Air gap when fitting a flexi solar panel to a pop top ?

[andy greenwood]

I've spent hours reading posts & watching YouTube videos on fitting a semi flexible solar panel yet I'm still non the wiser. From what I have read you need to leave an air gap to prevent over heating & damaging the panel. Yet most videos I've watched show the panel being bonded all the way round and direct to the pop top, so do I need an airgap or not ? My roof has a ridge straight down the middle so I'm unsure how I'd mount the panel leaving an air gap ?

 

[DXX]

I've spent hours reading posts & watching YouTube videos on fitting a semi flexible solar panel yet I'm still non the wiser. From what I have read you need to leave an air gap to prevent over heating & damaging the panel. Yet most videos I've watched show the panel being bonded all the way round and direct to the pop top, so do I need an airgap or not ? My roof has a ridge straight down the middle so I'm unsure how I'd mount the panel leaving an air gap ?

Never heard that before but PV cells efficiency drops with temperature.
My self adhesive panel is stuck down on a silver GRP pop top which might help keep the temperature down. The temperature parameters must be listed on the panel specification?
On the equator a ships steel deck (painted grey) in the sun can reach 60 degrees C, that’s with an ambient air temperature of approx‘ 38-40 deg C.

 

[andy greenwood]

Never heard that before but PV cells efficiency drops with temperature.
My self adhesive panel is stuck down on a silver GRP pop top which might help keep the temperature down. The temperature parameters must be listed on the panel specification?
On the equator a ships steel deck (painted grey) in the sun can reach 60 degrees C, that’s with an ambient air temperature of approx‘ 38-40 deg C.

 

[Howzat]

As far as I understand a semi or fully flexible panel should be bonded to the roof. If you mount it with an air gap then the wind when driving at speed could warp and damage the panel. The downside to this is the possibility of heat damage during the summer but this is the lesser of the 2 evils especially with our UK summer.
A rigid panel could be mounted with an air gap but this would ideally need to be bolted through the roof with bespoke brackets and frame.
A top tip I've read on this forum is to wrap the roof first then bond the panel to this wrap so if you do need to replace the panel it's easier to remove without leaving residue on the roof.

 

[andy greenwood]

As far as I understand a semi or fully flexible panel should be bonded to the roof. If you mount it with an air gap then the wind when driving at speed could warp and damage the panel. The downside to this is the possibility of heat damage during the summer but this is the lesser of the 2 evils especially with our UK summer.
A rigid panel could be mounted with an air gap but this would ideally need to be bolted through the roof with bespoke brackets and frame.
A top tip I've read on this forum is to wrap the roof first then bond the panel to this wrap so if you do need to replace the panel it's easier to remove without leaving residue on the roof.

Hi , so would you say that the panel should bonded with sikaflex all the way round so that it is fully sealed ?

 

[Howzat]

Might not be possible to fully bond it like that due to the ridges on the roof.

Something like the post linked below, but don't use double sided stick tape!

Replacing a lost solar panel on a pop top - advice needed.

 

[andy greenwood]

Might not be possible to fully bond it like that due to the ridges on the roof.

Something like the post linked below, but don't use double sided stick tape!

Replacing a lost solar panel on a pop top - advice needed.

Thanks for that link, it's very helpful

 

[slocumjoseph]

I’ll shortly be fitting the Photonic Universe 200w Flexi panel with the reverse junction box on my pop top. I’m a bit concerned about the number of online comments about heat build up shortening the panels life. So I thought I’d use this 4mm polycarbonate roofing sheet as an air gap on the roof. Then glue the solar panel to that.

 

[sw25481]

Did you? Did it go well? This could work for me also.

I was thinking of buying and cutting a sheet of 1mm or 2mm aluminium a little lager than the panels. I was more worried that the failures were due to the panels flexing, so I figure it would act to strengthen, be a heat spreader if the glue does not insulate too much and I can then move them a little easier to the poptop when I get it fitted.

 

[slocumjoseph]

Not got that far yet @sw25481. Financially I can only do the job in stages. So in the last few days I've been moving cabinets to get at the wiring for the installation of the Renogy 50A DC-DC charger and MPPT controller. It can work with just the alternator for a while until I can get the readies together for the solar panel. Probably early next year.