High wattage solar panels

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High wattage solar panels

August 29, 2015, 07:44:02 pm

Stion STO-135A CIGS Solar Panel, Only $.89 Cents per watt
(CIGS) Thin-Film Solar Modules

Seriously thinking about driving to Portland and picking up two or three of these panels and appropriate controller. I like the size, efficiency and cost of these panels. They weigh about 10 pounds more than comparable panel using two pieces of tempered glass, only downside I can see!
Not a solar expert but somewhat familiar with solar since I've installed systems on my previous rigs.
My understanding under good conditions they should put out about 10 amps at 12
volts.

Any opinions would be welcome thanks, Doug.

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #1 – August 29, 2015, 07:56:48 pm

In general I stick to 24v (nominal) panels but if you already have 12vdc panels and these work ok (and you have an MPPT charge controller) these should fit right in. I wonder how big they are. Rooftop real estate is an issue. The price looks right. Usually 12vdc panels are more expensive ($1.50 to $2 per watt nowadays).

Craig

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #2 – August 29, 2015, 08:35:19 pm

They look good. Should be able to get away with 12 awg [or 10, allowing for expansion] to your
mppt controller from the panels.

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #3 – August 29, 2015, 09:40:04 pm

Have seen these for $0.30/watt on Craigslist Sacramento. I would stick with models with a frame as they are much more rugged and less work to install. A top manufacturer 280 watt 36 volt panel should be able to be purchased for about $150. I paid $160 but they dropped $10 since then. Some 48 volt panels available here too: sacramento for sale "solar panels" - craigslist

Keep the voltage up so you don't have to worry about wire size or loss. If you have a 150 volt controller, don't go over about 135 volts as cold mornings will see 150 volts or more. I run series/parallel down to the controller with 72 volts into it. The manufacturer, MidNite Solar (Classic 150), thought my intended 144 volts (all panels in series) was too close to the max 150 volt rating so suggested a series/parallel wiring to be on the safe side for really cold mornings.

Pierce

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #4 – August 30, 2015, 08:45:35 pm

News

These panels are manufactured framed or frameless STO / STL models.
Seems to me these panels are cutting edge technology. Performance surpasses silicon, maybe the future of photovoltaic and made in America!

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #5 – August 30, 2015, 10:59:30 pm

Quote from: Doug Weil – August 30, 2015, 08:45:35 pm

News

These panels are manufactured framed or frameless STO / STL models.
Seems to me these panels are cutting edge technology. Performance surpasses silicon, maybe the future of photovoltaic and made in America!

Here is their quote "We test a gaggle of panels in our off grid showroom and our 100 Watt Stion has outperformed everything watt for watt, we've never seen better. "
The Stion STO-135A CIGS panels the seller describes on their web site to produce 100 watts from 11.68 square feet or 8.56 watts per square foot.

The Yingli YL280P-35b panels I installed produce 280 watts from 19.99 square feet or 13.33 watts per square foot. My Yingli panels were the exact model from a 80,000 panel installation in the Mojave Desert and over 500,000 of these panels have been installed in the United States.

The seller further makes a very ambiguous statement quoted here: It will occasionally outperform our 300 Watt Monocrystalline panel and generally acts like a 160-200 watt panel in low light. The words occasionally and generally would need to be documented by the manufacturer or laboratory to have much basis in fact especially when the retailer has a vested interest.

Even if they produced 135 watts, that is 11.38 watts per square foot or much less that the "conventional" Yingli commercial panel. The Yingli panels also include a ready to mount sturdy aluminum frame and have a 25 year warranty.

Pierce

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #6 – August 30, 2015, 11:31:56 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – August 30, 2015, 10:59:30 pm

Even if they produced 135 watts, that is 11.38 watts per square foot or much less that the "conventional" Yingli commercial panel. The Yingli panels also include a ready to mount sturdy aluminum frame and have a 25 year warranty.

I found their comments confusing as well. I took them to mean that in low light (or maybe low angle light) they outperformed some 300-watt panels. I suppose that's possible; Unisolar made similar claims which was what originally prompted me to try them. Hard to tell in my configuration though.

Maybe they were just watching them on very cold winter mornings.

Craig

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #7 – August 30, 2015, 11:45:50 pm

I think the secret is install enough panels to cover all conditions. I probably could break even with 500 watts in good conditions, but
with 1200, I do not have to worry too much about some shading, or overcast situations.

Jim

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #8 – August 30, 2015, 11:58:03 pm

Quote from: jcus – August 30, 2015, 11:45:50 pm

I think the secret is install enough panels to cover all conditions.

I've often thought that the ideal solar RV would be pointed south with panels on the rooftop tilted to catch that sun. But also with panels on the sides (facing east and west) to catch that sun. I think 500-watts on each side and 1,000 watts on top (tilted) would do it.

Craig

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #9 – August 31, 2015, 12:11:24 am

You are right, but on the other side, look at your consumption, good inverters, led lighting and energy efficient appliances, make
a big difference in what you need.

Jim

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #10 – August 31, 2015, 12:23:52 am

Pierce stated "The Yingli YL280P-35b panels I installed..."
Do you have a source for these?

Roger

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #11 – August 31, 2015, 11:11:54 am

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – August 31, 2015, 12:23:52 am

Pierce stated "The Yingli YL280P-35b panels I installed..."
Do you have a source for these?
Roger

Roger,

I bought ours from a guy off Craigslist. He was part of a team that just finished the Mojave installation and was selling the extra panels. My best friend is in the wholesale solar import business and spends a lot of time in China. He said that Yingli was one of the better panels and $160 would be about the lowest that a major company here would pay for the panels.

At the time, I had my choice of some other good panels at equal quality/price available in the Sacramento/SF Bay Area. I also found the solar batteries on Craigslist from a solar company that went bankrupt. They had over $400 solar AGMs for $35 each. All the solar components are working well years later. Just keep checking with the local Craigslist or use All of Craigslist to search in other cities.

Yes, for Craig and Jim. By converting to LEDs where I could and also using efficient appliances like the LED HDTV, we can go all day/evening with a low percentage depletion for the batteries. The panels then have it back to float in a couple hours of sun. We also use the old OEM inverter.

Before getting too serious about purchasing panels, go up on the roof and measure all the open areas. Some panels are very large and may not fit more than one or two in the available area. With 1140 watts, we get about 600 watts out of the panels installed flat and with a low winter sun. This is more than enough. The output REALLY goes up if installed perpendicular to the sun but the risk and inconvenience of tilting led me to just install more watts and leave them flat.

I will see if I can find the fellows phone number with the Yingli panels and post it. He sold out of his house but had hundreds.

Pierce

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #12 – August 31, 2015, 11:47:59 am

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – August 31, 2015, 11:11:54 am

Before getting too serious about purchasing panels, go up on the roof and measure all the open areas. Some panels are very large and may not fit more than one or two in the available area.

Rooftop geography makes a big difference; especially if you want to walk up there and get access for maintenance. We have bought a collapsible ladder that reaches well above the roof (similar to this: Xtend & Climb 15.5 ft. Telescoping Aluminum Extension Ladder with 255 lb....) which makes access to the rooftop much easier than the rear OEM ladder (and makes it MUCH safer to climb down) which may make worrying about rooftop access easy without walking up there much. (We also have a scaffold system at our home base but realize that we might not be there when stuff goes wrong.)

At any rate, make sure you know the size of the panels and roughly where you're going to put them because they can be big and they can be heavy.

Craig

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #13 – August 31, 2015, 12:10:53 pm

We have 750 w of panels and Morningstar controller. With ALL lights converted to LED and a seperate inverter for residential fridge we live off the sun and DO NOT need to run gen set while travelling. We also do not use the A/C while on road so that makes it easier.
Your lifestyle may be different.
JohnH

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #14 – August 31, 2015, 02:05:00 pm

John, Yes all about needs/ lifestyle...
have spent endless months south of the border on remote beaches with less than 200 watts flat on the roof. With very little usage of generator to subsidize needs. mainly when somebody wanted to blow dry their hair or was lazy and wanted to use Mr Coffee. I used to leave before Sun up to go fishing I'm not too sure what went on with that generator though. When Mama's happy everybody's happy!!

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #15 – August 31, 2015, 03:08:36 pm

Quote from: Doug Weil – August 31, 2015, 02:05:00 pm

John, Yes all about needs/ lifestyle...
have spent endless months south of the border on remote beaches with less than 200 watts flat on the roof. With very little usage of generator to subsidize needs. mainly when somebody wanted to blow dry their hair or was lazy and wanted to use Mr Coffee. I used to leave before Sun up to go fishing I'm not too sure what went on with that generator though. When Mama's happy everybody's happy!!

Doug, I'll have to see if I can't meet up with you and find out where you were in MX. Susan and I cruised a 32' sailboat around the Sea of Cortez between 1981 and 1985 and found lots of places with remote beaches but never found out how to get there with an RV. When we bought our '93 U225 it was with the idea that it was light and small and perfect for the Baja and remote beaches.

Concepcion beaches are not exactly remote but I'd settle for them any December in WA. LOL

Nothing like 6 hours of direct tropical sun on solar panels. We just had two 33-watt panels on the sailboat and between those and a home-built wind gen with a hand-carved prop we never *had* to run the engine; just did it once a week to keep it lubed.

Craig

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #16 – August 31, 2015, 03:42:38 pm

Doug a person can tell the road is in Mexico as the 1" white line distance from drop off is /was a regular sighting. New roads on Mainland now have a few feet for safety. Craig, lots of places down east coast of Baja esp' around Loreto area (south of) I am sure they are still there, just a 2 minute dirt road drive off hwy. Nice to see someone else loves Mexico like we do. This will be my 15th year in a row down there , after we do our east coast and southern coast trip of US this winter.

JohnH

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #17 – August 31, 2015, 03:47:31 pm

Craig,

Concepcion is great but has a lot of beach campers. Close drive from the highway. If we took the U300 down some of the longer dirt roads, I would have to rig a roof air intake. Too much dust especially to Scammon's Lagoon. Here are some good ones with maps: Our Top 12 Camping Spots in Mexico Part 1: Baja | Capitol Southbound

Mulege area has always been a favorite with a fun town and lots of beach camping close by. Sun is always pretty high so good for solar with fewer panel needed. Beach areas are usually cooler so no air needed most of the time (except La Paz). FTA satellite dish, inexpensive fish/shrimp and good beer make it happen.

Got off subject a bit. Sorry.

Pierce

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #18 – August 31, 2015, 04:11:58 pm

You bring back some real nice memories.

We got interested in Mexico thru an Adventure Caravan tour. One where they put our Lazy Daze, etc, on train flat cars. The gov't stopped the flat car tour a year or two after we did ours.

We entered Mexico from Presidio, TX, toured the mainland, then Copper Canyon on flat car, then ferry across the Sea of Cortez, then to Cabo, then up to CA. You can see photos of the tour here:

http://lazydazers.com/index.cfm?fa=avc

Really had a great time. Then spent several winters in San Felipe, Baja 1000 race, etc, etc.

San Felipe is a really easy way to get acquainted with Mexico.

Try it you'll like it.

Best line of the tour:

We were whale watching and 2 moms with calves showed up and stayed with us for an hour or so.

The babies (as big as a VW) came up under the boat and scraped their back on the boat bottom. I leaned over the right side and looking down the water I can see a baby coming up and folks shifed to the right side, leaving only about 3 inches of freeboard.

Kathleen was in the row ahead of me and I grabbed her life preserver tp keep her in the boat, then John Avera with his laconic Alabama accent said: "Paul. Are you pullin' or pushin' "

best, paul

Re: High wattage solar panels

Reply #19 – August 31, 2015, 05:01:32 pm

Yep love Mexico, Baja in particular.
First trip winter of 77 being unemployed kid 19 from Western New York on a Triumph 650 with a sleeping bag, backpack and a fishing pole.
Last trip after military action within the confines of a walled beach front RV park left drug smugglers dead and lying at door steps of campers. Hard to convince the other half it's a safe place to be...these guys hit the beach with two super pangas loaded with marijuana from the mainland with the Navy in hot pursuit.
Still love it... bored otherwise in the Desert SW region, may have to find a new bride.

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