Flexible Solar Panels

I forgot to add the
Solar Panel to Charge Controller Adaptor Kit
Cable Length: 40FT
Cable Size: 12AWG
$40 with discount, 12g matches the connectors on the panel, I could go 10g for a few bucks more, I know the heavier the gauge the better but how much would it affect out small system? think 40ft is too much, I figure its about the length of 2 suburban suv's...20 would be too short but 30ft is available as well.
Pull the trigger!

 

The Renogy site says to keep it a 12g max cable size so that's what I ordered.
Now I have to figure out how to get the ends of the cable connected to the 12V dc socket on the side of the CI. I have the plug supplied but the points at which to attach the cable is much too small for the 12g wire! This is what I have so far, Again one end of the renogy 12g cables are MC4 connectors to the solar panels, the other ends are bare, ready for connector/connection. The only thing I can think of is an adaptor of this type. What do you all think? The cigarette lighter plug says it is heavy duty and can accept the 12g ends of the renogy cable. The other shot is the plug CI supplied for most practical purposes, it would work for 80 or 100 watt panels with much smaller g wires.

 

I'm not sure how your CI is setup, assume 12v DC port? Just make sure that whatever solution you employ won't subject the terminal ends of your 12ga wires to too much stress. The posts on that will cause your wires to meet at 90 degrees (will need something to protect from rain/elements).

Mine doesn't have a solar port, so I have to install one. Since I'm not going to permanently mount my panel(s), AND I want to be able to separately charge the Yeti, I went with panel mount powerpole connector. I purchased a power pole to MC4 adapter to take the load off it

I'm hoping to replace my 12vDC port in the galley with a 2 gang, so I can just plug into galley, without needing an external entry into the shell. I didn't want to mistake DC port for Solar to Charge Controller with 12v power.

 

My panel will not be permanent mount but just ground instead. If I go with the plug I have found so far, the wires won't be subjected to stress because they will be coming up from the ground directly into the connection points. I would probably silicone around it to protect it from the elements as you suggested. However you did give me a good idea as well, I could change out my DC port itself to accept whatever would be most useful for my situation, so for instance, if I had a goal zero like yourself, it would make sense to have the DC port accept Anderson. Must think this over, thanks!

 

How I decided to finish off my solar connection cables going to the external DC solar port on the CI.
For now I purchased these heavy duty solid 4mm 90 degree banana plug connectors to connect to the previously mentioned DC Plug I ordered thru amazon. Wrapped them in electrical tape to prevent shorts. Don’t laugh but while drinking my last sip of water from a water bottle, finishing the project I came up with a cover for the connectors, it’s just a prototype, so let’s see what I can come up with.

 

I actually would not mind having some solar panels around my land. I have a few medium ones on my RV. They don't do a whole lot but still save up a fair bit.

 

UPDATE: the folks at Renogy are top notch first class professionals. They have been so easy to work with, both on the sales side and technical side. When I got my 160w flex panel in, it was a work of art. Just beautiful, and quality build. But I have to be honest with you, this thing is huge! And for me in the wheelchair, it’s awkward to try to hold onto the thing, much less push onward. So I decided to speak with Renogy, they will happily take back the 160, and I ordered (2) 100w flex solar panels. I will run them parallel, and will have greater flexibility in addition to a more manageable size. As a bonus, having 2 panels in parallel offers the same voltage of course but almost doubles the Amps. Also if one panel is partially or completely blocked from sun, the other has the ability to produce at its near full capacity if in full sun. If the 160w were partially blocked, it’s production would be significantly diminished. That’s a no brainer for me especially since the weight of these 2 panels together is still a very light 8lbs. (I’m Not very knowledgeable yet, just sharing in layman’s terms as I’m learning!) want a laugh? Here’s the real world size of the 160w in scale...I’m not putting it down, may have not returned it if I were able bodied upright individual.

 

Yea Jim, that could of turned out bad!

 

Fantastic info Rob.

 

After watching the development of solar in general and on this forum in particular over the past few years, I decided to jump on the bandwagon too.

In looking at rigid vs flexible I opted for the 100 watt flexible (Kingsolar Flexible Solar Panel 100 Watt 18 Volt 12 Volt, ETFE Surface Not PET Surface(Most of Others) Ultra Lightweight, Ultra Thin, Up to 260 Degree Arc, for RV, Boats, Roofs, Uneven Surfaces ) partially based on the weight difference (16-21lbs vs 4.8lbs), and decided to make my own PVC frame instead which ended up weighing 3lbs. There are holes in the bottom of the frame, and stand to put wire stakes to keep it in place on windy days.
I ordered a cigarette lighter style power plug originally(Blue Sea Systems 12-Volt Plug with Dash Socket), but found that the 10 AWG wire for the extension from the panel to the TD would not fit into the plugs shell, so ended up getting a Zamp solar connector instead ( Zamp solar SOLARPORT Waterproof Solar Port ), and plug ( SPARKING 10AWG SAE Extension Cable - SAE TO SAE Extension Cord DC Power Automotive Extension Cable ) to attach to TD end of the extension cord (BougeRV 30 Feet 10AWG Solar Extension Cable with MC4 Female and Male Connector Solar Panel Adaptor Kit Tool (30FT Red + 30FT Black) with these MC4 connectors (iGreely Solar Connectors 5 Pair MC4 Male/Female Solar Panel Cable Connectors with 2 Pack MC4 Crimping Tools ).
I wanted a digital readout of what the controller, battery, and panel were doing, so opted for this one I found on Amazon with reasonably good ratings(GHB 20A 12V 24V Solar Charge Controller Auto Switch LCD Intelligent Panel Battery Regulator Charge Controller Overload Protection Temperature Compensation ). I attached the controller to a piece of piano hinge on the outside wall of the cubby so I could pull it out to easier read it, but get it out of the way when not checking the readings.
I tried it out after getting it all hooked up, and everything seemed to be working fine, but will have to do an update after a road trip or two to make sure. There were a few other pieces as well like terminals(Hilitchi 100Pcs 12-10AWG Insulated Terminals Ring Electrical Wire Crimp Connectors (Yellow, M5) (Yellow - M5) , and wire(Electrical Wire 10 AWG 10 Gauge Silicone Wire Hook Up wire Cables 20 Feet [10 ft Black And 10 ft Red] Soft and Flexible 1050 Strands 0.08 mm of Tinned copper wire High temperature resistance ) for connecting controller to battery, and controller to Zamp receptacle etc. so all in all a little under $300 + tax.
Thanks to Cary for pointing me to the newer TD schematics, since my 2007 was built before controllers were included, and for a phone consultation as well.

 

Thank you Cary, I have been learning a lot thanks to such a great community! From there I just see what options are available out there and roll with it! See what you guys started!!! Regards to all!

 

Great Job!

Great job!

 

We glued the Renogy flexible solar cell onto the top of our tent trailer. The 100-watt unit was more than adequate to keep our battery charged. We used an electric water pump, fan, lights, and gas heater with a fan, and never saw our voltage drop over the week. This is an excellently constructed solar cell and performed as advertised.

 

I would respectfully caution anyone about glueing a flex panel to the roof of the trailer. There are a number of reasons not to do this.

Firstly, the lack of ventilation under the panel can precipitate several problems; the surface of the panels will heat up more readily, and this will result in reduced performance. All solar panels function better and more efficiently at cooler temperatures. Flex panels are no different.
Second: Unless your panel is highly engineered with top-end materials, the excessive heat can promote delamination, melting and broken circuits. This has been a problem with most first gen flex panels, and will continue to be a problem with current lower quality flex panels. Quality panels engineered for the rigors of a marine environment, and applied to boat surfaces (as opposed to those sold by RV suppliers or Amazon) are probably the best for a surface-mount application on a trailer. But even here, that market and product is a hard one to access and assess.
Thirdly, when your panel stops working (and at some point it will... maybe sooner than you expected) you will have a dickens of a time removing it.
Fourthly, panels require full sun and no shadows. Otherwise their performance is reduced drastically, or entirely. Now you must park your trailer in full sun, if it is even possible, in order for the panel to work at all. Parking in the shade is usually more desirable, and in many locations is the only option available.
Fifthly and lastly, you are unable to locate the panel away from the trailer in full sun, or set at an angle to optimize efficiency.

All of these problems (and several more) are discussed with varying comprehensiveness on this site: 7 Major Problems with Flexible Solar Panels and Their Solutions , among other cautionary sites.

Having said all that, I did install install a flex panel on the roof of the 560, with ventilation underneath and the ability to secure it from theft, and position it away from the trailer for efficiency. The major offsetting factors, against all of the negative ones above, was that it was lightweight, manageable, and stowable. As compared to a glass unit.

Was it worth the cost and effort? The jury is still out. I have needed to use the panel very little to date as most of our travel has been eastern, and in the fall, at established campgrounds with electrical service. But I do anticipate that it will come in very handy in the West/Southwest, boondocking, or in non-serviced sites in the future, as we become more adventurous with the trailer and our travel destinations. We'll see.

 

Has anyone tried making a tracker for their panel? If you are around camp all day, changing the direction of the panel isn't to big a deal, but if you are out and about, it would be nice to have it track the sun and optimize your battery's charge while you are gone, rather than to find it in the shadows on your return.

 

Dustin: I haven't, but found this portable/collapsible version...

However, it would seem to be beyond the capabilities of most of us without a 3D printer. I have no idea how expensive the other electronic and actuator parts shown in the video may be, or the difficulty in assembling the contraption.

Even a cheaper or simpler facsimile of this would have me concerned about the whole thing growing legs while I'm out and about for the day.

 

Yeah, sad commentary on our society, but you've got a point.
Thanks for the video anyway, looks like a lot of the 3D printer items could be bought off the shelf too, so probably not really all that problematic to build. Might give it a try at some point, and will report in if I do.
Thanks!