Installation of soplar panels

ballyharpat

Hey, I have a vw t5 with a leisure battery, I want to be able to use it off grid more, so I want to hook up 2x100w solar panels. Everything that has been done in the camper is done to a professional level, so I would like to get the panels connected correctly as well. I can do the installation of wires and panels, but the electrical connections are a bit much for me.

Is there anyone in Kerry, or Munster, that would install and/or do the connections for me?

I know a guy in Laois/ tipp if that's any use?

ballyharpat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122545377#Comment_122545377

thanks, I'm gonna get most of it done myself and there's a truck mechanic near me that has connected a few. I got a number for a guy in Portlaoise that's supposed to be mobile, but he's not, regardless, for about 2 hours work and e150 in materials, he was charging e550- it's insane, to top it off, he was telling me my panels etc are wrong and a few other bits, I want the most reliable setup I can manage, he was offering and only offers the easiest to set up and install, but he had a bunch of excuses to try and convince me otherwise- He really thinks he's doing rocket science.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122550547#Comment_122550547

If I could offer an alternative.

You could get a small solar array unit, foldable with the inverter which plugs directly in.

I will ask a guy I know who owns a solar company how much that would be and come back to you.

ballyharpat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122551199#Comment_122551199

thanks!

spaceHopper

What panels did you get? Why does he think they are wrong and why do you think he's wrong?

ballyharpat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122555616#Comment_122555616

I got rigid panels as they are more efficient, he also said they are two big, he said that it's better to put on one flexi one that is 175 w than 2x100- this goes against the recommendation of every professional installer I spoke to- granted it's a more difficult set up-which seemed to be the only thing he was aiming for-, but they are more stable, with more success of creating more power.

spaceHopper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122560042#Comment_122560042

Hands down rigid panels are better than flexi but a T5 isn't a big van with a big roof. Is it a pop top, tin roof or high top. He might prefer flexi ones because you only need to make a hole for the cable. I've a 50W flexi that I mounted myself using VHB tape and eternabond tape or gorillas equivalent of it. I tacked the cables down with Tech-7. The reason I went with flexi is they suited the shape of my roof. The reason I went with 50W is it wasn't to big for where I was mounting it. It's enough to recharge my battery and stop it going flat when I'm not using the camper.

What do you use the camper for, weekends away, 100AH sound be plenty of power and a smaller 100W panel should charger it Monday to Friday. Do you use gas to cook, have you a compressor fridge draining your battery? To me it's all about managing power not adding more and more.

The one thing against flexi panels is they don't like heat and can burn out so I'd keep that in mind if you were to go to France/Spain….

Alkers

Sure you may as well cover the roof in panels, they are cheap now. I've 380W mounted to my roof bars (t5 also).
I would think thay any auto electrician should be able to do the cable crimping for you, or you can purchase pre-crimped cable if you measure up your lengths.

ballyharpat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122576033#Comment_122576033

If I had a plain roof I definitely would cover it in panels, with the pop top I only feel comfortable adding 2 panels, about 10kg of weight.

From what I have read, many flexi panels fail after a few years, then you have to remove from the pop top and that can be difficult,

I will only be putting one hole in the roof for the cables to run through, I'm getting a few larger 'area' bases made so that I can have more surface area for the bonding-just a bit of reassurance for myself.

2x100w should be enough for us to run our fridge and TV and not be concerned about heat damage etc when we are in France.

Alkers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122578809#Comment_122578809

Do you have barn doors or a tailgate? If you have barn doors, look at the back of the van where the tailgate hinges would be - there are two grommets there, which I used to run cables if you don't fancy drilling the roof at all.
If you have a tailgate there might be something similar where the barn door hinges would be but not sure

spaceHopper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122578809#Comment_122578809

You complain about the guy who wanted to use flexi panels on pop top because you wanted to put 10kg panels on the roof without drilling, there is good reason everybody else is using flexi panels on pop tops. They can be safely suck down with VHB tape. Rigid panels carry a risk of coming off and they'll be healed responsible if they do.

ballyharpat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122581090#Comment_122581090

Why are you on here? I am not asking for your opinion on anything- you've added nothing of relevance to my question,

FYI a flexi panel weighs 2.9kg, rigid 5.7, so there's the same weight in one rigid as two flexi, yet that's being given as an excuse for not installing even one rigid.

The flexi ones are not as efficient , by any means as a rigid panel.

I was not telling the installer how to install them, that was up to them-bolt on or sealant.

The way they are done in most cases is sika 522/552/554 sealant. This is all over the world and there are a minimum of cases of them coming off, which could also happen with a roof rack or with them attached by bolts etc

The flexi ones currently last about 5-9 years, after which time they are extremely difficult to remove and can damage the roof. The installer will not be responsible for that either.

As I said, the flexi are much easier to install but, IMO, do not warrant a high install price, hence the reason I am doing it myself.

VHB tape is probably the worst way to install them.

Anyway, pardon me if I don't reply to you again.

ballyharpat

@Alkers

It's so funny I am reading your comment today, I had a friend down two days ago that works with fiberglass, I was getting him to drill the hole for me, as I figured less chance of damage. I took out a box/cabinet that is screwed on to the roof inside the ck door, it's single/tailgate, then I saw where the other electric cables go through the van, and there is space near the hinges for me to run my two solar wires, then into that and I've fished cable through so I am ready to run the wires there when I get them. Bart in HappiTurf is very helpful, so I'll get all I need from him, so I can be assured of quality.

The only problem I am trying to solve now is, I will need to leave 4 inches of 'excess' wire so that there is enough when the pop top is up, and so that when I go to put it down, it will not get caught in the pop top and roof. I'm thinking of coiling a toot of the cable myself, which is easy to do, or perhaps put a coil/lanyard on it, attach one end to the roof and one to the cable and let it just have enough elasticity to pull at the solar and keep it taut but not too much that it compromises it.

spaceHopper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122584615#Comment_122584615

I googled images of solar panels on a pop top roof and 1 was a rigid panel on a roof rack. All the others were flexi bonded to the roof. They can't all be wrong and you are right.

He's installed panels before. If a panel came off and somebody was injured or killed, then he could be healed responsible. That's probably why he didn't want to do use them.

I weighed up all the pros and cons of flexi v rigid and went with a flexi. I know they have a shorter life. It suited a my camper better.

As for getting them off. Heat them with a good heat gun or use a fishing line to cut them off. Windscreen installers use string wire to cut bonded glass out of cars every day.

I followed the panel manufacture recommendations and used 2.3 mm 3M VHB tape, I picked the 19mm wide one by mistake there is a 25mm wide one. I ran it all the way around the edge and several runs down the middle of the panel. It takes 24 hours to reach full bond strength so I left a bag of play sand on it. I did it over two weekend so it got a week to cure. Then I sealed the edges with Gorilla sealing tape. I used Tech 7 at the back were the cable made putting tape difficult.

Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape 3m White | Toolstation

If you have to go with a rigid panel maybe screw/bond down a L shaped bar on all 4 sides an mount the panel on that. Leave air flow and check it regularly to make sure it solid.

Rothley Anodised Aluminium Angle 2000mm x 25mm x 25mm - Screwfix

RiderOnTheStorm

i went with 2 x 100wat flexible panels on my pop-top. Will get back to y'all in 5-10 years and let you know how its going.

In the meantime, Im getting juice for the fridge etc and they didnt blow off when I was going down the motorway.

I did notice a big difference in output depending on what way the van was facing, ie the angle of the sun in relation to the panel.

MicktheMan

My previous camper was a poptop.

I went through 3 flexi solar panels in the 4 years I had it. I ended up ditching the flexible and installing a rigid panel. No problem since and until I sold it a couple of months back.

It was comical with the last flexi panel … it only worked on cloudy days, stopped producing as soon as the sun came out!

ballyharpat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122590498#Comment_122590498

Thanks for the info, You're not alone in that experience, the flexi ones are also prone to heating in hot weather. If it comes to it, I would rather have one rigid panel of 100w than 2 flexi at 100w. Ive also seen that you can affix the weight of a 3.5kg roof bar and a 250w flexi at 4.8kg, without exceeding any weight limit on a pop top. I imagine that much of the weight limits are to cover their a**es for struts etc, but there was a time up until 2015 that the max weight was 25kg limit on a pop top being lifted.

I'll take my chances with it and report back when it's set up

ballyharpat

I appreciate your feedback, yeah, I can see why some may prefer a flexi, and you seem to have boned it securely. I'm going to go to a local manufacturer and get a few real solid aluminium brackets made up, with more surface.

I'm thinking about a fairing/spoiler of some sort in front of it to take some of the wind, but I've read mixed reviews, some people believe that it could actually work like an aircraft and cause the panel to lift, I'm not sure really, I also wont be going 150kph, but if there's a wind of 30 against, and I'm doing 100, that's a 130 wind speed.

At the end of the day, I guess I was a little shocked at the price to install. Having said that, an auto mechanic can be e80 per hour, so there's not much difference. But, I can't justify that, thanks again for offering your experience, I appreciate it.