Asterix
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Just picked them up from Bimble,now just have to figure out how to attach them to the roof! They are heavier than standard solar panels so something to be aware of if considering them.
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Bifacial Solar
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Asterix
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Just a quick update on my experience with these panels after my first winter. Dec and Jan were fairly dismal as far as gaining much juice,they certainly meant a little less running to charge the LBs but they came into their own over February and operate particularly well in low light/cloudy days.
I've been parked in the same spot for a couple of days,there's a forest between my panels and the sun,yesterday was a bright,clear and sunny day with a few shafts of sunlight making it through the trees,total for the day was 480 Wh,today there was no sun at all with full cloud cover and some brief light rain,total today was 570 Wh so 90 Wh more on a cloudy day. I have been getting a lot more in full sun but just wanted to give an idea of how they work in low light conditions. Dec and January were spent mainly around the Highlands so it's probably as bad as it gets for Solar harvesting.
This is more than enough for my needs but now I have a better understanding of how much power these will give me over the all important winter months.
I've been parked in the same spot for a couple of days,there's a forest between my panels and the sun,yesterday was a bright,clear and sunny day with a few shafts of sunlight making it through the trees,total for the day was 480 Wh,today there was no sun at all with full cloud cover and some brief light rain,total today was 570 Wh so 90 Wh more on a cloudy day. I have been getting a lot more in full sun but just wanted to give an idea of how they work in low light conditions. Dec and January were spent mainly around the Highlands so it's probably as bad as it gets for Solar harvesting.
This is more than enough for my needs but now I have a better understanding of how much power these will give me over the all important winter months.
in h
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All solar panels are more or less the same efficiency: between 18.5% and 20.5% generally.
If putting a shiny surface underneath would make a worthwhile difference, don't you think the makers would have done that already?
If you don't want tilting panels (and I don't blame you) you might think about a reflector that would bounce some sunlight onto the horizontal panels.
If putting a shiny surface underneath would make a worthwhile difference, don't you think the makers would have done that already?
If you don't want tilting panels (and I don't blame you) you might think about a reflector that would bounce some sunlight onto the horizontal panels.
Asterix
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All solar panels are more or less the same efficiency: between 18.5% and 20.5% generally.
If putting a shiny surface underneath would make a worthwhile difference, don't you think the makers would have done that already?
If you don't want tilting panels (and I don't blame you) you might think about a reflector that would bounce some sunlight onto the horizontal panels.
Before I mounted them I was going to lay foil on the roof,I got up there and laid down a sheet and was immediately fried from the reflection,I decided that could be a really bad move so ended up painting it white as per manufacturer recommendation. I had been considering some sort of reflector but decided if I'm going down that route I might as well tilt the panels,which I don't really want to do.
peter palance
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oh no you have not,it is yours so keep asking, keep going dont rush, ok pj.Sounds like a good idea but on the average motorhome panel mounts the panel is quite close to the roof so is it going to get much light to the underside? I think not. Maybe Ive picked the idea up wrong?
peter palance
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my solar has only the white body under it,p.s. works .ok.pjPerc is a totally different technology to the OP. Bifacial panels (as the name suggests) rely on light hitting both sides of the panel.
peter palance
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my solar p ,on little legs,on to roof,see what you like,ok pj p.s in nottinghamBefore I mounted them I was going to lay foil on the roof,I got up there and laid down a sheet and was immediately fried from the reflection,I decided that could be a really bad move so ended up painting it white as per manufacturer recommendation. I had been considering some sort of reflector but decided if I'm going down that route I might as well tilt the panels,which I don't really want to do.
wfdTamar
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I’ve been shopping around for solar on my house and found unless you’re limited in roof space it isn’t financially worth paying the extra for premium panels, but on a motorhome where you’re quite limited, it may well be worth it. Better panels produce more from the same area and also degrade at a slower rate. Top grade will degrade 0.2% per year, the worst at more like 0.7%. The cheap ones used on motorhomes may well be worse than that as it’s not a spec they give out.
in h
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That doesn't accord with my understanding of the facts. Do you have a source for that research?I’ve been shopping around for solar on my house and found unless you’re limited in roof space it isn’t financially worth paying the extra for premium panels, but on a motorhome where you’re quite limited, it may well be worth it. Better panels produce more from the same area and also degrade at a slower rate. Top grade will degrade 0.2% per year, the worst at more like 0.7%. The cheap ones used on motorhomes may well be worse than that as it’s not a spec they give out.