Bendable Solar Panels and Compressor Refrigerators

[RC Pilot Jim]

It is great to see the actual amp draw (New Trimetric) of my devices and comp refer. Now I'm researching bendable solar panels. So far I know of two brands:

Renology http://www.renogy-store.com/100watts-bendable-panel-p/rng-100db.htm?gclid=Cj0KEQjwvqWgBRChnMjQ7u7UzOUBEiQAooXvYZxqVRakeWPY7OVvJa2psonDoPPwSvN6pG8-UBQtHXAaAkmS8P8HAQ

Global Solar http://www.globalsolar.com/products/flexible-modules/rv


Does anyone have any experience with another brand that outputs 125-150 watts?

 

[DrJ]

I don't think you could go wrong with either of those. Here is a third group you could look at:
Just look at eBay under semi-flexible 120 watt solar panel.

These are the ones I bought. I just posted about them in the other topic about sealants.

 

[Ethergore]

I don't know of any other brands but one thing to consider is the shading you get from your roof vents.

The panel from global solar is really long and, in my opinion, more likely to catch some shade than a renogy panel or 3 above your cabover section.

Just a thought.

 

[Stalking Light]

I have a 60w Powerfilm foldable and it works great. They come in higher wattages.

 

[buzzman]

Thanks for the links to the flexible solar panels. But I have a question about roof mounted solar panels in general. I'm making some plans for my next camper and am considering these roof mounted solar panels. However, whenever I camp, I try to park in the shade and I'm thinking the roof mounted panels would not work very well. So what's your experience with the roof mounted panels? Do they still make enough power when using a compressor frig and parked in the shade?

Buzz

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Buzz - Compressor fridges have only been around for a few years, so most of us don't have a lot of experience with them. Originally we did not buy roof panel because of parking in the shade or low sun in wintertime. Many of us bought portable panels or panels we use port-ably.

Many of us bought FWC or ATC to travel off road in the back country. So keeping the camper battery charged is a concern. The reason to install a roof mounted panel is charging the compressor refrigerator. The Waeco's /Dometic's draw around 4.5 amps. Just driving around with roof solar a 100 watt panel produces about 3.5-4 amps net per hour. Not enough to run the fridge and charge your battery but will slow down battery discharge process. Optimally 150-200 Watts will run and charge the battery because mounted flat you will lose about 40% of the out put. So a 150 watt panel will produce closer to 5-6 amps not the rated 8.68 amps.

The alternator is also charging the battery. Many of the owners have two batteries and 200 watts or more solar to keep the batteries fully charged.

Parking in the shade
In April we attended the FWC factory rally near Napa. We camped in a cloud 4 days with only a few hours of sun one of the days. We deployed our 60 watt portable. Weather was drizzly, rainy. Panel still ran the refer, the lights and maintained 12.9 volts while light out each day and we did not have to run the engine. Battery maintained 70% full. I think even in the shade roof solar would keep batteries 65-70%

You didn't say what "refer" you ordered. If it was the 3-way (AC/DC/propane) you don't need a roof panel as you will be running it either on propane off the grid or 110 volt when you have hookups. DC will be just used to maintain temperature while driving as it is dangerous to have an open flame (running propane) while driving.

 

[MarkBC]

Shade: You will get significantly less -- a lot less -- solar power when you're in real shade -- like, in the forest. Ambient light (the light that lets you walk around in the forest in daytime without bumping into things) is a lot less "power"-full than direct sunlight.
Clouds: You sometimes can still get pretty good solar power if overcast but not too dark-and-heavy -- diffuse light is better than full shade.

 

[DesertDave]

A single Yakima bar about 5" above the fixed panel on my roof reduced the output of the panel by 20% when I was testing, in full sun, where to place my rack.

Shade by trees that keep full direct sunlight from hitting the panels seems to eliminate any significant charging. I had trees around me, but clear sky directly overhead, with 200W of panels on the roof, for three days when boating on the Klamath. I received 5 AH each of the three days, total charge received. This was the July 4th weekend.

The week prior, parked on a bald knob with nothing close to providing shade, those same two panels produced 80 AH in the one day test.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Thanks all. I decided on the Renogy after talking at length with the tech. They have had good feedback results with gluing. $199.00 free freight from Chino (Los Angeles). 5 year warranty. I will get it in few days.

I decided to start with one panel and keep my 60 watt as a backup and change out my Morningstar controller to a 20 amp as the 100 and 60 are close to 9 amps and don't want to risk burning out the controller.

Global Solar never returned 3 phone calls.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Buzz,
Thought more on your question .....Like Mark says If you are camping in deep shade with no a very little sun roof solar isn't going to help. Then a portable is good. One prob with a portable is security...Mine has never gotten legs and disappeared while I was out hiking...Though I think about it.

If your battery(s) is topped off when you get there and your conservative with the furnace blower and keeping the Waeco refer door closed most of the time (we use a mid-size Igloo ice cooler for our drinks) you might get 17- 24 hours - engine off - before needing to charge. Your choices then are portable solar pane, Honda generator or idle your motor for 1-2 hours as DrJ suggests. Or go sight-seeing during the day getting a charge from both alternator and solar.

Having a panel on the roof when sight-seeing is good because when engine is off Solar is running the refer.

 

[buzzman]

Thanks for the info RC and Mark. I'm still having a little difficulty deciding which type of frig would work best for my next camper, compressor frig or 3-way frig, but your input helps.

These stick-on roof solar panels look good.

Buzz

 

[Marco Cecala]

RC Pilot. Jim. Sorry to hear about Global Solar not calling back. Good to see you found some panels that will work. Keep us posted with their performance.

 

[Kodachrome]

I use a Dometic CR1065 and honestly, I could run it full time on just the twin 100 watt semi-flex panels on the roof, in fact it has been running since July since I am using the rig on a ton of photo shoots, keep infrared film in it along with food and drinks.

So I run two batteries, two charge controllers, 200W on the main, 140W for the backup / computer, 4G cell booster and device side. The 200W are roof mounted, 140W is split between 40W flex on the air dam, 100W slide out for running electronics.

I'm really happy with this system, going semi-flex on the roof added 65W maxing out my Sunsaver 15L MPPT and shaved 20 pounds of weight off the roof.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Koda, how did you affix the panels to your roof?

 

[Kodachrome]

Sheet metal screws, a couple in existing holes from the old panel. I do some pretty rough off-roading, hardware is the only thing I would consider...

 

[Stalking Light]

I use a Dometic CR1065 and honestly, I could run it full time on just the twin 100 watt semi-flex panels on the roof, in fact it has been running since July since I am using the rig on a ton of photo shoots, keep infrared film in it along with food and drinks.

So I run two batteries, two charge controllers, 200W on the main, 140W for the backup / computer, 4G cell booster and device side. The 200W are roof mounted, 150W is split between 40W flex on the air dam, 100W slide out for running electronics.

I'm really happy with this system, going semi-flex on the roof added 65W maxing out my Sunsaver 15L MPPT and shaved 20 pounds of weight off the roof.

Off topic, but where in the camper did you mount your cell booster?

 

[Ripperj]

"If your battery(s) is topped off when you get there and your conservative with the furnace blower and keeping the Waeco refer door closed most of the time (we use a mid-size Igloo ice cooler for our drinks) you might get 17- 24 hours - engine off - before needing to charge. Your choices then are portable solar pane, Honda generator (burns 1 gal gas per hour) or idle your motor for 1-2 hours as DrJ suggests. Or go sight-seeing during the day getting a charge from both alternator and solar."

My 2000w Honda runs all night on a gallon of gas.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

That's great Ripper.
My friends new Honda 2000 ran two hours on 2 gallons .
Maybe it was running too rich...however it wasn't 't smoking ??

He should take it in and have it checked.

 

[DrJ]

I've been meaning to post pictures of my solar panels for sometime.
I finally took a few pictures and will post them here.
Hope this helps those who are trying to figure out where and how to glue them down.
Not sure if it's the world's best configuration, but it works for me.
Like I've mentioned before, I like the setup except for the wiring.
I can't decide if I'm going to trim all of those wires to a nice neat bunch or just leave them.
Looks unfinished to me, but it works just fine.

 

[Kodachrome]

Off topic, but where in the camper did you mount your cell booster?

The antenna is on the front, booster inside down near the battery box. You can see it on the pic. Honestly, I got it mainly for my wife since she is the one who needs the computer to work, I don't really as I use film in my photography business, the fridge is great for that.

So there are 2 x 100W on the roof, the 40W on the front wind panel which more than keeps the aux / gadget battery topped and then the 100W slide out which I can pull completely off and run a 15 Ft. extension to it, also feeding the aux battery. On the very back right is a poly shooting platform, I put my tripod legs on the roof and work from the platform, roof down of course. It works great with everything from 35mm, medium format and even my slick carbon fiber 4x5 camera, none of it very heavy.

So far a killer system, gotta keep that rare and expensive IR film cold...