The Solarworld company has just introduced a nice variation of the glass-to-glass solar panel. They call it Sunmodule Protect.
According to Solarworld, the Sunmodule Protect substitutes the usual backsheet with a very lightweight glass product to better protect and shield the solar cells from the weather.
With the glass-on-glass sandwich there is less torsion and stress placed on the cells within, and thus they will not break as easy, especially during installation.
Even with this second piece of glass added to the construction they remain rather lightweight coming in at around 46 lbs – a weight similar to standard glass film technology panels.
They are now available from 260 to 310 watt models. Standard settings are used for mounting.
Solarworld offers an excellent warranty, which has now been extended warranty to 25 years. Even at 30 years the panels are still protected by a proactive warranty that allows for 0.35% drop in productivity per year.
For many years, consumers have felt that the initial investment in solar panels would not pay off quickly enough to make it worthwhile. However, if the company you purchase from warranties the product for up over 30 years, then that is the amount of time you must look at. This is truly a long term investment and should be viewed as such.
Providing renewable resources for the future is of major consideration along with green jobs. Through manufacturing the panels in the United States, Solarworld is also adding to the longevity of the economic boost that the solar industry has provided.
With the new Sunmodule Protect panel, Solarworld has added another piece to the puzzle – consumers can trust that their money will be put to good use when installing solar panels.