Rigid or flexible solar panel?
- Thread starter cavester
- Start date
If you want to minimise height for parking barriers etc, get a flexi.
If you want to maximise reliability and ease of replacement, or watts per pound spent, get a rigid.
If you care about the aesthetics, obviously personal preference, but this is why many people would fit flexi.
If you want to maximise reliability and ease of replacement, or watts per pound spent, get a rigid.
If you care about the aesthetics, obviously personal preference, but this is why many people would fit flexi.
The bulky panel and fixings look terrible on rigid
Flexi but make sure it’s a good un
Flexi but make sure it’s a good un
I am yet to fit a panel to my van but have thought about this for some time.
I listed my priorities and have decided from that, I plan on spending a lot of time in my van after I have finished building it. - not hooked up.
My priorities in order
Pro's
best performance per £
Easiy replaced if broken, can swap out for an upgrade.
No risk of damage, excessive clean up when replacing panel
Low cost
Con's
Aesthetics are lacking but with cost of panel being low I can spend money on making it look better (I have seen really good examples on this site)
Height is somewhat an issue but I do want roof bars on my poptop so I plan to fit the panel without increasing height further
MPG/Road noise will be degraded
I listed my priorities and have decided from that, I plan on spending a lot of time in my van after I have finished building it. - not hooked up.
My priorities in order
- Performance
- Fixability, servicing, maintenance
- Aesthetics
- Cost
- Vehicle height
- Upgradable
- Ease of install
- Affect of MPG/Road noise
Pro's
best performance per £
Easiy replaced if broken, can swap out for an upgrade.
No risk of damage, excessive clean up when replacing panel
Low cost
Con's
Aesthetics are lacking but with cost of panel being low I can spend money on making it look better (I have seen really good examples on this site)
Height is somewhat an issue but I do want roof bars on my poptop so I plan to fit the panel without increasing height further
MPG/Road noise will be degraded
The PV logic one with the aero brackets look smart, perform well and are easy to remove.
Seems a fair comment.
Thanks,
I came up with the same logic tbh. I've ordered 2 x 175w renogy rigid panels to mount width ways towards the rear. Hopefully the pop top will take the added weight.
I'm now trying to determine the best way to fix them. I've ordered the plastic corner and mid plastic brackets but I'm hesitant to want to glue them to my painted roof.
