Flexible Solar Panels

[wincrasher]

Came across this article and video. Has anyone used these on their B?

Normally, I'd think that they would get too hot, but this says it's not a problem.
http://http://www.gonewiththewynns.c...olar-panels-rv

[Davydd]

Could be a problem with ribbed non-flat Class B unibody roofs like the Sprinter. Same with Transit and Promaster? AM Solar says not ready for prime time.

Flexible 100 Watt Solar Panel

[mlts22]

I remember seeing those panels on a truck camper a couple weeks back. They were the flexible type and caulked/glued onto the roof of the rig. The advantage is that they can be just glued/taped down, caulked into place, and the job is done.

However, I do see a few shortcomings:

1: They are not cheap. Regular panels are 75 cents a watt. These seem to be above $3/watt, but likely cheaper depending on source.
2: The panels I've seen have a warranty life of 10 years, since the flexing does cause issues over time.
3: I've not seen if their wattage is actually better than fixed panels.
4: Heat dissipation may or may not be an issue. The panels mounted directly may not be able to get rid of heat as well as fixed panels that have air on the bottom.

For a "B", you want to maximize every square inch of space to get every single watt you can. I would like to see more installs with these to really make a definite opinion. Even with the cost difference, if it means not having to puncture the roof, it might be well worth getting the flexible panels.

[Davydd]

They don't seem more efficient per square inch from looking at the specs on AM Solar.

[mlts22]

Not surprising. Maybe if someone was able to put a flexible solar panel onto awning fabric, and have it able to handle the movement of being rolled and unrolled. I'd guesstimate that if one has that much surface area, even with the limited efficiency of the panels, it still would be able to keep a bank charged up, even in overcast weather, although if things get windy, I wouldn't want any awning out for any reason.

[AK49er]

I'm waiting for the Tesla car company to invent solar paint for their electric cars. Put 7 batteries on the front bumper and have the paint generate all my power.

[eurovanman]

I have a 100w flexible panel installed on my Eurovan Camper. It is this kit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSLZRWK/...00w+solar+flex.

It works great for me. I could not put a standard solar panel on because I only have about 2-3 inches of clearance in my parking garage, and I didn't want to risk damaging a panel by hitting the garage roof. Another big sell for me on this is that I only had to use double sided VHB tape around the perimeter of the panel to adhere it to the roof, no drilling holes.

I still have room for one more 100w panel, but I don't see myself needing that much. This one was mainly so I could run my ARB fridge 24/7, and it works great for that.

[cargovanconversion]

Most Class B and specifically converted cargo vans have utterly little roof space to accommodate solar panels. A few years ago, when Unisolar came with its flexible solar panels, it did not do much good for the smaller vehicles because of their low efficiency. Their main advantage was low light absorption, however the period early and late in the day or when the sun doesn't hit your panel yet, don't produce much electricity anyway.
Now with these semi flexible panels coming on the markets, things have really changed in my eyes. Especially for the stealthy oriented camper or boondocker, these panels can be installed virtually invisible, thus maintaining their anonymity.
As "eurovanman" wrote, these panels can be attached with screws, but VHB tape is a much better solution because it avoids roof penetration and thus fewer opportunities for leakages.


Current prices are about twice the regular panels, but their efficiency is equal or maybe even a little higher. They go up to 22%. Especially for the cargo vans or conversions vans where payload plays a big role, the weight of these panels is much less: about 40 oz/sf for the regular panels and 7.5 oz/sf. Just this weight difference makes them more interesting for a van!
"Davydd" wrote that AMSolar says not ready for prime time. I think they have changed their mind in the meantime; after they have improved the backing material and increased the thickness of the polymer on top.
"mlts22" said: warranty life of 10 years. My impression of the substantially lower warranty period is, that there are always people that will abuse the flexibility of these panels. Under normal circumstances, the are permanently attached to the roof and will never move again. Their lifespan is probably much longer than the warranty period indicates.
Often they are presented as having a good low light and high heat performance; from what my research indicates, is that in low light circumstances they don't do much better than the regular panels. Worse for the hottest time of the day, when their performance can get a substantial hit. Whether that is because of the airflow situation or not, is unclear.
A simple solution is to oversize your photo-voltaic system. Buy an extra semi flexible panel and store it under your bed. When parked it is easy to set it up outside in the sun or hang it on the side of the van. That also solves the problem of being parked in the shade.

There remains much uncertainty as little is known about the long term performance of these modules. And other issues remain, such as scratch resistance and production quality.

Van Williams

[Davydd]

At the time I posted AMSolar was on record on their website not recommending flexible solar panels. I myself am now getting flexible low profile solar panels on my Advanced RV being built right now. I understand they are not the AMSolar ones. They will be backed by a rigid but flexible insulation board in order to span those Sprinter rooftop ribs. There is also a high middle crown on the Sprinter roof so the panels will hug the roof shape and be stealth as in you will not see them up there from standing on the ground. In my last communication I understand I will have three panels each with a separate controller and somewhere over 400w total.

[cargovanconversion]

400 watt is the way to go if you want to be independent. They are the way to go if you take into account how light and 'invisible' they are in comparison to the rigid panels. There is just little real usage information in actual RV's. It would be great if you could write about that after you've had some experience with them.

Van Williams

[Davydd]

I am chronicling in detail here. Advancing Alvar. This is the page where I laid out my analysis of what I wanted to achieve with solar and electrical. It has been an ongoing project since making a commitment last May and hopefully taking delivery in January. As opposed to DIY, I found Advanced RV a company that can build pretty much to my wishes a lot better than I could ever do myself and in a much shorter time. On top of that, they do better quality work than any other B converter. It's give and take. In regard to solar they are very clearly way ahead of anything I could figure out on my own. I could say the same with their battery development. Go Farther Off the Grid: Advanced RV Redesigns Battery System. When I started the process I didn't know the extent of where they were with this. On my part there are going to be some design elements that are going to turn heads. I'll save that for later.

[eurovanman]

Davydd.. You have way too much time on your hands.

[stanw909]

We all do.

[eurovanman]

Originally Posted by stanw909

We all do.

Very true.

[Boxster1971]

Back on the subject - this article has some interesting info on flexible solar panels.

http://www.technomadia.com/2014/11/zeph ... r-install/


- - Mike
2013 Airstream Interstate on 2012 Sprinter 3500 tall & long

[rtz]

One more source for the flex panels and check out the controllers: http://store.evtv.me/products.php?cat=22

That site also lists the individual cells for experimenting with.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Back on the subject - this article has some interesting info on flexible solar panels.

http://www.technomadia.com/2014/11/zeph ... r-install/


- - Mike
2013 Airstream Interstate on 2012 Sprinter 3500 tall & long

That was not a very encouraging report on flexible solar panels but leaves you with the sense they half-heartedly tested and then jumped at a chance to get those glass solar panels.

[cjscott]

Wow thank you for this, love this. We're thinking of getting something for our Era 70X on order, but worry about drilling into the unit. I would love to hear from those that have used the tape option.

[markopolo]

Yes, it would be good to hear from anyone who has used tape and flexible panels.

VHB tape did not work well with a traditional panel with "footings" on a painted fiberglass roof: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...&p=8893&#p8893

The Ventvisor side window deflectors and hood deflector on my van seem very secure using the tape.

[cargovanconversion]

Originally Posted by cjscott

Wow thank you for this, love this. We're thinking of getting something for our Era 70X on order, but worry about drilling into the unit. I would love to hear from those that have used the tape option.

I haven't used these panels yet, but researched them quite a bit. 3M VHB double sided tape along all the edges of the panel should hold them to the roof permanently. In fact, that might be the only drawback, when these panels need to be replaced or repaired, as removing them is said to be quite difficult.

Van Williams