Roof Mount Portable Solar?

[Hawkeye Ed]

Has anyone pursued the idea of charging Escape batteries with a portable solar panel, one that not only charges while on the ground but also mounts on the roof for charging when traveling?

We didn't order any solar items for our soon-to-be-completed 5.0TA. We had the learning experience of installing a system on our current camper and want the challenge to do it again on the new one.

Someone must have come up with a way to easily mount a portable panel on the roof. You’d solve portable panel storage problems while on the move, too.

[AKCamper]

I personally just don’t think you really want to climb a ladder and drag a solar panel off your roof. Just mount panels (either ridge or flexible) on your roof and have a plug for portable. Lots of RVs do this. Lots of posts discussed this on several occasions.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes I agree and with the factory roof solar there is no learning period. The solar works every day, behind the scenes without you doing anything, other than checking the battery water level occasionally.

[Ron in BC]

Definitely doable. On my 19 I had a tilting,swiveling panel that could be raised to follow the sun more efficiently. When not "up" it was carried horizontally over the tongue box. It could also be moved to the side, as a portable panel, if trying to get out of the shade.

When I sold the 19 I installed two 100 watt panels on the roof. But I didn't mount the panels to the roof. I built a lightweight frame that attached to the roof. The panels sat in the frame. They could be removed without disturbing the mounting points. They would be too heavy to use in the manner you propose.

However, on my 21, I made a very light weight frame for my tilting, swiveling set-up and I use a 100 watt flexible panel. It is a very lightweight unit and one or two could easily be lifted up onto a fixed frame. I've split the difference. I have one flexible panel permanently mounted on the roof and one on the pole.

It would be a bit of work to climb up and take one panel down to use as a portable panel. On the other hand, the vast majority of use would likely be with the panel on the roof.

Ron

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by AKCamper

I personally just don’t think you really want to climb a ladder and drag a solar panel off your roof. Just mount panels (either ridge or flexible) on your roof and have a plug for portable. Lots of RVs do this. Lots of posts discussed this on several occasions.

Having to deal with installing and removing a panel, or just angling the panel would get old quickly. KISS!

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Yes I agree and with the factory roof solar there is no learning period. The solar works every day, behind the scenes without you doing anything, other than checking the battery water level occasionally.

At $680 US, the 190 watt panel, installed is a steal!

We rarely get an electirc site, and have had no problems with our 170 watt panel; our longest stay without services was 12 days, with another for 10 days. Perhaps at some point we'll buy a small (120 watt) portable panel, but so far (198 nights) haven't needed one.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Vermilye]

My solution would be (and is) to install rooftop panels (I have 2) AND a portable. I only need to get out the portable during a string of cloudy days or when parked in the shade, meanwhile, the rooftop panels charge when driving. To me, other than cost, the best of both worlds.

[Eggscape]

Not that this idea will help you with your 5...but I had thought of mounting portable panels on my pickup bed cover. Not only can the truck be parked in the sun (and keep my trailer cool under the trees) but I can also tilt the cover up at an angle towards the sun.

When not in use...say you drive into a high risk town for food...they would slide into tracks mounted just under the bed cover.

This would also allow me to charge my trailer batteries (which have been set up as ‘Grab and Go”) when I pull them from the trailer and do a mobile communications event in the truck.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

Not that this idea will help you with your 5...but I had thought of mounting portable panels on my pickup bed cover.

How about getting some of those thin, lightweight panels like Jim Bennett has and adhering them to the bed cover? You wouldn't be able to tilt them, and you'd have to be careful not to bang them up. But the bed cover is a big surface area that goes to waste in most cases.

[Eggscape]

If I where to buy some new ones, that would be a great idea. Not only would they be lightweight but not as vertically visible.

As for the tilting...the whole bed cover tilts so that is not a problem if you are around to protect what’s in the bed.

They would also be with us when we went to the cabin and available to charge the two trailer batteries we take with us for the trolling motors. The batteries are also backup for our cabin water pump.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

How about getting some of those thin, lightweight panels like Jim Bennett has and adhering them to the bed cover? You wouldn't be able to tilt them, and you'd have to be careful not to bang them up. But the bed cover is a big surface area that goes to waste in most cases.

Strange as it seems - the diamond pattern on the surface of the Lensun panels seems to catch the sun at fairly good angles. I had my trailer setting next to a new Escape with the 190 watt panel on it and my 200 watt Lensun panels were putting out about twice the power as the 190 watt in the same morning sun.

The two trailers were parked about four feet apart and parallel so they were getting the same unshaded sun. Both trailers have Victron 100/30 solar controllers and Victron battery monitors so it made it an apples to apples comparison.

Looking at the two trailers from a second story window, the Lensun panels looked black and the Escape panel had sunlight reflecting off the glass.

Aiming the Lensun panels at the sun definitely gains more power but it is nice that diamond pattern give a little boost to charging.

[dstreight]

FYI/FWIW: Two out of two flexible/bendable panels I had a few years ago burned through within 6-months. Just like AMSolar relayed to me the warranty on most "flexible/bendable" solar panels isn't worth the paper it was written on and I can vouch for this ($500 down the drain). AMSolar told me the owner removed all his flexible/bendables atop their RV due to reliability problems.

Merlin, Off Grid Trek and maybe Renogy (well known & established company would at least, hopefully, honor their warranty) are IMHO the only flexible panels worth investing in. But even with a solid company backing the warranty it won't do you any good..when you need it most and it fails. So, again IMHO, that leaves Merlin and Off Grid Trek who both design and provide their panels to our DOD. Should be good enough for the rest of us .

So now I've got a 6500Wh LFP on the 15A. While rolling along the alternator and Sterling 60A DC-2-DC keeps the battery array happy. But I'm planning on solar when we boondock in remote western USA for more than a couple days. It will be a combination of roof top panels and a Merlin or two for when we're camped in the shade and need to put a little current back as I just don't see myself taking the time to remove the rooftop panels and set them up outside the shade line when...

So, depending upon where you typically set-up, you as others have stated, will more than likely need permanent and portable panels. Or run your pull rig...

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by dstreight

FYI/FWIW: Two out of two flexible/bendable panels I had a few years ago burned through within 6-months. Just like AMSolar relayed to me the warranty on most "flexible/bendable" solar panels isn't worth the paper it was written on and I can vouch for this ($500 down the drain). AMSolar told me the owner removed all his flexible/bendables atop their RV due to reliability problems.

Merlin, Off Grid Trek and maybe Renogy (well known & established company would at least, hopefully, honor their warranty) are IMHO the only flexible panels worth investing in. But even with a solid company backing the warranty it won't do you any good..when you need it most and it fails. So, again IMHO, that leaves Merlin and Off Grid Trek who both design and provide their panels to our DOD. Should be good enough for the rest of us .

So now I've got a 6500Wh LFP on the 15A. While rolling along the alternator and Sterling 60A DC-2-DC keeps the battery array happy. But I'm planning on solar when we boondock in remote western USA for more than a couple days. It will be a combination of roof top panels and a Merlin or two for when we're camped in the shade and need to put a little current back as I just don't see myself taking the time to remove the rooftop panels and set them up outside the shade line when...

So, depending upon where you typically set-up, you as others have stated, will more than likely need permanent and portable panels. Or run your pull rig...

Can’t compare cheap made materials to better technology. Has nothing to do with what you pay . With our Lensun Semi flexible panels going on 2 years and very happy . Pat

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Can’t compare cheap made materials to better technology. Has nothing to do with what you pay . With our Lensun Semi flexible panels going on 2 years and very happy . Pat

I agree. There are a number of people here on the forum that have installed Lensun panels and I have not heard of a single failure for the two years I have had my panels. Very happy with my panels.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I agree. There are a number of people here on the forum that have installed Lensun panels and I have not heard of a single failure for the two years I have had my panels. Very happy with my panels.

Hi TomPat

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

I agree. There are a number of people here on the forum that have installed Lensun panels and I have not heard of a single failure for the two years I have had my panels. Very happy with my panels.

Can anyone comment on the SunPower flexible panel? They are similar in price to the Lensun but are 25% efficient versus 17-18%. SunPower is known in the solar industry for high quality. They appear quite rugged but do not use the dimpled ETFE top sheet like the Lensun.

https://us.sunpower.com/sites/defaul...spec-sheet.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/SunPower%C2%A.../dp/B07C37TJJ6

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Can anyone comment on the SunPower flexible panel? They are similar in price to the Lensun but are 25% efficient versus 17-18%. SunPower is known in the solar industry for high quality. They appear quite rugged but do not use the dimpled ETFE top sheet like the Lensun.

https://us.sunpower.com/sites/defaul...spec-sheet.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/SunPower%C2%A.../dp/B07C37TJJ6

some info on the sunpower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBUat-Drilw

[Jim Bennett]

There are lots of potentially good ways to mount and use solar. I had thought of doing adjustable mounts on top but in the end opted for ease of use and just did the flush mounted semi-flexible panels which 3 years later are as good as new.

Like others, if weather and site conditions cause poor solar charging to the fixed panels, I will use a portable one to top them up.

There are a lot of people now who if they don't have full charge by solar the next day they are worried. Heck, I used to go regularly doing 3 nights of temps near freezing and my dual 6V worked through it. Not ideal, but very doable.

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Can’t compare cheap made materials to better technology. Has nothing to do with what you pay . With our Lensun Semi flexible panels going on 2 years and very happy . Pat

Exactly. When I did my research I found lots of negative posts and videos on the semi-flexible, with scratching, cupping, etc causing them to fail. After finding the ETFE coated ones like Lensun, and reviewed what folks had to say about them, I was sold on trying, and as stated above, it was a good choice.

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

some info on the sunpower

It is panels like these that I found lots of negative reports on. The fellow should take the time to try out some good ones.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Can anyone comment on the SunPower flexible panel? They are similar in price to the Lensun but are 25% efficient versus 17-18%. SunPower is known in the solar industry for high quality. They appear quite rugged but do not use the dimpled ETFE top sheet like the Lensun.

https://us.sunpower.com/sites/defaul...spec-sheet.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/SunPower%C2%A.../dp/B07C37TJJ6

Let me give this a shot.

First, SunPower solar cells are used in most of the solar panels manufactured. SunPower sorts their cells in different classifications based on efficiency and number of defects. SunPower makes their solar panels using different classes of cells based on pricing and also sells their lower quality cells to other manufacturers.
https://us.sunpower.com/products/solar-panels

Other manufacturers have come out with high efficiency solar cells to compete with SunPower. One of those is PERC which is used in the Lensun panels. PERC cells are high efficiency like SunPower cells but with some improvements.
https://news.energysage.com/perc-solar-cells-overview/

SunPower uses both ETFE and PET in their manufacture of solar panels. PET-laminated Flexible Solar Panels generally have lifespans of up to 5 years, ETFE-laminated Flexible Solar Panels have lifespans of up to 10 years or longer. Why aren't all solar panels using ETFE? Cost. ETFE is more expensive than PET and if the manufacturer is counting pennies to keep the panel costs down, it makes a difference.

The backing used for the solar panels makes a difference in the reliability of the panel. Fiberglass gives the best reliability with aluminum and polymer ranking behind. Why aren't all solar panels using fiberglass? Again, cost. Every manufacturer is trying to be the lowest cost producer of solar panels with the highest specs. To be able to do that, corners have to be cut somewhere and the easiest place to do this is the panel backing.

Now about the SunPower panel you asked about.
It uses a polymer backing panel and PET - both to reduce the panel cost but both reducing the quality of the panel compared to a fiberglass panel with ETFE. It also uses Gen II Maxeon solar cells which are older design cells - current production is Maxeon Gen 5 and X series cells.

SunPower makes better panels (Maxeon X series) but the cost is higher. It's not always the case but most of the time, you really do get what you pay for.

ps. The Lensun panels are 21.5-22%, not 17-18%. Still not as high as the best SunPower cells (Maxeon X series 22.7%) but higher than most of the cells out there. When you see a rating of 25%, it makes me wonder where that came from as SunPower doesn't rate their own cells that high. Truth in advertising?

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

Let me give this a shot.

First, SunPower solar cells are used in most of the solar panels manufactured. SunPower sorts their cells in different classifications based on efficiency and number of defects. SunPower makes their solar panels using different classes of cells based on pricing and also sells their lower quality cells to other manufacturers.
https://us.sunpower.com/products/solar-panels

Other manufacturers have come out with high efficiency solar cells to compete with SunPower. One of those is PERC which is used in the Lensun panels. PERC cells are high efficiency like SunPower cells but with some improvements.
https://news.energysage.com/perc-solar-cells-overview/

SunPower uses both ETFE and PET in their manufacture of solar panels. PET-laminated Flexible Solar Panels generally have lifespans of up to 5 years, ETFE-laminated Flexible Solar Panels have lifespans of up to 10 years or longer. Why aren't all solar panels using ETFE? Cost. ETFE is more expensive than PET and if the manufacturer is counting pennies to keep the panel costs down, it makes a difference.

The backing used for the solar panels makes a difference in the reliability of the panel. Fiberglass gives the best reliability with aluminum and polymer ranking behind. Why aren't all solar panels using fiberglass? Again, cost. Every manufacturer is trying to be the lowest cost producer of solar panels with the highest specs. To be able to do that, corners have to be cut somewhere and the easiest place to do this is the panel backing.

Now about the SunPower panel you asked about.
It uses a polymer backing panel and PET - both to reduce the panel cost but both reducing the quality of the panel compared to a fiberglass panel with ETFE. It also uses Gen II Maxeon solar cells which are older design cells - current production is Maxeon Gen 5 and X series cells.

SunPower makes better panels (Maxeon X series) but the cost is higher. It's not always the case but most of the time, you really do get what you pay for.

ps. The Lensun panels are 21.5-22%, not 17-18%. Still not as high as the best SunPower cells (Maxeon X series 22.7%) but higher than most of the cells out there. When you see a rating of 25%, it makes me wonder where that came from as SunPower doesn't rate their own cells that high. Truth in advertising?

Tom the best explanation I have seen . Which I couldn’t do . Thankyou!
Just checked my Victron controller , my panels are in float mode right now , my solar voltage is 21.84 . We have been raining and cloudy but right now the sun is out . Pat

[Jim Bennett]

Yes, good write up there, Tom. Made me wiser.