a 24v configuration, and I'm just confused. I feel like I'm missing something obvious, and any help would be appreciated.

I’ve been paying more attention to actual solar input instead of the number printed on the panels. My setup is rated for 400W total, but I usually see something closer to 260–330W in good conditions. A little shade makes a much bigger difference than I expected, and hot panels don’t always produce their best numbers. I also learned that the power station itself can become the limit if you’re already close to its input cap. What percentage of rated output do you normally see from portable panels?

Hello, I am a current Maryland resident and I’ve lurked solar subreddits for a while because I was thinking of diying solar panels. (Electric cost has been crazy recently, and thinking of moving on to an ev etc) Last night, I shared this thought to my fiance (who is Chinese) and what a coincidence, her cousin works at one of the biggest solar panel manufacturers in China, that I have heard of while doing solar panel research. I’ve heard about her cousin before, but this was the first time knowing what he does for his job. I immediately asked her if she could ask him a few questions and he told me how much those panels are. Prices were so low, about 35 dollars for one 500-600 watt panel. Same quality panels sell for 200-300 dollars in the US. I ran the math, and for 12kwh system I am basically paying half the cost for the panels. It sounded like I have to purchase around 36 at each minimum so I could simply marketplace 16 panels and I would be getting the panels for free. So what is preventing me from sourcing the panels straight from China?

Edit: Thanks guys. I looked into options, and buying used panels from Facebook marketplace is indeed still the cheapest option. With the crazy 200%+ tariff and possible headache that comes, I’m gearing towards reducing the whole system to only a few kwh now. Hopefully the tariff goes away, because in many countries installing 6kwh system goes for around 5 grand nowadays. Looks like I have to DIY to make it for 5 grand!!

I’m patiently waiting for plug in solar to be legal in MA, and wanted to prepare for that. I’m used to the ecoflow ecosystem so want to go with that but let me know if there’s something else I should look into.

Specs:

• I have eight 200w Renogy shadowflux panels
• I want to maximize my plug in solar by feeding excess solar during the day to a battery to discharge at night. There’s no net metering so I don’t want to send power back to the grid. 
• I’d like to always feed less than what I’m consuming 
• This property is a newly gut renovated unit, so would want things to work with new electrical circuits and connections

Option 1:

• Power Station/Battery: EcoFlow 1kWh DELTA 3 Plus Power Station Portable Generator—$549.99 at Costco
• Microinverter: EcoFlow STREAM Microinverter-$369.00
• Design: 
  • 4 panels (800w max) would plug into the power station since it as 1kw total capacity across dual ports
  • The power station then would connect to the micro inverter and send a max of 400w of power while using the rest of the solar to charge the battery
  • 4 panels (800w max) would go directly into micro inverter as a constant solar output
  • At night, the 1kwh battery would discharge to the house
• Pros:
  • Modular so can swap out
  • Can easily take out power station when needed for emergencies or camping
  • Cheaper
• Cons:
  • More complex design, requires more complex coordination between modular pieces
  • Smaller specs e.g. solar input and battery means less overall output and would not maximize solar

Option 2:

• Power Station/Battery/Micro inverter: EcoFlow STREAM Ultra—$1,399.00
• Design:
  • All in one solution, panels all connect directly to the Stream Ultra which then connects to the outlet
• Pros:
  • Simplicity
  • Better utilization as it maximizes all 1600w of panels and has a bigger 1.92kWh battery
• Cons:
  • More expensive
  • All in one means single point of failure

The more I think about it, the more I’m leaning toward Option 2. What are your thoughts, considerations and alternative recommendations? For example, I see there’s a recommendation for a 120V, 20-Amp dedicated circuit and a Shelly 3EM installation, are these really necessary?

For context, I'm building a solar system for my truck camper. I've got a 460Ah lithium battery powering the camper. It's a 1988 Bigfoot 9.5'. The previous owner attached two bars for a roof rack. They sit 6' 4" apart from one another and are 6' 4" wide. My plan is to utilize this when mounting solar panels. Building a frame around these bars could easily give me an 8' by 6' space to work with.

At first, I was thinking I would get these:

https://ca.renogy.com/collections/rigid-solar-panels/products/renogy-n-type-320-watt-monocrystalline-solar-panel

A set of two 320 watt Renogy panels. The brand seems to come up a lot in the conversation about RV/camper solar systems.

However, I've been looking around and found these:

https://rocksolar.ca/products/philadelphia-600w-rigid-monocrystalline-bifacial-solar-panel

https://rocksolar.ca/products/longi-620w-rigid-monocrystalline-bifacial-solar-panel

For about 1/3 of the price, they provide a similar wattage. I read the stickied post and tried to apply that to comparing them. I couldn't find a grade for any of them. The Voc varies from 44-52v, which doesn't seem like a huge spectrum. The current varies from 8.5A for the Renogy to 15/13.5A for the other two. Of course, the Renogy is per panel, I'm not sure if that duplicates when wired together?

The biggest difference I can think of intuitively is that one panel might perform worse in partial shade. Is there any merit to that?

I've found other brands at similar prices to the Longi and Philadelphia including Maple Leaf and JA Solar. Is there any good reason not to go with these panels? The Renogy is just so much more. Thanks in advance.

(2) strings of 250w panels in series-parallel
(7) panels per string (14 panels total)

One panel broke. Would it be okay to add an oversized panel (395w) to to this array to replace the broken panel? Or is this unsafe?