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Post by lollygagger on Jun 27, 2019 16:44:47 GMT
Got one on my camper and after 3 years it's gone wrong. 8v disconnected, 18+v if I chuck a bucket of water on it, reconnected the bucket of water trick doesn't work. It's had it and it's glued to the pop up roof which isn't strong or flat enough for a solid one and no room for roof bars to fit a better one to. Bugger!
So if anyone is planning on solar, I'd say avoid flexi panels directly on the roof, they don't like sunshine, they get too hot.
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Post by Clinton Cool on Jun 27, 2019 17:51:20 GMT
Not fit for purpose then? I wonder what a court might think, is 3 years sufficient longevity for something expected to last much longer than that?
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Post by Telemachus on Jun 27, 2019 18:04:20 GMT
Not fit for purpose then? I wonder what a court might think, is 3 years sufficient longevity for something expected to last much longer than that? They are expensive for the power output, but plenty of folk seem to get on with them OK. I think one failure after 3 years of unknown use, unknown brand and quality, is too small a sample to condemn them all by. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 18:09:31 GMT
I would always go for rigid and small surface area panels.
Flexible are prone to failure and overly large panels seem to have glass breakage issues when used on boats.
I think in the case of flexible it is the solder joints between the cells which crack.
No expert but I would not personally buy flexible.
I was an early adopter and still use my 75w BP and Siemens aluminium framed panels bought 20 years ago for about £350 each !!
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Post by lollygagger on Jun 27, 2019 18:44:12 GMT
Not fit for purpose then? I wonder what a court might think, is 3 years sufficient longevity for something expected to last much longer than that? They are expensive for the power output, but plenty of folk seem to get on with them OK. I think one failure after 3 years of unknown use, unknown brand and quality, is too small a sample to condemn them all by. It's a known common problem, Andyberg on here suggested the bucket of water test. The camper pop up roof is made of sheet aluminium with a black vinyl covering so in terms of getting hot probably couldn't be much worse. Can't remember the make but it claimed to be made with Bosch cells and wasn't the cheapest. It's not falling apart and I assume as it puts out 18 V with a bucket of water to cool it down it's internal connections haven't broken. It still looks fine, no delaminating, it just doesn't work, kind of like a knackered battery that measures 12.7v but has no oomph. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 19:41:18 GMT
Its quite a technical issue.
I found several flexi panels in a skip a while ago. They were about 70w each and branded "Biard". I thought this might be the old telly brand but it isn't.
They did sod all.
I put them in the "the fucking fucker is fucking fucked" box aka the bin. I realise this is where I I found them but I have always been a closet optimist.
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Post by peterboat on Jun 30, 2019 21:34:58 GMT
I have a lot of 300 plus watt solar panels on my boat and are happy with them, the 100 watt flexies I replaced are going on the bathtub this year, they are quality panels but just to large to be of use to me on the big boat.
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Post by lollygagger on Jun 30, 2019 21:37:49 GMT
I was very happy with mine while it worked.  But I don't give in without a fight so... I did wonder if the cable connections at the panel (I bought it with 4m cable ready attached) might have corroded. I'll look at that before I stick another one on top of it. Long shot I know as 9v hot and 18v cold is probably not to be argued with...but as I don't understand electricity properly despite designing earthing and lightning protection for equipment sited under 22,000V pylons... |
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Post by JohnV on Jul 1, 2019 7:00:32 GMT
Knowing the theory of how solar panels work does not help much when it comes to a failure in the engineering of a panel. Could well be, as you suggest, a joint problem and purely the expansion/contraction with temperature is causing the changes, so a sensible move to look at the only bits that are accessible. It could of course be one of the internal connections  You never know, you might be lucky ....... definitely a bummer though  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2019 7:40:45 GMT
It would be nice to have little "skin tanks" in the cabin top with the solar stuck on and the temperature controlled by pumping water around the skin tank via the calorifier. PV is usually happier cooler and you would get hot water.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2019 7:54:27 GMT
I have a lot of 300 plus watt solar panels on my boat and are happy with them, the 100 watt flexies I replaced are going on the bathtub this year, they are quality panels but just to large to be of use to me on the big boat. What brand did you use for the big ones peterboat? I guess the breakage thing is related to port mounting. |
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Post by peterboat on Jul 1, 2019 8:14:36 GMT
It would be nice to have little "skin tanks" in the cabin top with the solar stuck on and the temperature controlled by pumping water around the skin tank via the calorifier. PV is usually happier cooler and you would get hot water. Already been done Andrew about three years ago Richard from Rotherham solar showed me some very effective but expensive, Dont know if you can still get them and Richard doesnt do solar anymore. Without looking I couldnt tell you who made my panels, I have a mate that does solar farms so I bought from him, they are good quality and small for the output, and as I have 3 on my electric truck they do their rated ourput as I have seen 895 watts on the controller!
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Post by bodger on Jul 1, 2019 14:04:46 GMT
I have flexible panels mounted on top of triple wall polycarbonate sheet that forms a canopy over the boat (a trailer boat used for short 'camping' trips). I never covered the panels - they lasted 3 years. Now I have a tarpaulin that pulls over the whole shebang and serves both as a tent cover when I am cruising, and as a protection when I am parked up at home. Touch wood, the panels should last a lot longer.
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Post by lollygagger on Jul 1, 2019 18:36:29 GMT
If I'd bought a gas fridge for my camper I wouldn't have had this problem, Nothing else uses much power in there and would all run on the starter battery. Ah well!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2019 19:14:16 GMT
I have flexible panels mounted on top of triple wall polycarbonate sheet that forms a canopy over the boat (a trailer boat used for short 'camping' trips). I never covered the panels - they lasted 3 years. Now I have a tarpaulin that pulls over the whole shebang and serves both as a tent cover when I am cruising, and as a protection when I am parked up at home. Touch wood, the panels should last a lot longer. 3 years is pretty naff. My BP 75w and Siemens 75w panels still work after 20 years. Rigid units. Does what it said on the tin. They were expen$ive at the time though ! Don't know if modern units have the same life but they seem to indicate similar. |
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