Fixed solar upgrade. Flexi or rigid?

[The Flying Scotsman]

I’m going to be upgrading my vans power soon and changing to lithium.
I have a flexi solar panel on the roof and presume it’s 100w.
I’m wanting to upgrade this to at least a 200w panel and read through the various solar panel threads but am wanting to know what’s the best panel to upgrade to?
Flexi or rigid?
One or 2 ?
I don’t mind spending the money on top kit that will last.
I realise that I’ve got a lot of additional work to change to lithium so will swap out the solar panel when I’m fitting the MPPT
Cheers

 

[Dellmassive]

IMHO,

Flexible panels are fine, provided they are fitted correctly.

They give a sleaker finish to.

One big panel is better than two smaller ones.

200w is a good size and should get you 10A or so when the a sun is out ..

Solar Panel: Cutting Hole in Roof !!!

im going fit a solar panel I’ve made sure all cables and connections are under the panel. As I hate to see them. Until it arrives I don’t know how high the connections make the panel sit off the roof ! It’s a HiLow roof. Inside is unfinished. I’ve got to drill cable holes anyway. So...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Ads_Essex]

Am I right in saying flexi’s seem to break when movement is allowed to occur, that breaking the copper foil ‘circuit’?

I’d be interested to see what gumph goes in to making up the thick frame of a rigid panel, to see what could be replicated on a ridged van roof..

 

[TallPaul_S]

What have you got on your pop top re mounting options?

Rigid is more reliable and more efficient but it's a pain to mount - really you want a roof rack, or bars - unless you're willing to drill into the pop top.

Flexible is obviously easier to fit but it's the ticking time bomb of when or if it fails.

 

[TallPaul_S]

Am I right in saying flexi’s seem to break when movement is allowed to occur, that breaking the copper foil ‘circuit’?

I’d be interested to see what gumph goes in to making up the thick frame of a rigid panel, to see what could be replicated on a ridged van roof..

I've got a rigid panel waiting to be fitted to mine.

It's not just the rigid aluminium frame, it's the glass surface and the free flowing air underneath the panel.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

I know there’s divided opinion on this …3 years on my flexible and you wouldn’t know it’s there

 

[Stay Frosty]

Flexible here and the main problem is getting the damn things to stay stuck down on a shiny corrugated surface be that pop top or original van roof.
Other problem is bringing the panel tails through the roof and trying to stop moisture taking the same route which applies to rigid or flexy.
That apart and despite one of mine making a bid for freedom on the A34 by Oxford after two years of plotting to escape, both panels are still pumping out up to 19A of free electric between them and keeping the leisure battery stuffed full.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

What have you got on your pop top re mounting options?

Rigid is more reliable and more efficient but it's a pain to mount - really you want a roof rack, or bars - unless you're willing to drill into the pop top.

Flexible is obviously easier to fit but it's the ticking time bomb of when or if it fails.

This is my existing set up.
I’m a joiner so have no problem making something to mount the panel.
I’d rather have reliability over ease of fitting and rather spend extra on up to date quality panels.
Plan on having the van a while.

 

[TallPaul_S]

Rigid is also a whole lot cheaper, my Victron panel is 305w and was £166 delivered!

Tbh if you're happy with the extra bulk and can work out how to fit it, rigid all the way.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Rigid is also a whole lot cheaper, my Victron panel is 305w and was £166 delivered!

Tbh if you're happy with the extra bulk and can work out how to fit it, rigid all the way.

Think I’m going to go big to make the effort worth while.
I’ve seen these. Are they worth the hefty price tag?

EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel 37V Rigid Solar PV Module for Home Garden RVs Off-Grid | eBay

EcoFlow solar panels use an all-inclusive solar connector, so you can even use them with your existing 48V power system. The 400W solar panel includes a 300mm charging cable that gives you plenty of space to mount multiple panels, maximizing solar input.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[TallPaul_S]

Think I’m going to go big to make the effort worth while.
I’ve seen these. Are they worth the hefty price tag?

EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel 37V Rigid Solar PV Module for Home Garden RVs Off-Grid | eBay

EcoFlow solar panels use an all-inclusive solar connector, so you can even use them with your existing 48V power system. The 400W solar panel includes a 300mm charging cable that gives you plenty of space to mount multiple panels, maximizing solar input.

www.ebay.co.uk

Nice, go big or go home! Just be aware the correct size MPPT will be quite big for 300w+ of solar, you're looking at an MPPT 100/30.

Have you got a size constraint?

Victron do a 360w panel, £166 delivered on eBay. Same place I got my 305w panel from.

Victron Energy Monocrystalline Solar Panel 24V 360W 1980x1002x40 SPM043602402 | eBay

Victron Energy. Victron Energy SPM043602402. Solar Panels. Fuses & Fuse Holders. Solar Panel Kits. Battery Monitors. Exceptional low-light performance and high sensitivity to light across the entire solar spectrum.

www.ebay.co.uk

That ecoflow listing implies it might be 2x panels? Not sure though

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Nice, go big or go home! Just be aware the correct size MPPT will be quite big for 300w+ of solar, you're looking at an MPPT 100/30.

Have you got a size constraint?

Victron do a 360w panel, £166 delivered on eBay. Same place I got my 305w panel from.

Victron Energy Monocrystalline Solar Panel 24V 360W 1980x1002x40 SPM043602402 | eBay

Victron Energy. Victron Energy SPM043602402. Solar Panels. Fuses & Fuse Holders. Solar Panel Kits. Battery Monitors. Exceptional low-light performance and high sensitivity to light across the entire solar spectrum.

www.ebay.co.uk

That ecoflow listing implies it might be 2x panels? Not sure though

Thanks for the reply.
I’ve got plenty room below my microwave where my LB is for an MPPT or in the cupboard at the back where the Sargent and existing solar controller is.
That victron 360w panel looks great. Much cheaper too.
I did wonder if the ecoflow was 2 x 200w panels.
I’m going to start buying bits for the upgrade soon.
Not sure whether to buy 2 smaller lithium batteries or one big one.
Need to upgrade my split charge to DC-DC and fit the MPPT as well as put in thicker cables.

 

[roadtripper]

Am I right in saying flexi’s seem to break when movement is allowed to occur, that breaking the copper foil ‘circuit’?

That seems to be the common failure mode in threads here. I've also seen issues on marine forums where the flexible resin also clouds more easily due to UV whereas rigid panels tend to be glass and aluminium which doesn't really get effected.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

That seems to be the common failure mode in threads here. I've also seen issues on marine forums where the flexible resin also clouds more easily due to UV whereas rigid panels tend to be glass and aluminium which doesn't really get effected.

I’ve posted a thread about my proposed power upgrade and would love your input on it roadtripper

 

[oldiebut goodie]

That seems to be the common failure mode in threads here. I've also seen issues on marine forums where the flexible resin also clouds more easily due to UV whereas rigid panels tend to be glass and aluminium which doesn't really get effected.

I have had a rigid glass faced one on my boat for donkey's years ( 25 plus years ) - it is still as good as the day that I fitted it. I am all for the rigid ones.

 

[JumpShip]

Roof bars is the only way i can fit rigid panels onto my roof and theyre not free so that negates the money i save on buying flexi's .
Aesthetically i'd prefer not to see the panel which again leads me down the flexi line again but its just the reliability thing that bugs me .

 

[Salty Spuds]

After 2failed flexi panels, I went for rigid. My next van will have rigid panels from the get go.

Another failed solar panel

After a second flexi solar panel failure, I'm going for a rigid type in the hope that it's a last time fit & forget job. The first flexi to fail was a generic chinese one factory fitted to the poptop by Reimo, that lasted around 2 years. The second one, which has just failed was a Carbest...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Stay Frosty]

@The Flying Scotsman I would only use two smaller leisure batteries rather than one big single battery if I wanted to spread the weight around the vehicle but with lithium typically lighter than lead acid my Roamer 230Ah seatbase battery isn't much heavier than the 100Ah lead lump it replaced but has nearly five times the useable capacity.
Regarding more solar panel area and it is a bit of a balancing act as quite often on sunny days my shunt will show nearly 20A going into the battery on top of the 3.5A being sucked out by the fridge meaning the battery is frequently at 100% with still over 200A available first thing in the morning leaving me to turn off the panels and recently throttle back the Renogy DCC50S app to 30A rather than 50A and stop blowing the 60A glass tube AGU type fuses I've installed... must change these to something like maxi fuses.
The Renogy DCC50S B2B present version will take your solar input as well as the alternator and now has an higher input voltage so will suit series or parallel panel combinations.
To the rigid versus flexi panel debate I'll say this was T6 camping at Busfest last year and not a rigid panel in sight...

 

[oldiebut goodie]

@The Flying Scotsman and not a rigid panel in sight

But how many of them will last 25 years?

 

[Gsixty]

But how many of them will last 25 years?

How many of the vans will?