Solar panel

wildebus said:
hopefully it was just the original plastic shipping film. Reminds me of the ones you get on plastic number plates ... I fitted a new plate and forgot to remove the film and now it is both peeling in places and stuck hard in others.

If you do need another panel, it looks like the two metal strips there could be ideal in securing a replacement down.
Question for you .... It looks like those strips are screwed down to the roof by multiple screws, so look secure (y) . But they don't seem to have any kind of sealant over the screws? If that is the case, each of those screws is a potential point of water ingress .(n)
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When the flexible panel was tested it was knackered, they have fitted me a solid 130watt solar panel on an aluminium frame behind this one, as we were going to Spain, so they squeezed me in, they didn't have enough time to remove the flexible one and fit a second panel for me, so they have booked me in to have another 130 watt panel fitted in May. I also had them change the controller to a victron mppt with Bluetooth.
On returning back to the UK I decided to have a go at removing the flexible one, the screws didn't go through the roof thank goodness, they were just used to secure the upper aluminium trim to the lower trim that was then glued to the roof. Also the panel.itself was glued to some plastic boards that were also glued to the roof, took me 4 hours to get it off and the adhesive that had been used. I have to say that the 130 watt panel seemed sufficient for our use in Spain, keeping the two batteries topped up, but with many dull days in the UK hopefully the additional panel when fitted will keep on top of the job here.

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Semi Flexible panels that have an aluminum sheet as part of the construction. 15mm square anodised tube glued to the roof with Sikaflex leaving a 1mm gap so the glue doesn't squeeze out of the joint. Panels are pop riveted on the edges. 3 lots in series 2 x 50w 2 x 50w and 2 x 80w then connected in parrallel giving 42v @ 9A fed into a Victron 100/30 Solar Controller. I didn't uses any screws into the roof as its only thin fibreglass and it would have certainly voided any warrantee we got. The smaller ones have been on since new nearly 3 years now and no sign of them coming unglued. There is more glueing area than the corner versions on the usual panels.
 
How many Watts and Amp hours in total?
 
Pudsey Bear said:
How many Watts and Amp hours in total?
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I'll just do the maths again. I think I was a bit out 😁 360w 8.91A @ 40.4v that's better. Panels in series you add the voltage but the amps stay the same. Panels in parrallel you add the amps but the voltage stays the same.
 
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hi guys . down bother about using screws i never use any screws to fasten down my panels 2/130w the one at the front was what swift put on 100w with no screws either & have been on nearly 4 years now . the 2 at the back came off our old tag & they was only stuck down with Sikaflex using 5 brackets per panel the fifth is facing the wind . Cheyanne

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Semi flexible panels are designed to be securely fixed, possibly to a slightly curved surface. They are not designed to flex in use.

The photos seem to show that the panel isn't bonded to the roof all over, so it will have flexed with heating and cooling (believe me, those things can get very hot in the sun) and with vibration and wind buffeting when driving and in stormy weather.

This movement destroys the panel. I'd be amazed if it was still working properly after five years. Even well-fitted ones only seem to last about that long.

I honestly don't know why people fit semi-flexible panels to flat surfaces. A rigid one is easier as well as cheaper, better and lasts longer.

Fully flexible panels are different. I've had one fitted for well over ten years. It's great: firmly stuck down all over, you can walk on it when cleaning the roof and it sits flush in the roof. The downside is that it's far less efficient: you need a bigger area to generate the same amount of power. However, they now seem to be made of unobtainium.
 
With solar panels I've always gone down the ebay route.
But this time I went for more expensive ones from alpha batteries. Its true you only get what you pay for ...
 
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Our new ones are working well with the originals 270w from 360w panels. Generated just over 1kw by the end of the day.
 
When you look at a graph like that, the most informative info is the start voltage at the bottom. That gives an indication of the state of charge at the beginning of the day.

The most recent day started with a lower battery,.

That's why the bulk charge period (solid white bar) was longer, not because the panel worked better, just that more tipping up was needed.
 
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