SLOweather
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2018
- Posts
- 341
So just about a year ago I installed 2 200 watt 12v flexible Chinese solar panels on our Sunstar. As of the trip 2 weeks ago, both had failed.
That was before I'd read about the limitations of flexible panels. Lesson 1...
Lesson 2: VHB tape lives up to it's name (Very High Bonding). I installed those panels wit 2" VHB all the way arond, plus screws in the corners. I had to physically tear the panels off the roof, with half the tape staying on the panel, and the other half on the roof.
(I thought about just leaving them in place, but, Weight, there's more...)
Lesson 3: I perused santansolar.com and was looking at used 250 watt panels. They had some for $50 , and high efficiency ones for $90. However the $50 ones were 61 lbs each, and the $90 ones 31.
Paying more attention to my weight these days, I elected for the more expensive panels, and saved 56 lbs.
I just rassled them up on the roof and hooked everything up, and the Renogy Rover is happily converting 39.9 volts at 4.63 amps (185 watts) to 14.1 volts at 12.57 amps.
Now to screw them in place and bundle the cables...
I'll have to weigh the flexible panels and see how much I saved by removing them.
That was before I'd read about the limitations of flexible panels. Lesson 1...
Lesson 2: VHB tape lives up to it's name (Very High Bonding). I installed those panels wit 2" VHB all the way arond, plus screws in the corners. I had to physically tear the panels off the roof, with half the tape staying on the panel, and the other half on the roof.
(I thought about just leaving them in place, but, Weight, there's more...)
Lesson 3: I perused santansolar.com and was looking at used 250 watt panels. They had some for $50 , and high efficiency ones for $90. However the $50 ones were 61 lbs each, and the $90 ones 31.
Paying more attention to my weight these days, I elected for the more expensive panels, and saved 56 lbs.
I just rassled them up on the roof and hooked everything up, and the Renogy Rover is happily converting 39.9 volts at 4.63 amps (185 watts) to 14.1 volts at 12.57 amps.
Now to screw them in place and bundle the cables...
I'll have to weigh the flexible panels and see how much I saved by removing them.