<span class="highlight">Solar</span> <span class="highlight">panel</span> question

Gday Peter,
You got me thinking about solar on the last trip!
We bought some panels from the same seller as you - quick delivery and the panels look and work fine. Got a 120W folding to hook up to the Landcruiser and a single 65W panel to mount on the roof of the Tvan. Thought is was a better option than buying an extra battery.

Solar power really is an inexpensive option now.

Cheers
Phil

Hey Phil How are you going, you weren't the only one rethinking their power setups after that trip.
Friends from SA that we travelled with after we left the FOGVD have also fitted 250w of solar to the roof of the cruiser, when we can camp up indefinately without having to worry about flat batteries it makes others open their eyes especially as you said the prices are coming down considerably.

Hi Marny,
Please would it be possible for you to let us know where you purchased that 240 watt folding panel?
Thanks
Regards
Graham

Hi Graham just type in 240 watt solar panel into ebay and they come straight up. Mine was from lhp? I put in an offer of 410 dollars that was accepted. try a bit lower you may get it cheaper than that. Cheers

Thanks for that Marny
Cheers

Marny, what are the dimensions (LxW, single panel) of your 240Watt setup??

Thanks :)

Ed C


:)

I will have to measure up when I get home from work. Fairly large though

G'Day Ed C just run the tape over the panels inside the bag they are roughly 1200 by 600. that is folded in half so they would be 1200 square setup. Happy new year Marny

G'day Marny,

Well, I'm sorry to say, but it appears (as I suspected) that the leopard has not changed it's spots..

That seller has a well known & well documented history of supplying undersized / over-rated / fraudulently labelled panels, and it appears that they're still doing it..

In my case, I ordered an 80W folding kit & received a 40W kit (2x 20W panels) labelled as 80W.. How the h*ll he thought he could get away with that is beyond me... Several others on this forum have had similar experiences, and there's plenty of anecdotes on other forums as well...


Those dimensions that you've quoted (1200 x 600) are simply not big enough for a 120 Watt panel..

For comparison, here's some specs I found on the net...

Sharp 120W .. 1449 x 662 , Kyocera 120W .. 1425 x 652, Projecta 120W .. 1335 x 670...
As you can see, quite a difference in size between these and yours..

I'd strongly suggest you do some testing ASAP, & determine the true output of those panels.. measure the output before the regulator, & with a 15Amp load connected.. I'd be surprised if you can get more than about 10.5 - 11Amps (@18.5V), whereas 240W should produce around 13Amps...

When it'a all said and done, a 200W kit for the price you paid is still not too shabby, but it's the mis-representation that is just plain wrong.... (simply put, it's fraud!)

By contrast, the seller linked above (by Ozhumvee) is of known good repute..


Happy New Year!

Regards,
Ed C

Mornin Ed it would appear that you have confirmed my suspicions. When the panels rocked up I looked at them and thought they were too small. Then i saw 90w written in texta on the panels so i did some calcs and at 12 volts and 13.3 amps it come up short. I then called them and said i have been supplied the wrong panels and he said that it was rated at 18volts which works out to be spot on 240 watts. Whether or not the panels will hold this voltage with a full load on them I have yet to determine. when I tested I used a fairly charged battery and the panel voltage stayed at 18.8 volts. Maybe i might put the electric drill on them for a load and measure the voltage then. I also hane a 1500 watt solar setup on my roof that has 6 panels (250 w each) so i will get up and count the cells to compare with mine as i would assume that most cells would be simular in their output regardless of who sells the panels. Even if it is smaller than expected I am still happy with the price and setup.

Another thing to watch out for when mounting panels is to leave an air gap underneath the panel so that there is free airflow between the panel and whatever it is mounted to. They lose output as they heat up so if mounted directly on a surface trapping the air between the panel, frame and the surface mounted on they will lose output far more quickly and continue to lose it while the panel is hotter than necessary.
I tested it on the Oka's roof and it made several amps difference in output if the airflow under the panel was stopped by blocking the gaps around the edge with foam.

Gday Peter,
Hey I could put it in the shade so it doesn't heat up :-)

But good tip - pity you didn't post it earlier - I fitted a 65W panel to the top of the TVan yesterday :-)) I mounted it on a rubber strip at the front and left gaps at the sides and a bigger gap at the rear, so I expect air will circulate a bit. Might have spaced it a bit higher if doing it again. It was putting out 3.7 amps in the Adelaide heat yesterday so should do the job.

Cheers
Phil

We're having a warmish day today, first for along while, might even get over 30! We've hardly had a day where it didn't cloud over at some point, not really had any proper summer yet
Supposed to cool down again later in the week though.