Solar quote advice - Trina vs QCells

#1

Hi all,
Hoping for your expert advice :slight_smile:

I received a few quotes and feeling pretty overwhelmed. Im going to try and stick to 2 types of products so as not to get any more confused. Qcells or Trina (with Fronius inverter)

Im willing to go with the Trina package, but i feel that Qcells is a better product. If you were in my situation, would you pay the additional to have Qcells on your roof?

Also, if you could please comment on the prices? (I havent negotiated yet) - Notice on the Trina package there is a $900 upgrade for Qcells.

Also, are the panels recommended good models or are they some sort of entry model in the Trina and Qcell range?
both companies are CEC Accreddited installers.

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#2

Hi @tikelz

Good work on narrowing it down, that can be really tricky, but ruling out a few quotes based on your preferences for the company or products definitely makes it easier.

I would pay the extra $900 for the QCells, you are getting an extra 500W with it as well.

The QCells models are not the very latest technology, I think these are G5 and there is a G6 model out. However, you don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest, they would be more expensive too.

Hope that helps.

Marty

#3

Hi @Marty

I have decided to go down another path as its within my budget.
Can you please look over and let me know if this will be a suitable combo and how long you might think it could take to pay it back?

Its installed by a CEC accredited installers and Retailers. I dont want to mention the company name, just in case its against the rules. But happy to share if that helps with your opinion.

Basically its a Jinko panel, Fronius Inverter and a Fronius Smart meter so i can capture what i am producing from the panels, how much i am using and what times and how much im sending back to the grid.

Does anyone think this Panel is OK?
It was either:

  • 26x Trina Honey M 315W - 315M TSM-315DD06M.05(II)
    but thinking of going for the Jinko JKM330M-60

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#4

Hi @tikelz, that looks fine to me. Trina and Jinko have a pretty similar reputation I would say.

Hope that helps
Marty

#5

Just last week I installed 29 X 29 x Trina 330 W PERC Mono MBB – 120 Half
Cut Cells – Black Frame TS4 Connectors (TSM330DD06M.08(II))

I did make extensive tech analysis and even discussed with with both Q cells and Trina technical managers. The extra cost on Q cells is not very easily acceptable and was not convincing.
Also, I got hem installed directly from CEC accredited installer instead of the 100s of ads you get in social media etc. The fairly good research helped me to ensure that the CEC certified installer had all the good skills and more importantly the safety rules. Remember the safety rules outweighs all the cost in the world for both the installer and the purchaser and their families.

By going directly to the installer, I perhaps saved 15% or more on the profit of the middlemen.
The above model with ABB inverter I hope will give me a good performance. The smart meter is yet to be installed.

Martin

#6

Hi Tikelz,

All systems you have mentioned are well supported and should provide a solid return, payback figures are generally very individual and depends on your personal household usage, your CEC designer should have provided rough payback and production figures for you.
A must for every system I design and install though is the metering for the inverters. You need to know exactly what your inverter produces and how much you use within the house and how much is exported to really get the best tariff for your situation, for argument sake if you only use 40% of your solar production and sell the rest back to the grid, Origin’s solar optimiser tariff can really provide a quicker payback but if you use 80% of the power than other tariffs are much better. Your 3rd option being the same price with Jinko & metering would be my choice.
Only other catch to be aware of would be the install date, I would assume that the STC’s quoted would be for an install before Dec 31, after that the credits will drop by 1/15 or roughly about $360 depending on which system you choose and with Fronius inverters hard to come by this maybe an issue for a quick install.