Stick on solar panels for camper shells?

[bboyle]

Global Solar flexible panels

Anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.globalsolar.com/products/flexible-modules

Wattage as rated? Durability? They come in more convenient sizes and wattages than the Unisolar panels. For example, their 100W panel is 2 m x 0.5 m.

Unfortunately, like Unisolar, the company seems to have gone belly-up. You can still find them on ebay, though, and from suppliers such as recycledgoods.

- Brad

 

[Gren_T]

Solar panel photo's

Hi chaps,
very interesting thread, this forum is a constant sorce of great info, as I was also looking for stick on panels earlier this year, here some example photos and prices from this years allrad show,you can see the distributors name in the back ground.






some URLS's :
http://www.barden-uk.com/solar-panels.html
http://www.solara.de/en/

regards all
Gren

 

[goodtimes]

Anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.globalsolar.com/products/flexible-modules

Wattage as rated? Durability? They come in more convenient sizes and wattages than the Unisolar panels. For example, their 100W panel is 2 m x 0.5 m.

Unfortunately, like Unisolar, the company seems to have gone belly-up. You can still find them on ebay, though, and from suppliers such as recycledgoods.

- Brad

The last I heard, Global Solar was still in business - but had cut back production & was looking for investors to take the business to the next level.

I put one of their 100w panel on my truck camper earlier this year, & I know a few others that have recently (last year or two) done the same. I haven't heard any complaints from any of them, & don't have any myself. Total installed height is less than 1/2", and with the adhesive mounting system, I didn't have to build anything on my roof to support the panel - just give it a flat spot. The downside is that once it's down - it's down for ever.

I was able to purchase direct from the manufacturer - I don't know if they are still pursuing that sales model or not (you may only be able to buy through one of their distributors).

Be sure to research the benefits of the CIGS panels (like those that Global Solar sells) compared to other types of panels. Those benefits make a big difference - but would also apply to other manufacturers who make CIGS panels.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Hi chaps,
very interesting thread, this forum is a constant sorce of great info, as I was also looking for stick on panels earlier this year, here some example photos and prices from this years allrad show,you can see the distributors name in the back ground.


View attachment 182075 View attachment 182076 View attachment 182077 View attachment 182078

View attachment 182082

some URLS's :
http://www.barden-uk.com/solar-panels.html
http://www.solara.de/en/

regards all
Gren

Hi Gren ,

When is the big Allrad Show? Don't know too much about it but wouldn't mind going next year? Was it as good as they say?

Also those panels you looked at....we're there any available with the wiring underneath? Or as a long shot, did you notice any that could be laid into a mould and fibreglassed over?

Thanks for posting the photos too.

Kind regards
John.

 

[1leglance]

Hey John,
Having been to the Allrad Show in Germany before I can tell you it would be completely worth it to attend in your case. Hey I even met the big guy at Staun (deflators and such) there
Matter of fact I have been seriously considering going back next summer as it has been a few years and there is so much cool stuff to see. Figure maybe 2-3 times as large as Overland Expo in the vendor section and maybe 4 times as large in the camping section (which is worth a day of walking just to see what people are building/using).

I am also very interested in stick on solar panels...more for the ability to work well in high heat (Arizona desert). My plan is to stick them to a sheet of alum/steel or something and mount that on my roof rack. I would get the tropical roof heat shield, get some airflow under the solar panel and it should work well.
Powerfilm was the only company I had looked at so far but the prices are up there and I want to source me own charge controler vs a kit setup.

Great thread and I am enjoying/learning a bunch.

 

[graynomad]

"Semi-flexible" panels are starting to show up now. Unlike the Unisolars they are monos so have a good power to size ratio. They are really light (depending on the brand 3.5-4.5lbs for 100W).

A typical example

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200W-2x-100W-12V-High-Efficiency-Semi-Flexible-Solar-Panel-RV-Boat-/281024239077?pt=AU_Solar&hash=item416e5995e5

Not cheap, but if you don't need full flex, don't have much space and need to save weight they might be just the thing.

 

[ersatzknarf]

Has anyone tried one of these ?

http://peelandsticksolarenergy.com/recreational-solar/rvs/

The pricing is a bit disappointing.


Wonder did Powerfilm ever come out with that stick-on arrangement ?

It may not be common knowledge, but having discussed this with Powerfilm recently i found out that they introduced midyear last year a weatherproof stick on series of panels. They were in the same price range as thier other roll up panels. I was going to have them send me one for "testing" with my last wholesale order, but spaced it. Give them a call.

 

[graynomad]

They are amorphous so twice the size per watt than mono and poly panels. They are good in some ways (say if you really need flexibility) but I've just removed amorphous panels (Unisolars) because I can get a LOT more power from the same roof area, what was 512W is now 1200W.

It's not clear to me exactly what you get for your $895. Are they saying a single 48W panel for that amount? If so that's a joke. And then there's this from their page

Amps, Volts, Watts, Ohms ohm … watt amp volts?

Watts = Volts x Amps Watts is a unit of power having the dimensions (energy per unit time): M L2 / T2 divided by T = M L 2 / T 3 Note: A kilowatt-hour is a 1000 watts times one hour = an energy unit. Volt is a unit of force (F=ma): ML / T2

So that Amps have the dimensions: L / T

I might have to run this through Google translate but it's interesting to know that amps have dimensions

I'd steer clear of these guys.

 

[DiscoDogo]

I think stream light makes some. They use them on patrol cars.

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=259

 

[ersatzknarf]

Thanks.
That's the best advice I have heard about this !

I'd steer clear of these guys.

 

[Rando]

I purchased a similar panel (100W) for the top of my pop-top land cruiser. It tested fine before installation (~6A @ 17V), so I glued it down to my flat roof being fairly careful not to flex it too much. A couple of weeks later I was only getting ~2-3A in full sun through an MPPT controller (ie 30 - 40% rated capacity). I had to peel the darn thing off and replaced it with a conventional rigid panel. This is only one data point, but I do now notice that this type of panel is almost exclusively available through ebay direct-from-china sellers, so maybe it is not quite reliable enough for the name brand retailers.

"Semi-flexible" panels are starting to show up now. Unlike the Unisolars they are monos so have a good power to size ratio. They are really light (depending on the brand 3.5-4.5lbs for 100W).

A typical example

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200W-2x-100W-12V-High-Efficiency-Semi-Flexible-Solar-Panel-RV-Boat-/281024239077?pt=AU_Solar&hash=item416e5995e5

Not cheap, but if you don't need full flex, don't have much space and need to save weight they might be just the thing.

 

[dwh]

I might have to run this through Google translate but it's interesting to know that amps have dimensions

Well, it's obvious you aren't a musician! Bass players in particular are painfully aware that amps have (usually quite large) dimensions:






(no that's not me - I play 4 string)


Now that eBay seller just doesn't understand - amperes...that's a unit of flow which would imply "flow over time", so of course amperes actually have FOUR dimensions!

 

[graynomad]

Bass players in particular are painfully aware that amps have (usually quite large) dimensions:

 

[graynomad]

couple of weeks later I was only getting ~2-3A in full sun through an MPPT controller (ie 30 - 40% rated capacity).

That's a heck of a drop. They should derate at about -0.38% / Deg C, I wonder what the temp of the panel was but with that figure it would have to be over 150C which is pretty unlikely. Something ain't right somewhere that's for sure.

I know someone testing these now, if he gets any results I'll post them here.

It is a generally accepted idea to glue these directly to the roof but I wonder about the heat dissipation (or lack thereof) when doing that.

EDIT: Just read the entire thread, many people have mentioned the tropical roof effect you get by mounting panels on a frame, this IMO is an important consideration. In my next build I am pretty sure I'll be using the semi-flex panels but they will be on a frame, for various reasons I need to tilt whatever I have anyway so I won't be adding much weight with the frame and I'll be loosing a lot by using these panels. I reckon I'll be 50-60kgs better off overall which is a lot for a small vehicle.

 

[Rando]

I am pretty sure it is a mechanical failure in the panel that lead me to loose one string (half the current from the panel). I am just not sure that crystalline silicon cells used in these can actually survive the flexing that these panels allow - leading to premature failures.

That's a heck of a drop. They should derate at about -0.38% / Deg C, I wonder what the temp of the panel was but with that figure it would have to be over 150C which is pretty unlikely. Something ain't right somewhere that's for sure.

I know someone testing these now, if he gets any results I'll post them here.

It is a generally accepted idea to glue these directly to the roof but I wonder about the heat dissipation (or lack thereof) when doing that.

EDIT: Just read the entire thread, many people have mentioned the tropical roof effect you get by mounting panels on a frame, this IMO is an important consideration. In my next build I am pretty sure I'll be using the semi-flex panels but they will be on a frame, for various reasons I need to tilt whatever I have anyway so I won't be adding much weight with the frame and I'll be loosing a lot by using these panels. I reckon I'll be 50-60kgs better off overall which is a lot for a small vehicle.