Solar Panels

[QFour]

Been looking at Solar panels there seems to be two main types. The ones in a frame which are heavy and the stick on ones which are lighter. Read all sorts of reports with people saying that the stick down ones are really good and the next guy saying they are a waste of money. The panels are the same its just one lot are stuck in a heavy frame, that weights about 4kg. So what's the problem with the stick on ones. Is it they just get too hot and the constant heating and cooling causes failure or is it something else. I even found an article on an Australian website where they use stick down panels but they stick them to poly carbonate sheet the type you get on a conservatory roof so you get an air gap underneath, that adds 1kg per square meter of panel which is still less than an ordinary panel. I have a 160w panel at the moment in a frame. I am always amazed how much muck collects underneath it and how difficult it is to get it clean underneath. Hence the look at stick down panels.

 

[Admin]

The stick on panels are flexible and if they do not have a complete adhesive layer they are able to expend and this causes them to warp and eventually fail. Quite often you can push pressure down on the delaminated section and the panel works. The rigid panels are a glass sheet with the crystal modules bonded underneath.

Good quality flexible panels often already have an adhesive pad already installed and you just peel off the paper and stick them down.

 

[alwaysared]

Been looking at Solar panels there seems to be two main types. The ones in a frame which are heavy and the stick on ones which are lighter. Read all sorts of reports with people saying that the stick down ones are really good and the next guy saying they are a waste of money. The panels are the same its just one lot are stuck in a heavy frame, that weights about 4kg. So what's the problem with the stick on ones. Is it they just get too hot and the constant heating and cooling causes failure or is it something else. I even found an article on an Australian website where they use stick down panels but they stick them to poly carbonate sheet the type you get on a conservatory roof so you get an air gap underneath, that adds 1kg per square meter of panel which is still less than an ordinary panel. I have a 160w panel at the moment in a frame. I am always amazed how much muck collects underneath it and how difficult it is to get it clean underneath. Hence the look at stick down panels.

I've got semi flexible panels and have always used them to save weight but you do need to buy good quality ones. Midsummer sell an excellent one that can be walked on. The leaders in semi flexible panels seems to be Sunpower, their back contact cells are amongst the highest efficiency available. They're also expensive but you can get a panel made by someone else using their cells cheaper. I also saw the aussie video when I fitted my first one on my old Dethleffs but by the time you add on the weight of the polycarbonate sheets there is very little weight saving and I see no reason to be not to use normal glass ones if saving weight is not important to you. Will mine go wrong? Probably but until then I'll enjoy the weight saving and sort it out if I have to.

Regards,
Del

 

[wildebus]

I always think there is a problem with the term "flexible" or "semi-flexible" solar panels. It seems to imply they are flexible (bit like the "unbreakable rulers" most children had at school and always managed to break). Most really are not that flexible!
I tend to think of them as thin-lightweight panels rather than 'flexible' panels. I much prefer the framed glass panels for reasons of reliability and price, but I can see the attraction of the thin panels for asthetics. (not convinced about the weight aspect - you could save the same weight by carrying 4 litres less fuel in your 100 litre tank)
I was impressed with the Lensun ETFE backed Panels I fitted on a van last year (example here - https://www.lensunsolar.com/Flexible-solar-panel/Black-flexible-solar-panel?product_id=380). Again called "Flexible" but they only permit a 5 degree flex, so not really flexible in reality - but the fibreglass backing sheet the panel is bonded to eliminates the expansion/contraction type problem. I used 3M VHB tape to affix these to the roof and they are not coming off anytime soon!
Around a year on, I can see they are still performing in a comparable way to my glass panels and they looked very nice and stealth on the vehicle, but at a cost - 3 times what a glass panel of the same wattage would be.
The other ones I have used are a high-quality panel made in Austria. Martyn from Travelvolts sells these ( https://www.travelvolts.net/product-page/150-watt-semi-flex-solar-panel) and has had very good results with them - but again, not cheap (with 'flexible' panels, you get what you pay for - there are no "bargain quality" panels out there)

 

[molly 2]

Photonic universe have a very good section on fitting and handling flexible solar panels on their website . their advise is don't flex it you will breaks it .check out the measurement's as they come in many sizes often smaller than the glass panels.

 

[trevskoda]

Ebay or bimble solar for panels.