Detailed Comparative Analysis of Solar Panel Brands for CQ University

This report, prepared for CQ University, provides a comparative analysis of various solar panel brands, including Sharp E350, SolarMax 200, and Fusion Catcha, among others. The analysis considers factors such as output capacity, efficiency, greenhouse gas reductions, and gross return. The report includes an executive summary, introduction, and detailed discussion of the scoring criteria. It also presents an excel sheet with numerical scores for each brand. The study concludes with recommendations, highlighting Fusion Catcha as the most viable option for the university based on its high output, efficiency, and environmental benefits. The report emphasizes the importance of solar energy in reducing costs and promoting sustainability, offering insights into how the university can reduce costs and set an example for other institutions.

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Executive Summary
With the increase in global warming and the advancement of eco-friendly ways to create
energy, solar panels remain one of the best ways to do so as it is applicable everywhere.
Residential solar system owners tend to be from the middle class and are mostly highly
educated. The report is aimed at providing a well-informed, comparative study between the
different solar panel brands. Such a comparison will help the university to select the brand,
most suitable to them. An excel sheet has been attached to the file showing the numerical
scores of every brand under specific criteria's and detailed analysis has been provided. By
switching to solar energy the University is expected to cut down many other costs and set an
example for other institutions. By referring to the excel sheet data the Fusion Catcha have
been found to be most viable to be installed around the University so as to bring value to the
environment and eliminate the use of non-renewable sources of energy.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Discussion..................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion and Recommendations............................................................................................6

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Introduction
Solar panels have become one of the most effective ways to gather reliable renewable
energy. They convert the sun's rays into electrical energy that are used widely in houses and
organisations. With the increase in global warming and the advancement of eco-friendly
ways to create energy, solar panels remain one of the best ways to do so as it is applicable
everywhere. Residential solar system owners tend to be from the middle class and are mostly
highly educated. Additionally, a large portion of them tends to not have children. Solar panels
are highly effective in curbing down the electrical cost of CQ University in the long run.
Many businesses have also opted for solar energy due to the increasing costs for electric
power, the high price of oil and environmental concerns. As a result, they have reduced costs
of operating, there is no need for maintaining to extract reliable energy and earning the
“green” label also helps as an efficient marketing tool. This report aims at providing a well-
informed, comparative study between the different solar panel brands. Such a comparison
will help various institutions to select the brand, most suitable to them. An excel sheet has
been attached to the file showing the numerical scores of every brand under specific criteria’s
anda detailed analysis has been provided.
Discussion
The Solar Panel models included in the study are Sharp E350, SolarMax 200, Full
Sun 33, MegaSol 10000, NanoSolar 10 Stripe, Mr Solar EKS, SolarLife AB200, Wang Solar
W100, Fusion Catcha, and Proto-Panel Red-UV.
Overall score
If these panels evaluated on the basis of overall scores, then the best solar panel would
have been Fusion Catcha. The solar panel has the highest output capacity within all of them
that is of 1600 watts. It covers the largest area of 4.64 square metres. It generates an amount
of 4088 kilowatts per annum and has the highest efficiency of 34%. The most eco-friendly
solar panel in the list because of causes 3.57 tons of greenhouse gas reductions per year. All
these factors that consist of the criteria for an overall score of the solar panels are fulfilled
better by the Fusion Catcha solar panels making it the best solar panel according to the
overall scores. Additionally, the solar panels with the least overall score in the list are Full
Sun 33 with a score of 4%.

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Greenhouse gas reductions (×1, ×2, ×3)
If the scoring criteria were to change and instead of basing it on the overall score of
the panels, it was based just on how much each of those panels contributed to Greenhouse
Gas reductions, then the most suited solar panel with the highest score would have been the
Fusion Catcha. When it comes to the environmental utility of solar panels, Greenhouse gas
reductions are given significant importance. Some of the important greenhouse gasses that
leads to the increase of global warming are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and
chlorofluorocarbons. One of the most influential primary sources of greenhouse gas emission
in the atmosphere is the production of electricity. It produces carbon dioxide, methane,
chlorofluorocarbons and nitrous oxide. Solar panels are eco-friendly ways to generate energy,
but even they produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide contributing to global warming.
However, according to various studies, solar panels reduce the production of greenhouse
gases by up to 90% of what is produced by other non-renewable resources. For example, it is
assumed that a household having a solar panel installation produces about 11,000 kWh per
hour on average, making up for the usual amount of energy used in every household.
However, if this amount of energy was to be supplied through burning coal, there would have
been an emitting of 7.70 metrics tons of carbon dioxide from the coal plant, per year. This is
why, even after emitting carbon dioxide, solar panels are a better option than the traditional
form of electricity production, making it more efficient and environment friendly. Fusion
Catcha having the highest percentage of greenhouse gas reductions with a score of 10%
among the other panels remains the most eco-friendly solar panel in the list. The least
percentage in the list is 0% which is the score of Full Sun 33, Nano Solar 10 Stripe and Proto-
Panel Red-UV.
Greenhouse gases are mainly responsible for increasing global warming on the Earth.
At present, human activities emitting carbon dioxide of 42bn tonnes and if this rate is carried
on global warming will increase to 1.5C by the middle of this century. This will result in
harmful consequences. Particularly, poor people will have to suffer from a shortage of water
and food which will be more in some parts of the world than others. If not curbed down, the
gradual increase in global warming can result in dangerous or even fatal consequences.
Consequences like rising temperatures, flood, and health diseases have already started to
manifest. Under such conditions, considering the reduction in greenhouse gases is one of the
most important environmental concerns. Keeping this in mind, the scores of the panels
regarding greenhouse gas reductions have been doubled as well as tripled to study their
efficiency in the matter. On doubling the greenhouse gas reductions of the solar panels in the

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list, it is seen that Fusion Catcha remains ahead of all the other panels by a 32% reduction of
Greenhouse gases every year. On multiplying the amount of greenhouse gas reductions by the
solar panels in the list, it is seen Fusion Catch solar panels still occupy the first place with the
highest score of 42% reductions of greenhouse gases every year. Therefore, it is evident in all
the three cases [greenhouse gas reductions (×1), (×2), (×3)], that Fusion Catcha is the most
efficient and therefore the most preferable eco-friendly solar panel in the list since it produces
the least amount of greenhouse gases.
Gross return
The next scoring criteria for the preferable solar panels is gross return percentage also
known as the gross rate of return. Gross rate of return simply means the number of
investment returns that are generated from operating a property without having to adjust for
manager or adviser fees. The gross return or solar panel payback period is decided depending
on the size of the solar panel and the equipment that is used to make up that system. The cost
of setting solar panels are also affected significantly by rebates as well as tax breaks. The
higher the percentage of gross return, the more affordable and preferable the solar panels
become to consumers. The highest overall gross return percentage in the scoreboard is that of
10%. However, this score is not shared by one, but two solar panels. These two solar panels
are Mr Solar EKS and SolarLife AB200. The least percentage of gross return being that of
Proto-Panel Red-UV, which is 0%.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Solar energy systems have become, over the past few years an important force to fight
off the depletion of non-renewable resources of energy as well as the increasing greenhouse
gas emissions by electricity production through those non-renewable resources that contribute
in one of the most harmful environmental problems that are, global warming. Solar panels
have been adopted in various households and businesses mostly with the motive of lesser
costs for electric power, but more stress is laid on them by environmentalists as well as
certain governments due to their ability to provide energy along with cutting down a
maximum of 90% of the greenhouse gas production. In the study, an analysis of the solar
panels suiting best to the given criteria has been given. This report will be helpful in
providing assistance to consumers for better buying and the solar panel companies for
recommendations which can be used to better the performance of the other solar panels.
Thus, proving to be an important study material on the subject of solar panels. Some other

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costs including the maintenance and installation costs are not taken into account which is
expected to increase the overall costs for the solar panel.
Given the fact non-renewable energy sources are depleting at a rapid rate, it is highly
recommended for CQ University to invest in solar power. The money for another form of
investment like term deposit in bank, shares and real estate should be kept low so as to
provide a sustainable option to the environment. By switching to solar energy the University
is expected to cut down many other costs and set an example for other institutions. By
referring to the excel sheet data the Fusion Catcha have been found to be most viable to be
installed around the University so as to bring value to the environment and eliminate the use
of non-renewable sources of energy. Further, in order to reduce the cost of solar installation,
the authorities are suggested to avoid utility inflation and look for hardware that is most
likely to support the highest efficiency of solar energy trapping with high-end materials. This
will save future breakdown costs. CQ University should utilise every data for making
everything more efficient and build networks that reduce the time of installing a solar system.