Solar panels

[Mrcoolabah1au]

I want to put up a dozen of so panels on the roof just wondering how to mount them I can get 3 wide across the flat roof in one row
And which is the best way to join them as the way I have worK out the roof space I should be to work around the centre roof hatch one of those small ones only a foot square

[native pepper]

I'm using 35mm aluminium angle on my house and are about to do the same on the bus, it's a bit higher them the depth of the panel. Put pins through to hold down the panels, so it's easy to take them out for service or get to the roof. Got 4 solar powered exhaust fans in the roof so have to make sure I leave a gap so the sun can get on them, or take them out and seal the roof, think I'll leave a gap and run the frame all the way down to hold the awning tubes.

On the bus used angle iron as that's all I had at the time, heavy and rusty prone, am about to paint it and add more larger panels, so will take off the angle iron which is to small for 250w panels and the put the awning tubes along the side so have shade under the panels and sides of the bus. Just have to work out the best way to extend and retract the awnings automatically, have a mind plan, just have to make a small mock up to test its viability and strength.

My idea would be to make up a frame for the entire length you are going to use, get it onto the roof them slide the panels into it and either put upside down angle off cuts to hold them, or drill holes and pin them down. You can place bracing angle at different points along he length where two panels will meet If you take it the entire length of the roof, you can fix it down on the eaves to save fiddling with the roof. To me using upside down angle only adds to dirt build up, whilst pins allow free flow of air and water.

Our house solar panels sit on top of the glass house, they provide an air gap which aids cooling, heating and shade for summer. The solar hot water panels sit against the house wall on the glass house roof and all face north.

[Noggins]

What ever you do do NOT use panels supplied from a depot in Rhodes NSW ! ! !
'cos I can't name and shame the two or more places that trade from there that's all I will say at the moment.
Possibly when the ACC has finished with them I might be able to give an actual account of how they trade and their warranty , if one actually exists )




Ron

[Kelvin12]

Are these panel going on a bus..... watch the weight if they are. Panels are heavy little buggers than add the framing its really getting top heavy.

Dirk

[Mrcoolabah1au]

Only little one's 500 x 500 measured up yesterday recond I can get another 5 or 6 up there make 15 or 16 altogether should be around 650 or 700 watts

[T1 Terry]

Only little one's 500 x 500 measured up yesterday recond I can get another 5 or 6 up there make 15 or 16 altogether should be around 650 or 700 watts

Are these light weight thin panels or the standard glass and aluminium framed panels Wayne? It makes a big difference to how they are mounted.

T1 Terry

[Mrcoolabah1au]

The one you told me about low energy had the 40 watts ones so to answer you question no sure ok

[Noggins]

The failure rate on the aluminum flexi panels is about 50%.
You'll notice that there is almost no warranty or guarantees with them , one certain mob is doing a huge sale ATM of them just to get rid of them

My research and trying to get warranty claims so far have come up with this figure as a low Estimate of reliability.
Some that supply from Rhodes in NSW have to be cleaned with a cutting compound as the covering on them clouds up like a very bad headlight on a foreign car.

Experience tells me that the glass covered panels are the way to go and if weight is an issue use the huge White Plastic backed panels, although you may still get the clouding over the panels, (I have not seen a panel in actual usage so far , just in the local battery Force place and a friend that currently doing a build )


Ron

[T1 Terry]

Aluminium as the primary panel backing material is doomed to failure. The expansion rate of the aluminium is different to the expansion rate to the solar modules glue to it, so they are torn apart by the addition movement of the aluminium compared to the module as they expand in both directions at a different rate. The acrylic and what looks like Bakelite backed panel glued to aluminium using Simson or a similar flexible adhesive will not suffer this problem as the flexibility of the sealant takes care of the different movement rates. Early attempts at using Lexan in place of glass to reduce weight suffered the same fate so it is a problem that has been known for some time, not by the manufacturers and sellers of these panels though apparently
Also be aware, semi flexible panels can not be treated as "wobble boards" they must be carefully moulded to the mounting surface shape and they rigidly attached, they can not hand being thrown up on an awning or roof and then dragged back down and packed away. You might get away with it for a while, but they will fail as the fine joints within the modules themselves will fracture resulting in very little no output.

[Shirley]

We put BP panels on our yacht 30yrs ago & they are still running & doing a good job.