All of the materials used to build the panel are very good, The aluminum frame is solid, The glass is real glass and is the correct type of glass for a solar panel. The solar cells are very good quality. The only problem that there might be is that I can't tell if the panel has a built in Diode or not. Not having a diode should not make any difference unless you are hooking the panel up without a charge controller. Any charge controller you can get will have a diode in it so no worries.
Shipping One of the pictures shows the panel with styrofoam at each corner in a box, My panel came in this box, plus that box was inside another one, I thought having the panel in two boxes was really good because it offers better protection for the glass in the panel. I was happy to see this when it arrived as our mail here gets tossed around quite a bit.
What it comes down to is that you get exactly what is in the picture.
The only other bad thing is the free bonus mouse pad, It is really useless unless you have a round computer screen, which I have yet to see.
Update 1/22/2010 I was wrong about the panel not having a built in Diode, I took the cover off the back and there is a diode installed for sure.
I am very pleased with the performance of this small panel. I paired it with a Brunton Solar Charger to maintain two 60 Ah 12 volt batteries and it keeps them charged up.
I have a 600 Watt Inverter I use to power lights, a small pump and other devices at our -off the gridlocation. This panel keeps the batteries at a charged level.
Obviously this panel is too small to rapidly charge anything, but it is amazing how much it can deliver even in low light situations. Well constructed, worth every cent.
Nice shipping container as well.
Buy HQRP 12W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel 12 Watt (Size of 10 Watt / 10W) 12 Volt in Anodized Aluminum F Now
Exactly what is advertised. I hooked 2 of these in parrarel through a Brunton controller to a 275 watt lawn tractor battery and a 400 watt inverter to run my outside lighting at night. Works like a charm.
Read Best Reviews of HQRP 12W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel 12 Watt (Size of 10 Watt / 10W) 12 Volt in Anodized Aluminum F Here
I bought the HQRP 12W solar panel in May 2010 to build a small solar power generator. After hooking it up to a marine battery and one of HQRP's charge controllers, it worked like a charm.
Then, when I moved in October, I foolishly tried to attach the solar panel to the second-story awning of my condo.... with Velcro.
One day, a few weeks later, I came home to find the solar panel face down on the ground. Apparently, the Velcro had separated from the awning, and the panel had fallen 2 stories onto the cement patio deck below.
I feared the worst, and even though the solar panel still looked like it was completely intact, I assumed that the impact had caused major internal damage.
To my surprise, when I plugged it backed in, the generator came back to life, and the panel continued to charge my battery, as if nothing had ever happened. And to think, I paid under $70 for this tough-as-nails power plant.
Want HQRP 12W Mono-crystalline Solar Panel 12 Watt (Size of 10 Watt / 10W) 12 Volt in Anodized Aluminum F Discount?
This solar panel is well constructed and easy to use as a replacement. The seller was careful to pack it for safe transit.
