Skip to content

Question list for a buyer

What to settle before you write a solar panel distributor

A solar panel distributor conversation goes better when the blanks are labeled. GridWorks Supply uses this planner as a question path, not as a design tool and not as a stock screen. You remain the buyer. This desk coordinates as an independent sourcing partner.

  1. Name the application in one sentence: roof, ground, canopy, or a mixed bill of materials.
  2. List rated power, module efficiency, and the test basis you will accept on the datasheet.
  3. Mark connector, maximum system voltage, and any 1000 V or 1500 V class the drawing already chose.
  4. Add quantity, the US destination, and whether the budget is per module or for the whole order.
Build a Sourcing Brief
  1. Specification: cell technology, module efficiency, maximum power voltage, open-circuit voltage and string current. Copy the requested datasheet or mark “supplier to state”.
  2. Quantity: modules or pallets, sample request and release sizes.
  3. Destination: US dock or site, receiver and unloading constraints.
  4. Timing: requested sample and order windows, pending supplier confirmation.

Five question cards before any distributor email

1. Format

Ask for cell technology, dimensions, and frame holes. A 72-cell or 144 half-cell label is a format question, not proof the rail will fit.

2. Electrical

Record rated power in W at STC: 1000 W/m² irradiance, 25 °C cell temperature and the AM1.5 reference spectrum. Add maximum power voltage and open-circuit voltage in V, current in A, efficiency with its test basis and operating temperature in °C. Keep any requested values separate from the proposed model's documented ratings.

3. Leads

Ask for connector manufacturer, exact type, cable size and lead length in mm. Require the intended mating pair and its instructions; a “compatible” label or matching shape is insufficient. Leave pair approval with the qualified project reviewer.

4. Mechanical

Mounting method, design wind or snow values the structure vendor already uses, and the frame the drawing shows. Enclosure rating applies to related boxes, not to the glass face by default.

5. Evidence

Datasheet, drawing, test sample, and any listing must name the manufacturer and model. Agree a review method before sampling: check labels, dimensions, connector markings and lot-linked flash or electroluminescence records against the agreed revision. Log differences and an acceptance decision. Request MOQ, sample cost, freight and preparation time separately; no sample outcome is promised.

Tradeoffs the planner should not hide

Unit price versus a matched delivered scope: the unit-price column can shrink the module line when accessories and freight truly match. The scope column can show that a crate still needs a different connector, a different pallet height, or papers your inspector named. Keep both columns. Do not collapse them into a percent-off claim.

String or central conversion versus module-level electronics: fewer power converters can suit a clear field. Per-module electronics can suit shade and monitoring the design already paid for. Neither choice is made on this page. DC-to-AC ratio stays with the engineer who owns the one-line.

If storage shares the project, write AC-coupled or DC-coupled as the current design assumption, or write that it is unresolved. AC-coupled gear can stand beside an existing PV inverter. DC-coupled gear can share a DC bus on a new build when that bus exists. Battery transport files, when storage is quoted, are requested for the exact battery, not assumed from the module pack.

Supplier preference is yours: high-end, mid-range, budget, or undecided. It records how much documentation and commercial posture you want. It is not a grade we have audited. Move from here to the labels, the quote fields, or the form. The brief article carries the same questions in long form.

Reference checks made 26 October 2026: NREL photovoltaic monitoring guidance explains STC, and Stäubli's connector pairing guidance explains why a compatibility label alone does not establish the mating pair. Neither reference approves the proposed module or makes this service an authorized representative.

Turn the answered cells into a factory request

Send the filled cells, including blanks you refused to guess. FREE sourcing support and an up to 3% ceiling are described in the header, with the eligibility review.