Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this kit for installation on the roof of my motorhome. Delivery was delayed, and then rescheduled a couple of times, so delivery was problematic; but everything arrived in good condition. In short, I've been ecstatic about the PV panels, and kinda "meh" about everything else.
So, let's talk about the good: The panels are fantastic. Well-made, long warranty, and they consistently produce more than the advertised power when in direct sunlight (12 amps is not unheard of, according to the charge controller display; though that's only for a few minutes each day...it mostly hovers between 6 and 10 during the peak sun hours of the day). I won't hesitate to buy more Sharp solar panels when it comes time to expand my array.
The rest of the kit, however, leaves something to be desired.
The worst aspect of the kit is the lack of documentation. The solar panels have documentation, but it covers mounting on permanent structures, and with brackets wholly unlike the ones provided in the kit. The wiring examples in the solar panel documentation also has no relation to how this kit would be wired up on a motorhome or boat. The charge controller also has a little booklet, but there's nothing about mounting the panels or wiring them up on a motorhome or boat. So, you're kinda on your own when it comes to bolting them down and wiring them up; it's not rocket science, but it's not obvious either. I sent an email to Sunforce asking a couple of questions I had about the installation, and got no reply.
The Sunforce inverter is cheaply made. While it works, it is noisy and gets quite warm. The fan has also started making yucky noises in the 4 months I've used it. I bought a 1000W Wagan inverter recently, and it is quieter and cooler. Even before the fan started making noise, the inverter itself had a high pitched hum.
The provided DC meter is less than worthless. I couldn't see the indicator lights when the sun was bright enough to check the solar panels. Luckily, I have a nice DMM, so I just tossed the provided DC meter. There are DMMs for less than ten bucks on Amazon that I'm sure are better than this volt meter.
The cable provided is lighter gauge than the documentation suggests you use for runs of this length, and it only covers the run from the panels to the controller; and not the run from the controller to the battery bank. So, you're on your own there.
The mounting brackets had a couple of unthreaded nuts, which was inconvenient and a time-waster. So QC during the packaging process is kinda lax.
The charge controller is the only Sunforce-branded component in this kit that I actually like. It's small, it's cheap, and it does the job reliably and with reasonable indicator lights and display. It doesn't run hot, doesn't make noise, and looks good stuck in the wall of my motorhome. I have no complaints about it.
So, to sum up: Great solar panels, decent charge controller, but this kit is over-priced at the full-price. I paid about $850, which was about the same price as the two panels by themselves at the time, so a pretty good deal. These days, with the price being back up $1000, you'd be much better off buying the panels independently, and using the remaining $200 to buy a high quality charge controller (the Sunforce one works fine; you can get it for about 30 bucks, I think), good heavy gauge stranded copper wire, a good inverter, and higher quality brackets (hopefully with documentation that covers using those brackets). If you don't have a DMM, pick one up. You'll spend about the same amount, and end up with a much better installation when you're finished...and with nice thick wire, you can add more panels later without having to run more wire, which is not something I can say for my installation.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Sunforce 39626 160-Watt High-Efficiency Polycrystalline Solar Power Kit
The Sunforce 39626 160-Watt High-Efficiency Polycrystalline Solar Power Kit will give you several more reasons to love the sun. It provides the power you need, while helping you save money and protect the environment. This kit is ideal for cabins, recreational vehicles, remote power, back-up power, and 12-volt battery charging. It comes with everything you need to start producing up to 160 Watts of clean, free power in all weather conditions. Sunforce kits are easy to set up and operate.
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