I wish I could split the ratings. The AET panels are top quality and appear to be very efficient even in cold weather. I would rank them a 5. The design of the mounting rails in the frame gives a lot of options for installation.

As for the DC pumping, I give the system less than a good rating. The 20 watt PV panel is woefully inadequate for installations other than in Florida. I had to switch to a higher wattage panel very soon after startup as the pump wouldnt run until mid day. I would suggest that a minimum of 30 watts is needed for most areas and I would recomend a 40 watt for northern climates (this is backed up by at least one other installation on the Maine coast.

The supplied DC pump was a 10 watt pump. It works well except in very cold weather where the glycol's viscosity goes up and the pump has inadequate pressure to pump the liquid. I have a long pipe run from a basement to a 2nd story roof, so the supplied pump may be adequate for a system with shorter piping (like a typical florida ranch installation).

The supplied 80 gallon tank appears to be good quality and well constructed. It is well insulated with a polyurethane foam.

Overall, the "one size fits all" kit approach is difficult to implement when the manufacturer doesnt know where the equipment is going to be applied. Alternatively, if they oversize the components they will not be competitve. At a minimum, they should offer a option for a high latitude kit and make it obvious in their standard marketing materials that some components are undersized for northern installations.

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