This review is for the 200W panels. I am using multiple panels in an off-grid system.
They were delivered in super sturdy boxes with nice heavy foam protection. Panel build quality is very good, no visual cell defects, excellent mechanical construction, edges line up, etc. Sealant is used where required; quality and application of sealant is good. The aluminum frame has multiple mounting holes, and there's ample room to drill more if required without affecting frame integrity. The glass appears to be good grade; it has a slight random pattern texture on the exterior surface.
Junction box and connectors are good quality. Box is sealed with an o-ring. Although they are plastic, and obviously of 'foreign origin,' they seemed to be solid and well made. Soldering and component attachments were good. Lead wires are 3 feet, 12 AWG aluminum. Yes, aluminum, not tinned copper. I did a chemical test to confirm. Does it make a difference? Well, compared to 10 AWG copper, these will see a loss of about 1.2 watts per panel. Not significant in my opinion.
Now for the numbers. I'm at about 33 N latitude, ~700 ft elevation, date is around April 20; we're on DST so the max solar elevation is right around 12:45 pm. Load is a discharged AGM bank in good condition, charge controller is an Outback FlexMax 60.
In cloudless skies, output stayed about 180W per panel from about 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a peak of 188W. Power at 1.5 hrs post-sunrise and pre-sunset was 140W. These are all on an azimuth tracking mount.
For some other numbers..... On a partly cloudy day, low white clouds with breaks, output was 220W at 4pm. This is typical of the conditions, because the low clouds reflect back some of the light. And because the light is so scattered, I still got 200W even when the panel was only aligned for elevation.
On a fully cloudy day, with zero sun, output was a solid 50 watts, which is about what to expect.
About 20 minutes before sunset, on a cloudy day, output was 10 watts, still enough to keep a float charge going. Not terribly useful, but just an interesting data point.
There was a fair difference in output when alignment was less than optimal. In an Elevation-Only alignment, total output was about 800 watts from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and 1080 watts fully aligned. If you add the "after hours" power, it makes an even bigger difference. This is a higher than expected difference, and I suspect that it's due to the lack of anti-reflective coating on the glass.
Bottom line: great panels at a good price, nice for smaller projects that don't need the large full size panels. I would definitely buy these again.
Update 8/26/20: So I actually did buy 2 more. However, my experience was a bit less than 5 stars. The 2 panels I received were packaged in old looking boxes, without the protection of the original 8 that I bought. They were not damaged though, except for some dings on the frame. They had a different cell style, and different junction box, but had the same product label and were marked as '200 watts.' In operation, they only would produce about 190 watts under test conditions (I used simulated lighting and loads for a fair comparison). In real world operation, I was able to get about 185 watts. I contacted Rich Solar, and they were quick to respond with a partial refund, and to keep the panels. In this case, I was actually ok with keeping the panels, so I accepted their offer. So what I ended up with is 190 W panels at a slight discount. I may buy again, but I will contact Rich Solar before purchasing to verify what I'm getting.
| Brand | RICH SOLAR |
|---|---|
| Material | Tempered Glass, Aluminum, Monocrystalline Silicon |
| Product Dimensions | 58.7"L x 26.8"W x 1.4"H |
| Item Weight | 26.5 Pounds |
| Efficiency | High Efficiency |
| Connector Type | MC4 |
| Included Components | 📦 1 x 200W Monocrystalline Solar Panel |
| AC Adapter Current | 9.8 Amps |
| Maximum Voltage | 20.4 Volts (DC) |
| Upper Temperature Rating | 194 Degrees Fahrenheit |
| Maximum Power | 200 Watts |
| Manufacturer | RICH SOLAR |
| Part Number | RS-M200 |
| Item Weight | 26.5 pounds |
| Item model number | RS-M200 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 200W Single Panel |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Voltage | 12 Volts (DC) |
| Wattage | 200 watts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Usage | High Efficiency Solar Module for RV Trailer Camper Marine Off Grid |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
