Epcom 50 Watt Polycrystalline Solar Panel - 5 year warranty

First off, im new to the solar game. Mostly just trying to power a gable fan in the attic to cool it, to not only save a couple bucks, but also keep the house cooler. Even with the A/C cranking, the second floor is still 5-10 degrees hotter than the first floor. Im assuming 50 watts is way over what i need for 1 fan, but from what ive seen, 10 - 15 watt panels seem to barely push gable fans and was recommended to get 2 fans and panel kits, upwards of $400-$600 and thats just for the fan and panel. Instead i got this panel, a charge regulator, an inverter, a gable fan and a deep cycle battery all for $350. Would have been for $300, BUT the shipping cost for this panel was ridiculous. Ordered this unit tuesday and it arrived friday, so three day delivery. Im not disappointed with the arrival speed, im disappointed with the shipping options. The ONLY option is 3-5 day which costs $40! Almost half of what i paid for the unit itself. Speaking of HALF, the box it came in weighs the same as the panel itself. Im not sure why there is NO other shipping option, because i was really in no rush to get this. I have 3 other components coming that are needed before i can do anything with the panel. *Sigh* shame on me for not researching more, i was a bit jumpy about getting a set-up going and ordered it anyways. My only relief is what i DID research. Which wasnt much, but enough to convince me no other 50 watt panel would be this cheap ($140). Like i said, im new to this and know somewhat what im doing. Anywhos, besides the shipping and its performance (or lack there of... missing my other components to test) it seems a quality product. Seriously though, i could have done without the 3 day $40 shipping, i really could have waited. Tighten up Epcom! Unless youre getting some kind of kick back for the $40 shipping, youre just losing out on customer service with lack of options. I should know, ive ordered other, if not more, delicate products, such as my 22" Asus HDMI LED Monitor. Packed just as good as this panel and free shipping. I'll step off my soap box now. May update with sufficient results of performance and set up. And yes, this product comes with nothing but the panel and its already connected leads, no instructions... google it. Unfortunately i HAVE to rate this... im giving a three because, obviously, shipping was outrageous and no instructions or even directions on where to find some. I personally believe whatever you sell, should come with some type of manual/instructions/directions or suggestions on where they can be found. Instead of a big piece of paper with "Google it". And no that didnt come in the box, but thats what it felt like. And yes i am and was aware there is another review that stated "no instructions" before and after i made this purchase. For what its worth, i couldnt find a cheaper 50 watt panel.

When I received my two panels (about 8 months ago) I felt the packaging was inadequate, but the panels arrived undamaged. I also heard a rattling sound coming from the connecting junction box. When I opened the covers I found the noise was caused by left over wire clippings from the manufacturing process. Turning the panels over got rid of the debris, and with the covers back in place I was ready to proceed. The wires were clearly labeled with the polarity. I measured the voltage output with the panels in the sun, each panel read about 21 volts with no load.I connected the panels to a Prostar 30 Solar Charge Controller (made by Morningstar), and the charger to a single WalMart marine battery for my initial test. The controller indicated I was receiving up to a little over 4 amps from each panel (high reading), but averaged around 3 amps each or less depending on the sun and clouds. This configuration seems to work well for now, (I would like to add more batteries later).I've also used the panels to charge a Juicebox Mark II, made by Hardened Powers Systems in TN and they have done a good job.The way I've used my two panels, charging a battery about once a week, has prevented my panels from being exposed to harsh weather on a regular basis. So my panels seem to be holding up well.Conclusion: Packaging could have been better. Quality control was fairly good but could be improved. Voltage and Amp output, I'm satisfied with my results.UPDATE - About a year later I was satisfied with my original panels and decided to order two more. This time there were no rattles in the panels received. They function as expected. They are nice looking and the leads are properly labeled. Although they arrived undamaged, I had expected an improvement in the packaging, but it was still minimal. You would think by paying over $40 each for shipping you would at least get a double boxed, padded container to protect your panels. But no, it was a single box a fraction of an inch larger than the panel with no separators. But did I mention, they do work correctly.

The panels arrived intact. They also arrived with no instructions.The POLARITY of the terminal screws was also unmarked.After determining POLARITY, I wired the two panels in parallel and ran the power wires to an HQRP SOLAR Controller ( POLARITY counts ).I mounted the panels to the southern side of my house using 1/8"X1"X36" aluminum strips and 1/4" lag bolts through the ends of the strips.You have to attach the battery ( again, observe POLARITY ) to the controller FIRST, and then the solar panel wires.Initial charging from the controller will be at 14.4 VDC until the equalization voltage drops to about 13.70 VDC to maintain full charge. The battery LED light on the HQRP Controller will blink slowly at FULL charge.I rate this project as being for medium to expert installers, requiring a multimeter, and household tools, i.e., drill, level, wire stripper, sealants, etc..........time to finish project---about 4 hours.The lack of instructions for the panels assumes the installer is familiar with DC Solar Panels, and how to configure connections. Importantly, the matching of total output voltage and current from the panels to the controller is critical. My controller has a 10 Amp capacity, so the output from the solar panels (5.5 A) does NOT exceed its capacity. Apparently, the total wattage is more important than the rated voltage from the panels, as my panels produce 18 VDC at 5.5 Amps, and the controller is rated 12/24 VDC at 10 Amps.Most importantly, my configuration seems to work...........