? - Durability of flex/fold solar panels when not permanently mounted?

[rayra]

Ah, so the next owner can keep using them.

I gave some thought to cutting down the large aluminum C-channel surrounding the actual panels on my folding kit, especially after I relocated the PWM controller from the panel into the vehicle. Wanting to make the folding panel slimmer. But ultimately it worked out fine with the material stock I chose the make the vehicle mounting frame from. But a slimmer panel would be interesting for a lower-profile mount.

 

[shade]

No, they will not stop an armor piercing round but they will keep on working and working and working.

I have two XP-80s.

And they're relatively affordable.

Solar BugOut Kit for the Overland Camp - Expedition Portal

Off Grid Trek releases their high-output bugout solar kit with a 215 watt folding flexible panel, controller, full wiring kit, and a storage bag.

expeditionportal.com

Offering Portable/Deployable Solar Blankets & Solar Solutions

Our Solar Blankets offer the Highest Efficiency rating available meaning they even work in the rain, snow or smoke from fires. Our South African Trailers/Caravans are the lightest available in the market, while still offering more Options

www.offgridtrek.com

A nice 100 Ah LFP system can be built for that much.

 

[TantoTrailers]

And they're relatively affordable.

Solar BugOut Kit for the Overland Camp - Expedition Portal

Off Grid Trek releases their high-output bugout solar kit with a 215 watt folding flexible panel, controller, full wiring kit, and a storage bag.

expeditionportal.com

Offering Portable/Deployable Solar Blankets & Solar Solutions

Our Solar Blankets offer the Highest Efficiency rating available meaning they even work in the rain, snow or smoke from fires. Our South African Trailers/Caravans are the lightest available in the market, while still offering more Options

www.offgridtrek.com

A nice 100 Ah LFP system can be built for that much.

Those solar blankets look ************** but holy $$$$ --- anyone need a kidney?

 

[john61ct]

So much cheaper than the panels I was using in the late 80's.

Likely even true for 5-10 years ago.

And they were all a good investment then.

Buying cheap panels every 2-3 years, vs a pricier set that could last decades?

Which ends up cheaper?

 

[luthj]

Panels keep getting better efficiency wise, so a 20 year old panel isn't very weight efficient.

 

[rypajo]

I'm on my second Flexible Sun Power 100 watt Monocrystalline panel. It's a warranty replacement panel where the first lasted almost a year to the dot before I realized I wasn't charging anything. Ended up destroying a battery in the process. This second one seems to be functioning much better overall but if it kicks the bucket I will be trying to get Sun Power to replace with a comparable rigid panel.

 

[john61ct]

Panels keep getting better efficiency wise, so a 20 year old panel isn't very weight efficient.

Panel breaking 80 hours from a decent population center would be a big PITA.

Making the choice when to upgrade: priceless

 

[TantoTrailers]

My only fear with those expensive foldable panels (besides the fact I break EVERYTHING) is leaving them out when I’m gone from camp. No really good way to prevent them from theft. I would be pissed but not heart broken if someone took off with a $200 120W panel. I fish and bike so daytime is when I’m not at camp and that’s when the panels should obviously be out.

 

[shade]

Panel breaking 80 hours from a decent population center would be a big PITA.

Making the choice when to upgrade: priceless

With flexy-foldy panels, that may be true.

If durability is that much of a concern, wouldn't it make more sense today to find a way to use a rigid panel? Good ones cost far less than the high end flexy-folders mentioned here, and have a good record for reliability.

 

[john61ct]

Yes, absolutely.

But when you want to park in the shade, and/or deploy more than your roof holds, or need to take power with you going far from your base camp. . .

 

[dreadlocks]

I need to be able to park at a base camp, trailhead or ranger station for 3-10 days unsupervised and know all my food is good and my gear is not getting raided while I'm backpacking, fixed roof panel is required for me.. many times I find the massive house panel on my roof is more than enough and dont need anymore, but then sometimes I'm in such a dense forest and trailer is in soo much shade that its practically worthless and the portable one is required.. I went with a house panel for portable too largely because it'd be very cumbersome to walk off with given its size and weight.. but I'm still considering riveting a anchor point to the frame and bringing a bit of steel cable to loop around a tree or something.. I'm not terribly concerned about theft in parks and stuff, more when boondocking at dispersed sites.. lots of homeless encampments that I'm sure would snag up some solar panels if they had the opportunity.