Can anyone like trek and anyone else tell me why i shouldn't buy these panels. Ive no clue. I know i want light flexible panels as im tryna keep weight down. Im gonna buy 2 of these. Which controller should you get? There's 3 options. 10 20 and 30amp. Im going to use 1 of these 100watt panels to charge a 130ah battery that will be solely for the fridge. The other 150ah battery will do the rest ok hopefully with the other 100watt panel.

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/222196091809

hey Steve
I was interested in buying some flexible solar panels a while back I remember most ebay sellers recommend not wiring them in series or parallel which is weird so you would need a separate controller for each panel, apparently they can overheat.
there may be better flexi panels out there but most Iv seen cant be wired series/parallel

Gidday kurt. I wasnt planning on wiring in parallel. I'm still green with this power stuff but im thinking to just have the panels connected directly to batteries.

Cause you need sun covers on them or they end up like this after 5 years!

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southace said..
Cause you need sun covers on them or they end up like this after 5 years!

Just going though the process of looking for bimini maker which will instruct them to add in zipped window to later install
flexible thin solar panel so would hope this does not happen.

I've bought a 50w flexible as an experiment. Runs through a solar controller to battery 1. So far, it works very well.

The panel specs will show the max amps.. Although all 12v nominal, they actually run at a higher voltage giving a lower amperage. So a 100w panel will probably be around 20v actual and therefore 5amps actual. A lot of online retailers give the electrical specs or show a photo of the spec sheet on the back of the panel.

Once you know your total amps, you can size the controller. For 5 amps, the 10A controller would be loads.

And, yes, they do say not to connect multiple panels.

I also have a voltage sensing relay connecting batteries 1 &2. If the charge voltage from solar or engine reaches a level to indicate fully charged then the relay opens and charges the 2nd battery as well, but without any possibility of draining both batteries which could happen if you used the 1&2 position on the battery switch.
Cheers

Bristle

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southace said..
Cause you need sun covers on them or they end up like this after 5 years!



True. But at these prices you'd just chuck 'em. Mine is just wired to an Anderson plug so it's unplug and replace.

I'm betting in 5 years they will be even cheaper.

Cheers

Bristle

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dreamliner said..

southace said..
Cause you need sun covers on them or they end up like this after 5 years!

Just going though the process of looking for bimini maker which will instruct them to add in zipped window to later install
flexible thin solar panel so would hope this does not happen.

buy a sewing machine and make the bimini yourself ... the money you'll save will pay for the sewing machine plus sewing with a good machine is remarkably enjoyable

yeah just read the fine print before you buy if you want to run them parallel to make Shure there suitable.
id diffidently recommend a mppt controller (not a cheap ones there usually fakes and not actually mppt)they will give you much better performance than a pwm controller
victron energy probably make the best mppt controllers. I had a Votronic mppt on my old h28 with 100w panel on the dog house(the small panel was for the start battery) and a 65w on the pushpit which could be lowered or raised to point at the sun worked really well. I used some rail clamps and a old hatch adjuster to mount it "cheap as chips" . with the 65w angled at the sun it would produce more power than the 100w on the dog house.
I generally saw 5-6amps all day from both panels with max of 9 and a bit amps during peak sun

Lovely boat kurt. So im thinking i should get decent mppt from gsl electronics and the flex panel.
I love your stern mount panel too. I may have to copy that!

from what ive seen , they don't like being walked on . and if stuck down to deck may suffer from lack off ventilation underneath . don't seem to work properly in that application ...

may go better up on a Bimini ...don't know, never had anything to do with one used like that ..

that one SA pictured looks stuffed ! ... maybe didn't like being screwed down ?

Cheers Steve I was going to get a stainless arch made up but the quotes where offensive so I came up with that idea instead, the boat is no longer with me I was very sad I sold her but have just found something new to cheer me up.
ill be fitting one of these when I get round to it www.victronenergy.com/solar-charge-controllers
I like that the settings are fully customizable and you can download a app that will display all the solar info on your phone or tab

Those ebay ones look competitive compared to Lisa Blair's premium solar4rvs units.
www.solar4rvs.com.au/clearance/

From talking to suplliers, I don't think flexible panels have reached the reliability and electrical robustness of fixed panels. The nature of the flexible panel means the laminates are more stressed and likely to fatigue resulting in delamnination

I would only parrallel/series flexible panels on a single controller where there was no shading and they faced the Sun at the same angle. One controller per panel.

The victron controllers with blue tooth connectivity and data loggers are definitely the ants pants, but if the controllers are sold with the cells, they should be matched and ok.

I'm planning to have a small fixed panel for trickle charging and several fold out flexible panels to put out on the roof during calm weather like on the mini-tran-sats.

A

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Andrew68 said..
Those ebay ones look competitive compared to Lisa Blair's premium solar4rvs units.
www.solar4rvs.com.au/clearance/

From talking to suplliers, I don't think flexible panels have reached the reliability and electrical robustness of fixed panels. I would only parrallel/series flexible panels on a single controller where there was no shading and they faced the Sun at the same angle. The nature of the flexible panel means the laminates are more stressed and likely to fatigue resulting in delamnination.

The victron controllers with blue tooth connectivity and data loggers are definitely the ants pants, but if the controllers are sold with the cells, they should be matched and ok.

I'm planning to have a small fixed panel for trickle charging and several fold out flexible panels to put out on the roof during calm weather like on the mini-tran-sats.

A

Thanks andrew. Look i was keen on the victron too having just read about it but i think ill just get the 100w and controller which costs 20 bucks and see how it goes. Its only 20 bucks. If it foesnt work out ill buy an mppt

If l can, l would like to talk you out of buying a cheapy flex panel!
Go for a solid one if you could accommodate it!

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sirgallivant said..
If l can, l would like to talk you out of buying a cheapy flex panel!
Go for a solid one if you could accommodate it!

I think illl get both. 200watts all up.

I have used solar4rvs and have been pretty happy. The costs are actually quite similar but using these guys you get advice on everything. I would also go for the MPPT controllers (1 per panel). These provide much more efficient power input over non MMPT controllers.

Steve,
I bought two of the 120w flexible panels 18 months ago. I have only use them when I have been at anchor with cloudy skies and no wind for a couple of days. Normally my 44w panel and my wind turbine take care of my power.
The flexible panels stow well and tie nicely over my boom tent or I can shift them to where ever there is no shade.
I have found that I have never been able to meet the claimed output of them, maybe because my batteries have never been really flat??, but what ever the case its nice to see the extra amps coming in without permanently cluttering up my small boat with heavy panels and frames.

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Sectorsteve said..
Lovely boat kurt. So im thinking i should get decent mppt from gsl electronics and the flex panel.
I love your stern mount panel too. I may have to copy that!

Steve, the MPPT controllers from GSL electronics you mention are great, I bought one a while back and like the idea they are Australian-made and waterproof. Buy them through one of their agents though as you will save about $50 compared with buying from GSL directly.they advised me this themselves.

Yeah, REXEL in Alexandria.
Tony 95789000
(mppt 30-2 $280+gst+freight)

I think the flexible panels are more fragile than the flat ones as mentioned. But they are appealing. You can series solar panels (they are already already dozens of solar cells in series) but the total volts out should not exceed the maximum V in of your regulator. Two 30V panels could zap most regulators with their combined 60V. But the disadvantage of that is if one fails the pair fail. Paralleling can work too, but you need to link them with diodes so if one dies it doesnt drag down the good one. High current ordinary diodes will do, Schottky diodes are slightly better. Except for the cost, two panels, two regulators and two batteries would be ideal.
I'll be very interested in your decision Steve and how it goes.