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Solar gone funny


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Hi, has anyone had crystal solar panels? The flexible types you can walk on. My panels have gone stripy, diagonal stripes in the top coating and some of the thin coating is peeling, but they still work.

they were ok before lockdown.

vernon.

 

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Was a good idea having flexible panels, or so I thought.

only three years old, warranty was for two.

will try removing the coating, looks like a thin layer of varnish, it comes of quite easy.

?

 

Edited by dunfixing
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The flexible / stick down type are not really suitable for use on NBs as the temperature on the steel roof gets far too hot for them. You need a nice air-gap between the panels and the roof which rather defeats the idea of stick-down / Walk-on panels.

 

You are going to be replacing them very soon, personally I'd go for one mounted on brackets to allow the air flow, or, you'll be replacing them again in a couple of years.

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9 minutes ago, dunfixing said:

Was a good idea having flexible panels, or so I thought.

only three years old, warranty was for two.

will try removing the coating, looks like a thin layer of varnish, it comes of quite easy.

?

 

err    .........    no !         it's there for a reason - a protective layer extending the life of your panels.

 

of course if you don't like the look of them .......................   :rolleyes:

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32 minutes ago, dunfixing said:

 My panels have gone stripy, diagonal stripes in the top coating and some of the thin coating is peeling, but they still work.

they were ok before lockdown.

 

It doesnt match any of the published Covid19 symptoms.

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23 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The flexible / stick down type are not really suitable for use on NBs as the temperature on the steel roof gets far too hot for them. You need a nice air-gap between the panels and the roof which rather defeats the idea of stick-down / Walk-on panels.

 

You are going to be replacing them very soon, personally I'd go for one mounted on brackets to allow the air flow, or, you'll be replacing them again in a couple of years.

Yes I think you are right, they were sold as suitable for narrow boat use, but the roof does get very hot.

and normal panels can be angled to face the sun better.

we live and learn.

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29 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The flexible / stick down type are not really suitable for use on NBs as the temperature on the steel roof gets far too hot for them. You need a nice air-gap between the panels and the roof which rather defeats the idea of stick-down / Walk-on panels.

 

You are going to be replacing them very soon, personally I'd go for one mounted on brackets to allow the air flow, or, you'll be replacing them again in a couple of years.

Ive fitted the CIGS type flexible panels which are designed to be fitted to metal standing seam building roofs so theoretically should put up with the heat better...they were outputting well in the heat a few weeks ago..they also seem to cope quite well with cloudy days......I guess time will tell how long they last...5 year warranty on construction and 25 year on output...the "glue" is more like a coating of sikaflex on the panels too....we will see......

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45 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You are going to be replacing them very soon, personally I'd go for one mounted on brackets to allow the air flow, or, you'll be replacing them again in a couple of years.

We fitted our rigid panels 5 years ago on the common type of bracket that allows a limited tilt. They have been a huge success story for us, but if I were to do the job again, I would use this clever system to enable a much greater degree of tilt.

I’d be happy to trade the slight increase in time needed to set up and take down against the extra efficiency that would be achieved.
 

 

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I have 550 watts , two panels on a fixed frame, was considering buying a portable set up designed for camping, for winter use, not sure how to feed the batteries [croc clips]

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3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I have 550 watts , two panels on a fixed frame, was considering buying a portable set up designed for camping, for winter use, not sure how to feed the batteries [croc clips]

And what will that do that your fixed panels wont do 

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9 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

And what will that do that your fixed panels wont do 

I will still have 550 watts but flat, the camping solar kit can be oriented to winter sun, maybe adjusted one or twice during the day

PS as a single hander, I find the space under the panels invaluable for keeping boat hook, and other stuff out of the way, but readily available. I paid about  £450 for materials and £200 for labour, so well under the £1500 mentioned, agree that the extreme tilting is ideal for winter, but the panels are quite small, even though they are the most cost effective solar input.

I think I am happy to have saved around £800

Edited by LadyG
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8 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I will still have 550 watts but flat, the camping solar kit can be oriented to winter sun, maybe adjusted one or twice

 

To get the benefit it needs adjusting every hour from 9:00am til an hour before sunset. It will also be nickable and likely to blow over. And you do not use croc clips, too much risk of springing off and shorting something.

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11 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

where do you attach the crocodile clips?

To the battery of course.  Anyway all this solar business will soon be a thing of the past, as will alternators and generators when I've imported electric eels from Paraquay. To be bred in dustbins full of water, fed on minoes and prunes and connected in parallel with a big voltage stabilizer.

 

13 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

where do you attach the crocodile clips?

 

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4 hours ago, Detling said:

To get the benefit it needs adjusting every hour from 9:00am til an hour before sunset. It will also be nickable and likely to blow over. And you do not use croc clips, too much risk of springing off and shorting something.

Agreed, do you have a better idea, as it is six hours sunshine in winter, I would set it up at sunrise, adjust two hours later ......., remove at night.

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6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Small correction.

Sunshine is not a given in Wintertime.

Or in summer, three days of rain are not unknown.

I amsurprised noone uses bicycle power to top up? 

Edited by LadyG
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4 hours ago, LadyG said:

Or in summer, three days of rain are not unknown.

I amsurprised noone uses bicycle power to top up? 

 

A treadmill connected to a generator and a large dog to provide the motive force could work well.

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