Semi flexible solar panels February 06, 2017, 11:02:50 am Does anyone have knowledge about semi flexible solar panels? Good, Bad??HQST 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Semi Flexible Lightweight Solar PanelAmazon.com : HQST 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Semi Flexible Lightweight...ThanksMark As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Demi flexible solar panels Reply #1 – February 06, 2017, 11:40:11 am Mark,Check out the Gone With The Wynns blog. They are no longer traveling in their Class A but have in the past demonstrated the flexible solar panel on one of their rigs.Their review of the product line is by no means definitive but it's a good place to start.Gone With the WynnsThey are a lot of fun to follow as well.Or YouTube https://youtu.be/BNE1u8dD8_Ahttps://youtu.be/FNPVue6SzdIKent
Re: Demi flexible solar panels Reply #2 – February 06, 2017, 11:58:54 am Flexible panels have been around a several years, used mostly on decks boats and on RVs with curved roofs. Many are strong enough to walk on, when properly installed.They are more expensive than conventional rigid panels.Amazon.com : HQST 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Semi Flexible Lightweight...Grape Solar 100-Watt Polycrystalline Solar Panel for RV's, Boats and 12-Volt...I wouldn't recommend using them an LD's roof, due to the summer overheating problem.With LD's flat roof, conventional panels are the perfect and economical choice.Solar panels are normally mounted above the roof, with an air gap between the bottom the panel and surface of the roof. This is to allow for cooling air circulation. Panels only convert around 15% of the sunlight into electrical power. The other 85% changes into heat. The higher the temperature of a solar panel. the lower the output. Cooler panels always outperform hot panels.Flexible panels need to lay directly on the roof, not being self-supporting. On a very hot summer days, the flexible panel's output will be lower, due to the roof's high temperature, compared to a conventional panel. Not having the air gap keeps the flexible panels hotter, allowing the panels to pick up even more heat from the roof through direct conduction.Larry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Demi flexible solar panels Reply #3 – February 06, 2017, 01:46:13 pm Larry pointed out some of the disadvantages: higher cost per watt and difficulty of proper air-gap installation. To do it right, you'd pretty much have to add an aluminum frame to each panel, which negates the advantages. If you slap them directly onto the roof, you're going to have a VERY hot roof! You'd be surprised at how much heat a solar panel will radiate from its back side. In fact, Renogy recommends an air gap. They don't say how you're supposed to mount a flexible panel with an air gap and keep it from flapping in the breeze, which would of course lead to broken internal connections and failure. Hmmm.In addition, there are major issues with reliability and longevity. There's a reason these flexible panels are only warranted for three years, compared to the ten- to twenty-year warranties that are typical of rigid panels. I've seen and heard of a number of failures, and Renogy actually recalled their flexible panels a year or so back “because the configuration of the product may cause it to overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.”Failures can happen due to flexing (yes, even though these are sold as flexible panels!), individual cell failure, or failure of the diodes in the junction box. A friend's Grape Solar flexible panel--identical in appearance to the Renogy panels--failed after only a few months of use when power output dropped to near zero and the junction box started to melt.Bottom line: as Larry said, these flexible panels are not a good choice for Lazy Dazes. 1 Likes
Re: Semi flexible solar panels Reply #4 – February 06, 2017, 10:33:22 pm Note: The Wynns changed their mind after owning them for several years (they had an updated post on it). They get scratched much easier than the hard ones (think tree branches, etc.) and that affects how well they work just like shade does.Technomadia also started with them as they had a curved bus and wanted to keep their rig shape the same. They ended up using them as portable ones (built their own frame for it I think) and put hard ones on top of their rig.I thought they were a great idea but after the posts of those two bloggers I changed my mind (maybe for portable ones as they are light weight).Jane
Re: Semi flexible solar panels Reply #5 – April 11, 2018, 10:31:57 am Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - February 06, 2017, 11:40:11 amMark,Check out the Gone With The Wynns blog. They are no longer traveling in their Class A but have in the past demonstrated the flexible solar panel on one of their rigs.Their review of the product line is by no means definitive but it's a good place to start.Gone With the WynnsThey are a lot of fun to follow as well.Or YouTube https://youtu.be/BNE1u8dD8_Ahttps://youtu.be/FNPVue6SzdIKentAlthough this is not a response born from experience, but via extensive research, I will not be using these. Apparently they do not last too long and are not quite as efficient - about 15-18%. I have also found that for my 22', a 160W would suffice. Having said that, I have determined that the overall cost vs. benefit means I will be staying away from solar.The big secret here is to do extensive research. Happy daze to you.
Re: Semi flexible solar panels Reply #6 – April 11, 2018, 10:53:14 am "The big secret here is to do extensive research."----I've found that "big secrets" about pretty much anything in life tend to mitigate, if not disappear altogether, as a result of doing the homework. YMMV, as ever. 2 Likes
Re: Semi flexible solar panels Reply #7 – April 11, 2018, 01:26:54 pm Quote from: JandS2 - February 06, 2017, 10:33:22 pmNote: The Wynns changed their mind after owning them for several years (they had an updated post on it). They get scratched much easier than the hard ones (think tree branches, etc.) and that affects how well they work just like shade does.I thought they were a great idea but after the posts of those two bloggers I changed my mind (maybe for portable ones as they are light weight).Flexible panels are best used on curved roofs and boat decks. To be flexible, they are covered with clear plastic instead of glass.Conventional panels have a tough glass cover and rarely break or scratch.Our LDs have flat roof and the convention panels are the most economical and durable choice. Solar panels do not weight much and you can't beat the convenience of not having to do anything to use them once installed, unless you like to tilt them. I prefer to add an extra panel or two and not to deal with tilting and the danger of falling off the roof. YMMV.Conventional panels are mounted sitting above the roof by an inch or so to provide a thermal break and to promote a cooling airflow under the panels. .The extra heat collected by a flexible panels, glued to the the roof, gets transferred directly into the roof and interior.Larry
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