Any update on the new crop of flex solar panels ?

[DavidGraves]

Howdy

Any update from those who installed the newest crop of solar flex panels that came from Solar BLVd , etc about a year ago?

I am finally getting around to an install and wonder if the various strategies for fastening them to roof have held up ?
Does heat seem to be an issue with this generation of flexibles?

Has anyone found a source for 90 degree SAE two prong plugs ?

Many thanks for your comments .

David Graves

 

[longhorn1]

Solar panels need airflow. I don't believe there any changes that make it possible for a successful outcome.

 

[buckland]

I have the Renology 160 watt on the roof (rigid) and was thinking of the flexible panel (100 watt) to use as additional power portable unit as I have plug on outside wall. Has anyone used a flex panel to fit as a windshield sun blocker on hot days?... run the plug out the rear sliding window into the ext. plug. Could always store in back seat. Just wondering.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hi Buckland

You and we live near the 45th parallel and most windshields lie back at just such an angle....ideal for solar production....I also thought of lowering the front of the camper roof to incline a roof mount better to the sun.

I am struggling to not bond my panels to the roof in case they fail a few months later and until I sort out the heat issue (or not.)

I have two 120 watt flexy panels from Solar Blvd and one AGM 105 battery...principal draw will be a small Dometic.reefer.

David Graves

PS I finally found someone in BC to recanvas our OLD Town canoe.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

David, Martin Ferwerda is up near Mt Hood. He builds Thompson Bros canoes, and might be a more local person to recanvas your boat.

http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/thompson-bros-canoe-seats-slatted.15185/ Here is a reference to him.

 

[DavidGraves]

Thanks Sage

 

[PaulT]

Solar panels need airflow. I don't believe there any changes that make it possible for a successful outcome.

I recall someone saying they were planning to mount the flexible solar panels on twinwall polycarbonate sheets to provide some airflow under the panel but I don’t recall seeing a report on how that worked out.

Paul

 

[Vic Harder]

I recall someone saying they were planning to mount the flexible solar panels on twinwall polycarbonate sheets to provide some airflow under the panel but I don’t recall seeing a report on how that worked out.

Paul

CarlD also has flex panels mounted to some kind of thin alum to get airflow. I think the general consensus is that you can't direct mount flex panels to a solid surface. They work great on boat bimini's because the heat escapes in the wind, but on an RV roof, that doesn't happen.

 

[buckland]

Hey David glad the canoe will float again! Canvas work is an art to come out right.
Like Vic was saying I read a thread on how someone mounted them on, what I thought was, aluminum channel with 3M tape?
But I am starting to forget things or have "creative recall"...
Their lightweight-ness sure makes them attractive for at least a portable unit.

When the canoe is done post a photo.

 

[Yubaman]

There sure are folks who are gluing them down. I have seen one guy going through some elaborate steps to provide airflow. Looking for simple genius here..

 

[jimjxsn]

Over the summer, I mounted 2 of the Solar Blvd 120w flex panels onto twin wall polycarbonate greenhouse panels attached to an aluminum frame. They are through a Victron 100/20 controller. However the frame and panels ended up being very light weight. The greenhouse panels and solar panels are mostly held down to the 1x1 aluminum frame with VHB tape and a few sheet metal screws.

I can't give any feedback because I don't really have many days usage off grid for any length of time. I hope to add a Victorn BMV monitor this spring so I can actually see what is happening...

 

[Yubaman]

check this out

https://itechworld.com.au/blogs/learn/mounting-flexible-solar-panels

 

[DavidGraves]

I understand that the plastic panel provides air circulation when a vehicle is moving....
and Jjmixn's get a lot of air space up off his roof.

But I wonder if some sort of heat sink is whats' needed to draw away heat generated by the panel itself.


Hmmmmm....?

 

[craig333]

Sausage sizzles at hardware stores? Australia is so much more advanced than we are ;(

 

[buckland]

I like it! And the sausage! Win win. Any cyber Monday deals on flex panels?

 

[Redfish]

David,

I don't know if my panels qualify as part of the "new crop," but I'm using two 100 Watt GoPower flexible panels https://gpelectric.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SPEC_FLEX-100_RevD.pdf.

They were installed in April 2016 by AT in Prescott at the time I picked up my 2016 Fleet, so they have been in place for 3+years. They are attached directly to the roof using tape.

I last measured their output on March 6, 2018 on a clear day at noon on level ground in north Florida with an ambient temperature of 80 degrees using a multi-meter on the wiring immediately before the solar controller (because I don't have an actual battery monitor, just the meter on the GoPower solar controller).

I measured 19.5Voc and 8.6 amps for the 2 panels. The specs call for maximum output of 20.5Voc and 11.36 amps under ideal conditions, so the panels were operating at about 75% efficiency (8.6/11.4 amps) on that day under those conditions, which were good but not ideal.

Unfortunately, I don't have a benchmark other than this one measure, so I don't know if performance has changed over time.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

 

[DavidGraves]

Thanks Jeff

What sun/weather conditions have your panels been used in ?

Does the truck stay outside or garaged ?

Do you see any sort of wear on the panel itself ?

David Graves

 

[Redfish]

David,

Over the past 3 years, my camper has been on my truck 4-6 months out of the year (between May-October). 95% of its use has been in the Intermountain West. For example, this summer I was in WY, ID, and MT July-October, with all of the usual weather and conditions one would expect, from hot and sunny (100F+) to snowy, cloudy and cold (low of 8F).

I have the usual appliances in my 2016 Fleet with 2 AGM 12V batteries: furnace, 2-way 85L fridge, Fantastic fan, LED lights, plus I charge a phone, tablet and gps. I tend to be very conservative when solar conditions are not ideal (e.g., thermostat at 45 degrees when snowing or raining or cloudy for multiple days). Under average conditions and use, my two panels and the GoPower controller have no trouble maintaining the batteries and running through the default charging profile (albeit with the usual caveats about inadequate charging profile discussed at length on this forum). When it's consistently cloudy/rainy/snowy for multiple days then the battery SOC slowly declines because panels can't generate enough juice to trigger bulk charging. Still, I infer from closely watching my controller monitor voltage and referencing battery SOC charts, that I rarely discharge my batteries below 60%, and usually not below 80%, but I don't really know because I don't have a true SOC battery monitor.

When on my truck, the camper is outside; when not on my truck, it's stored under cover in our carport. The panels appear to be in good condition, albeit with some slight cloudiness. I need to contact GoPower to see if they recommend a particular polish or cleaner. I have driven through some low-hanging tree branches and tested the height of a public parking garage ceiling and they don't have any noticeable scratches.

In retrospect, I wish that the panels weren't attached directly to the roof and wouldn't make that choice again, and would probably go with one of the lightweight mounting solutions discussed here. I dread having to replace these one day. I wouldn't hesitate to buy these particular panels again, because I really like the low profile, weight, toughness and performance (so far). You might want to contact Martyn Davies at Adventure Trailers in Prescott to get his first-hand experience with the longevity and performance of these particular panels since they sell and have installed many of them.

Let me know if I've adequately answered your questions. Good luck on your decision.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[Redfish]

Should also have said that I have two 75ah AGM batteries that came from the factory with my 2016 Fleet.

 

[rando]

I had two of the SolarBlvd 120W mounted to the roof of my camper, worked great for about a year with the output right where it should be (50 - 80% of rated depending on the time of year). Then we had an epic hail storm with 5cm diameter hail, which destroyed most of the roofs in our neighborhood and left the roof of the camper looking like the surface of the moon. Each panel lost one string in that storm, dropping the current output to half what it had been before. I am impressed that it wasn't worse, the panels have multiple 5dm diameter dents, maybe 1cm or so deep.

Luckily I had used a removable mounting system, which attached the panels using studs through the mounting grommets. Unfortunately, solarBlvd changed the dimensions of their panels, so I can't buy and replacements that will mount up to the existing studs. I am back to my 160W rigid panel, which is a little less power than I would like and also a lot heavier than I would like, leading to an electric roof lift.