Whether you are planning to get solar panels for an RV, your boat, or your off-grid farmhouse, solar panels are becoming cheap enough for many situations. This Newpowa Solar Panel Review is a simple follow-up on my research on the solar panel I use in my home.
The Newpowa brand is becoming increasingly popular because they offer good quality panels at competitive prices. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that the NewPowa Solar Panels are the best panels out there. But, I am saying that if you want solar panels that work, these panels will serve you well for the price.
Table of Contents
The most popular NewPowa solar panel is the 100 Watt Polycrystalline. They also have the monocrystalline 100 Watts panels for a little more money. Although the 100 Watt panels are very popular, I can see the NewPowa 200 Watts 12 volts monocrystalline solar panels becoming even more popular.
I ordered a set of 150 Watt panels for our home. A few months ago, the 150 Watt solar panels were not easily accessible, and the 200 Watts and 250 Watt panels were usually 24 volts. With a 24-volt solar panel, you will need a 24-volt bank of batteries to maximize your panels. There is also a 150 W and 180 Watt Mono NewPowa Solar Panel.
Newpowa has many solar panels that can fit your power needs.
Below is my review of the NewPowa 100 Watts Solar Panel. These panels share much in common with the other panels with different power ratings. If this review is helpful, you can decide whether to go for this or any other NewPowa Solar Panels.
Here are a few things to consider when reviewing the 100 Watt Newpowa Solar Panel.
How Much Power Does it Use?
The Output rating on the Newpowa solar panel refers to the peak power the panels can output when placed under direct sunlight. It is the ideal case. In reality, you will not get this peak power throughout the day. If you have direct sunlight for 5 hours, then the solar panels should ideally output 500 Watts of Power.
You can use the solar panels to supply 500 watts of Power to any direct current load that may be connected to the panels. In my case, I bought my solar panels to charge my 200Ah battery.
It is more realistic to assume that the panels will only supply 70-80% of the max power rating even when you have an almost ideal situation. If, however, there is some shade, some cloud, or your placement does not allow for adequate sunlight to your panels, the power output will be affected.
What Can You Use the Newpowa Solar panels For?
These panels are suitable for various applications. From my research, they have been used for RVs, Caravans, Marine, and off-grid applications (this means that they can be used within a complete system that does not depend on the electric grid from the city). They can also generate solar energy fed back into the electric grid. Some people have installed them on their boats and so on. They would function anywhere electric Power is needed as long as you have direct sunlight.
The 100-watt Newpowa solar panels can be used in any application that requires charging a 12-volt battery. They can also be used for 24 and 48 volts battery systems. However, you will need to connect more than one panel in a series.
Newpowa Solar Panel Installation
There is an option to purchase the Newpowa Solar Panel with the Z brackets needed to install the panels. However, you will also need an extension cable. The cable attached to the panel is only about 36 inches long.
You may need to purchase more materials for mounting your panels on a roof if the included z brackets and cables are insufficient. You may need more extension cables, and an MC4 removal tool is needed to fasten and unfasten the connectors.
The 100-watt Newpowa Solar Panels come with male-female MC4 connectors. These are the standard connectors that come with solar panels. They are designed for easy connection without a tool, but they do not easily come apart. You will need a tool to pull them apart. This is so that they don’t accidentally come apart once they are in place.
I suggest you estimate the distance between your batteries and the solar panel and purchase an extension cable. I have my panels installed on the roof, so I needed about 50 feet of extension connector.
The extension cables can be purchased on Amazon.
Pre-drilled Holes for Easy Installation
The 100 Watt Newpowa Solar Panels have pre-drilled holes that make installation on rooftops and other places easy. These pre-drilled holes are almost standard on most solar panels of this size. Installing solar panels on the roof can be tedious if you drill the holes yourself.
Newpowa Solar Panel Frame
The 100-watt Newpowa Solar panel is well-built with a corrosion-resistant aluminum frame. The aluminum frame is anodized, which means it will maintain a good appearance over a long period of time. Since the panels will be kept outdoors, an aluminum frame is ideal for preventing corrosion.
According to the manufacturers, the panels have been tested to withstand high winds of up to 2400 Pa, approximately 50 pounds per square foot. Snow loads can withstand up to 5400 Pa, which is approximately 112 pounds per square foot. This has become a standard for most solar panel manufacturers.
Anti-Reflection Coated Glass
The glass covering on the front of the Newpowa panels is 3.2mm thick, tempered and patterned. This ensures that the glass is not easily broken while driving with the solar panels on your RV or your boat. This protects the glass from debris that may drop on it on a windy day.
Waterproof IP-65 Rated Junction Box
The Newpowa Solar panel has a junction box at the back through which the solar panel is connected to your batteries or direct current devices. This junction box contains electrical components that must be protected from dust and moisture.
The Newpowa panels are IP-65 rated, protecting against dust particles and low-pressure water jets. They, however, are not protected against continuous submersion in water. To protect against constant water submersion, the junction box would have to be IP-68 rated. Solar panels only need protection against rain, so an IP-65 rating is more than adequate.
Newpowa solar panel dimensions
50 Watts
- 23.07 x 19.88 x 1.18 inches
- 9.02 pounds
100 Watts
- 44.49 x 19.88 x 1.18 inches
- 16.31 pounds
175 Watts
- 58.35 x 26.57 x 1.38 inches
- 26.7 pounds
200 Watts
- 66.2 x 28.5 x 2.5 inches
- 31.7 pounds
The size of the solar panels is suitable for most applications.
Monocrystalline 100W Specification
Pros
- Its construction meets the basic standards for solar panels.
- The Newpowa company has been around for a few years. Not very long, but long enough to have a reputation to protect.
- It is cost-effective. It is not cheaper than all the other panels, but it is a good price for the quality and performance.
- They have better customer service than many of their competitors.
Cons
- The panels are slightly bigger and heavier than similar models, although recently, they have reduced the size by 14%, so this is no longer the case.
- The connecting cable attached to the panel is too short. It’s just 90cm (3 feet) long. So you would need to buy an extension cable.
- It is just one panel. If you are new to solar, you are better off going for the KIT. The starter kit contains all you need to start using your solar panel, excluding the battery and the Power Inverter.
Customer Reviews
The 100 Watt NewPowa Solar Panel has an Amazon customer review of 4.5 out of 5. Many studies were five stars, and many reviews were from repeat buyers.
Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline?
I always purchase monocrystalline panels because monocrystalline solar panels perform better with low light.
Conclusion
The 100 Watt NEWPOWA Solar Panels provide good value for the price. This is the way to go if you are going for a large installation (10+ panels). However, if you need one panel, there is no significant difference between the NewPowa Solar Panel and those of other brands. Therefore, go for the NewPowa Solar panel because it delivers good quality at an affordable price.