fjmike Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I am looking at upgrading my solar panel and was wondering if Flexi panels had improved any or do they still burn out after a couple of years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Flexi or semi? I would suggest it's more to do with the quality, first fitted a semi panel to a van in 1999 and it gave good service right up to when the van was sold 12 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Colin is right, quality is important, but I suspect you would have to pay an awful lot more for a quality flexi panel than a rigid one. Solar panels generate a variable amount of heat, and raising them on feet allows this to dissipate more easily. The other major consideration is whether your MH roof holds water, and whether you need to keep clear of this. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Solar panels work best.when cool, heat drops the electrical output. A flexi panel stuck to a vehicle roof tends to run very hot in the likes of the Algarve, dropping power output and increasing the chance of overheating and burnout. If any part of the panel is in shade, the risk of burnout increases. But the biggest downside is that they can't use higher clarity glass, Glass isn't flexible so not an option, therefore 'clear' Plastic is used. You will have seen how Plastic Car headlight lenses lose clarity over a period of years. The Solar panel will still work, but typically down to 50% output at 5 years compared to a Glass Panel. Some of the latest very high quality 'Super clarity' glass panels can pass up to 20% more light (so obviously more power generation) than the budget Glass panels, so you can see how ineffective a Plastic pane will be at passing light compared to the best? A Flexi panel typically has a short useful life, they might still be working at 7 years, but well down on efficiency compared to a proper Solar Panel. They also scratch more easily (Plastic is softer than glass) again reducing output. A recent Hymer we worked on in September had just had the under one year old Flexi 100w Solar panel replaced weeks before, but still wasn't working properly. A temporary 80w Glass panel we fitted generated nearly three times as much power. The Dealer is scheduled to fit a fixed, Glass panel end of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 OK they are selling a product, but an interesting read. https://www.solbian.eu/en/blog/polymers-vs-glass-a-five-years-comparison-n255?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceM Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 The question in my mind would be why consider a flexi panel at all? If they were more efficient than solid panels it might be an incentive, if they were cheaper that might be an incentive. But neither incentive seems to apply in this case. And having this year replace my aged solid 100W[ ?] panel with two new solid 100W panels I can attest to the fact that they’re easy to fit and have the benefit of an air gap to remain cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I am considering fitting an MiPv flexible solar panel which uses different technology to the more commonly found silicone cell panels. CIGS is a mixture of copper, indium, gallium and solenium which is claimed to improve the energy harvested particularly in low light (start and end of day) and not to suffer from temperature drop off at the height of the day. They are more expensive than other silicone based flexible panels but, if the increased performance is as stated, then the slight cost difference would be worth it. So has anyone else tried these panels? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjmike Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 Thanks for all the replies. I was toying with a semi rigid due to the considerable weight savings this would make siting on the roof a lot easier. You have all given me food for thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 david lloyd - 2018-11-11 6:49 PM I am considering fitting an MiPv flexible solar panel which uses different technology to the more commonly found silicone cell panels. CIGS is a mixture of copper, indium, gallium and solenium which is claimed to improve the energy harvested particularly in low light (start and end of day) and not to suffer from temperature drop off at the height of the day. They are more expensive than other silicone based flexible panels but, if the increased performance is as stated, then the slight cost difference would be worth it. So has anyone else tried these panels? David David, in mid summer the difference in power generated between the very best Glass faced panels and the 'also rans' is relatively small. There is also little need for lots of power as you don't need lights, heating, etc. The primary difference, in percentage terms, between the technologies will be achieved during Mid Winter. But in real terms even a 25% improvement on a 'conventional' 100w Solar panels 4Ah a day output in Scotland is still next to no improvement.. Even a 50% improvement, 2Ah, is not worth having, so the '15%' improvement in the new technology flexi's should be considered carefully I suggest you look at exactly what you are trying to achieve, at what time of the year and what location? . To put the above into perspective, in mid winder on a sunny day in Glasgow a 300watt solar setup will generate about 16Ah a day when the average motorhome will need around 40Ah to run lights, heating, tv, charging phones/tablets, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 aandncaravan - 2018-11-12 2:48 PM david lloyd - 2018-11-11 6:49 PM I am considering fitting an MiPv flexible solar panel which uses different technology to the more commonly found silicone cell panels. CIGS is a mixture of copper, indium, gallium and solenium which is claimed to improve the energy harvested particularly in low light (start and end of day) and not to suffer from temperature drop off at the height of the day. They are more expensive than other silicone based flexible panels but, if the increased performance is as stated, then the slight cost difference would be worth it. So has anyone else tried these panels? David David, in mid summer the difference in power generated between the very best Glass faced panels and the 'also rans' is relatively small. There is also little need for lots of power as you don't need lights, heating, etc. The primary difference, in percentage terms, between the technologies will be achieved during Mid Winter. But in real terms even a 25% improvement on a 'conventional' 100w Solar panels 4Ah a day output in Scotland is still next to no improvement.. Even a 50% improvement, 2Ah, is not worth having, so the '15%' improvement in the new technology flexi's should be considered carefully I suggest you look at exactly what you are trying to achieve, at what time of the year and what location? . To put the above into perspective, in mid winder on a sunny day in Glasgow a 300watt solar setup will generate about 16Ah a day when the average motorhome will need around 40Ah to run lights, heating, tv, charging phones/tablets, etc. Thanks for that Allan. I'm afraid in mid winter we are heading much MUCH further south (we are talking Spain or Portugal) than Scotland so, yes, I understand the point about the small percentage increase in what would be a subdued light even here in the north of England but, in reality, that small percentage becomes much more effective that much further south. And, of course, there are more daylight hours which means more charging but less use of lights etc. What does impress me about them (apart from weight saving) is how they are able to convert energy from light rather than sunlight and don't appear to suffer the same problems of heat build up reducing their capabilities. One thing I'm not sure about is degradation of the cells themselves over time. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninpalamos Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 I would always go for glass solar panel unless there was a sound reason to go for Semi or flexible. On my pop top I had 3 reasons for having semi flexible. One, the roof is heavy enough to push up without adding to it. Two I want to keep the vans overall height below two metres. Height barriers and car parks. And three, the roof has a slight curved front end where the solar panel is now mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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