Make your own solar panel brackets

[Techno100]

For this task
You'll need some aluminium angle 60mm x 40mm x 3mm x 1 metre or equivalent
set square
hacksaw
file
drill
tape measure
pencil
rivet gun
4mm rivets
4mm hss drill bit
5mm tap
5mm set screws

This is the third set of brackets I've made so far. I've used 60mmx40mmx3mm angle as I came by it handy like :lol:
A metre length of this stuff or similar can usually be bought for under a tenner, Ebay is good for this but plus P&P
Closest I've found is 2.5"x1.5"x1/8" x1M for about £14 delivered.
Previously I've fitted 60 watt and 80 watt panels which require 4 brackets each and so only 1 set screw needed for each one. In this instance I've made brackets for 2 x 30 watt panels that will only require 1 bracket at each end and so I've fitted 2 set screws to keep them level. These are 5mm and I used a 4mm hss drill bit followed by a 5mm tap both driven through using a battery drill. You can use anything similar to achieve this or just a spacer.
Sikaflex 512 adhesive requires a MINIMUM thickness of 2mm and the set screws guarantee this will be acheived. I use the thickness of the brackets 3mm as in picture 3 to guage this.
These particular brackets are 200mm long and the panel ends (to be illustrated next) are 445 mm wide.

Attaching to the panels to follow...........



These brackets are being used on 2x30watt panels. The reason for using this configuration rather than a 60 watt is purely due to space constraints.
These measure only 445 wide by 540 long so will fit in the narrow stip between the sun roof and the van edge.
pic 1 a bracket drilled and riveted to a panel end. I use rivets because they wont come undone but can be easily drilled out should a panel need replacing.

pic 2 panels laid out simulating how they will be on the roof

pic 3 male & female branch connectors to couple the 2 panels in parallel ready to go to regulator or another panel

USING MC4 CONNECTORS

Continued in PART II

 

[solarman]

Again excellent post and pics,i used similar angle bracket but longer length(more surface contact for sealant),also because i was worried the sealant wouldn,t be strong enough,but so far no problems,atb,
Solarman.

 

[Techno100]

Yes initially I used longer brackets until I had reason to remove and refit 4 which took a LONG time and a lot of effort. If the surfaces are properly cleaned they wont come off, the roof will come off first :lol-049:

I now use 165mm long for all panels as I get six out of a metre length of angle

 

[solarman]

Well i don,t intend to take them off,probably sell the van with it still on,what motorhome have you got?
Solarman.

 

[Techno100]

Autocruise Starspirit.
See the 80 watt panel nearest, brackets totally overcooked lol

 

[solarman]

Nice mobile and plenty of panels,here,s alink if it works to my post on transit forum
http://fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=73661&start=45,
Solarman.

 

[Techno100]

Nice one and same regulator I'm currently supplying (pun) price varies dramatically, I try to obtain under £40 had 2 at £35 so far.
I see you cranked it up to 14.4 charge cut off

 

[Canalsman]

Great tips here Techno

I'm going to fit a 100w panel to the 'van roof shortly, dimensions 1200mmx550mm, and I need some advice.

Because the 'van has a Luton overcab, the roof slopes down towards the rear of the vehicle. Consequently I am proposing to use 75mm angle at the rear of the panel, and 50mm at the front to bring it back to near horizontal.

Do you think that two 250mm length angle sections, one at the leading edge and one at the trailing edge, will be sufficiently stong to secure the panel? Or should I use four sections of angle with 75mm angle to the rear, thereby achieving the same effect?

Thanks

Regards

Chris

 

[vwalan]

hi, thats the way to do it. i always put the brackets to front and rear. stops branches going under the panels when in off road conditions ,but allows air to travel underneath the panel. . aluminium angle is ideal.
screws or rivets for fixing panels to brackets. i use sikaflex and screws for fixing to roof some just use sikaflex . not so happy just glueing but it works.

 

[Bigpeetee]

Perhaps I'm being pedantic, but if the leading edge of the panel had either a quadrant or bullnose to it it would improve the drag created by a flat surface, plus reduce the noise.

I realise that most MH's are not exactly designed to reduce drag, but the noise factor can become an issue. Think of roof racks on the car and the additional noise they create.

By memory, a square tube being changed to a round one reduces the drag by a factor of 10. It all adds up. As drag quadruples when the speed is doubled it can become significant. That is air speed, so if you are driving at 60 mph into a 20mph wind that's an airspeed of 80 mph.

Also, if the panel is placed in the lee of a hump (cab over) then the turbulence can create considerable stress on the panel, a little fairing will reduce this effect.

Have you seen the German solar panels that are fitted on the back of the sat dish, it'll track the sun and point the panel at the optimum azimuth and elevation. As the panel always faces the sun, a smaller panel gives the equivalent output of a flat mounted large panel.

Fully automatic with builtin GPS etc. Very expensive!!!

 

[Canalsman]

Next question ...

I have just received my 100w panel - broken by an impact in transit so it's going back - with two MC4 extensions to fit onto the cables attached to the panel.

I don't want to make a hole in the roof big enough to pass the MC4 plugs through. Do I just cut off the terminating plugs and pass the cables through a roof gland?

That seems the easiest option ...

 

[solarman]

Nice one and same regulator I'm currently supplying (pun) price varies dramatically, I try to obtain under £40 had 2 at £35 so far.
I see you cranked it up to 14.4 charge cut off

yes sorry for late reply,i deliberately left it at that cut off point because i want them constantly charging, i;m running a couple of old batteries that were practically dead when given to me 16 months ago,and since they are getting charged regularly they seem to be performing better,also we don,t get enough sunlight to reach that point so i feel there,s no reason to lower it unless i want to give the batterries a rest from charging,
solarman.

 

[Techno100]

Great tips here Techno

I'm going to fit a 100w panel to the 'van roof shortly, dimensions 1200mmx550mm, and I need some advice.

Because the 'van has a Luton overcab, the roof slopes down towards the rear of the vehicle. Consequently I am proposing to use 75mm angle at the rear of the panel, and 50mm at the front to bring it back to near horizontal.

Do you think that two 250mm length angle sections, one at the leading edge and one at the trailing edge, will be sufficiently stong to secure the panel? Or should I use four sections of angle with 75mm angle to the rear, thereby achieving the same effect?

Thanks

Regards

Chris

I've only just subscribed to my own thread :beer: so missed a few posts c:
I would keep the panel level unless you can always park your back end facing South to take advantage of a bit of angle.
I would completely block off the leading edge of your panel with a continuous strip of angle as your panel is so big I'd feel more confident that there was no chance of lift from the slipstream. The adhesive wont give way but no good if the roof is still attached to the panel on someones bonnet :wacko:
If you have already fitted it you can still block off the leading edge with a lighter smaller angle or strip of flat bar.

 

[Canalsman]

Thanks for the advice, Techno.

The leading edge of the panel is pretty close to the roof, about 1" clearance, and very close to where the Luton cab moulding 'returns' to meet the roof.

The trailing edge is about 2" above roof level, and the panel is pretty near horizontal.

Given that the trailing edge is higher than the leading edge, wouldn't that tend to push the panel down onto the roof? Or do you still feel I need to blank off the leading edge?

Regards

Chris

 

[Techno100]

Sounds OK