Props to Charlie for stating these issues clearly & fairly. There are too many new manu's for me to sort through so I typically delete/spamreport all offers from unknown/chinese sources. That's the "knee jerk reaction" that Charlie mentions, but it's only partly due to anti-communism. It's also due to information overload.<div>
<br></div><div>As a small timer, I am not likely to import for myself from Asia so one thing I would look for is American based warehousing & distribution...and American based warranty procedures. Can I trust that my "big name" wholesalers would not hitch their corporate wagons to a manu which does not have the technical chops or financial staying power? Maybe...maybe not.</div>
<div><br></div><div>The wholesale distributors would do well to develop a list of whys & wherefores about their alliance with a particular Chinese PV manu...not for broadcast to the Wrench List but for helping their dealers to feel OK about the latest product offering. </div>
<div><br></div><div>Come to think of it, an annual report on all their PV manus du jahr would be a good thing, because the biz landscape can shift, right?<br><div><br></div><div>Jolliness~</div><div><br clear="all">Mick Abraham, Proprietor<br>
<a href="http://www.abrahamsolar.com">www.abrahamsolar.com</a><br><br>Voice: 970-731-4675<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 10:59 AM, Aladdin Solar <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:cpickard@aladdinsolar.com">cpickard@aladdinsolar.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div bgcolor="#ffffff">
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Wrenches:</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Like it or not, there is a huge volume of PV
modules manufactured (in part or completely) in China. And we're seeing U.S.
producers moving operations there, too. If we can put aside some of
the knee-jerk reactions to the idea of Chinese manufacturing and face the
fact that it's a major force in the industry, isn't is possible, even likely,
that some of these products are every bit as good as those we are more
familiar with?</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">How can we rationally evaluate modules from
manufacturers we are unfamiliar with? Obviously UL and CEC
listings/certifications are an important starting point but this doesn't narrow
the field much. Warranties also do not narrow the field, either. Module
specs aren't likely to very many products. Evaluation of the quality
of modules seems not possible without long-term testing and in-field
hands on experience. But we don't really know how the new models from
Sharp, Sanyo or SolarWorld will hold up over time either but we tend to trust
them because they are familiar. A</font><font size="2" face="Arial">ge/history/trackrecord eliminates newer companies but still leave
numerous large manufacturers as viable. Will they, can they, back up their
products... how can you know? Shipping distance could be a reason
to resist Asian manufacturers except that modules from Europe are
also shipped half-way around the world to us. Employee human rights and
environmental concerns would be important if there was some way to evaluate
these--but how to research this? I've tried and don't have the time to find
objective information.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">So, how do we evaluate these Chinese modules?
Do we just lump them all into a "low quality" category? Is there a source of
objective information where quality and other issues have been investigated? Are
there some Asian manufacturers you trust and some you definitely stay away
from?</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Thanks.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Charlie Pickard<br>Aladdin
Solar<br></font></div></div>
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