Rigid solar panel installation

[andy greenwood]

So I've gone and bought a rigid solar panel , it will be mounted on our pop top with the ABS corner brackets as per attached picture. Has anyone else done the same installation and is it ok to just sikaflex the corner brackets to the roof ? Or should i bolt them down too? Cheers

 

[AussieMick]

I used the same brackets, sikaflex to fibreglass roof but bolted as well just to be sure.
Didn't trust only gluing at higher speeds but many do.
Also put a spoiler on the front leading edge the same profile as the brackets. Stops wind noise and potential lifting .
Probably overkill but thats me.

 

[Qnapper]

I would suggest bolting it on as this can happen:

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

Why are people putting these huge things on their roofs when there’s flexible solar panels …. They are so ugly

 

[oldiebut goodie]

In my experience rigid panels are far more efficient. When you have a high top you don't see it or even think about what it looks like. A roof vent is far more noticeable.

 

[andy greenwood]

Why are people putting these huge things on their roofs when there’s flexible solar panels …. They are so ugly

Im putting it on because I want to !

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

They look very diy and spoil the look of the vehicle which many push to the nth degree

 

[Salty Spuds]

Why are people putting these huge things on their roofs when there’s flexible solar panels …. They are so ugly

Because rigids last longer & perform better.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Nowt wrong with that

 

[Chris Sherwood]

I used those mounts to add a rigid panel to my touring caravan last year.
As you can see, I glued them down and also bolted the leading edge down and added wire ties for good measure! Can’t be too careful.
It went up and down the M5 at 65mph with no bother.

 

[AussieMick]

Have a bit of a read on here with the posts about flexible panel failures .
Rigid panels allow air to circulate underneath which can be important for performance and longevity.
Very important in hotter weather.
Rigid panels are very tough too if caught in bad weather but I realize they are not to everyones taste.
I personally want my solar system to be bulletproof if possible when travelling around.

Why are people putting these huge things on their roofs when there’s flexible solar panels …. They are so ugly

 

[Salty Spuds]

Have a bit of a read on here with the posts about flexible panel failures .
Rigid panels allow air to circulate underneath which can be important for performance and longevity.
Very important in hotter weather.
Rigid panels are very tough too if caught in bad weather but I realize they are not to everyones taste.
I personally want my solar system to be bulletproof if possible when travelling around.

Same here, the first duty of a solar panel is to do it’s job, anything else is a bonus.

 

[Qnapper]

Have a bit of a read on here with the posts about flexible panel failures .
Rigid panels allow air to circulate underneath which can be important for performance and longevity.
Very important in hotter weather.
Rigid panels are very tough too if caught in bad weather but I realize they are not to everyones taste.
I personally want my solar system to be bulletproof if possible when travelling around.

I agree rigid panels need air to circulate underneath, however flexible panels do not need as much and because bonded to a roof the heat will spread out. Cheap flexible panels have less longevity as rigid, but good quality ones can last longer than rigid ones and just as tough if not better. They have been fitted to yachts for years bonded direct to the panels, and they have extreme weather of all sorts.

At the end of the day whatever panel one fits if it works for you then job done.

 

[Salty Spuds]

I agree rigid panels need air to circulate underneath, however flexible panels do not need as much and because bonded to a roof the heat will spread out. Cheap flexible panels have less longevity as rigid, but good quality ones can last longer than rigid ones and just as tough if not better. They have been fitted to yachts for years bonded direct to the panels, and they have extreme weather of all sorts.

At the end of the day whatever panel one fits if it works for you then job done.

All panels need air to circulate, as the temperature rises the efficiency of the panel decreases, regardless of rigid or flexible. One of the main reasons that flexy’s fail is the different expansion rates of the panel & whatever it’s bonded to. If you look at the latest advice for bonding flexible panels it says to use thick beads of adhesive & leave air gaps between the panel & substrate.
If you look at “proper” ocean going yachts, most if not all, have rigid panels mounted on frames.
Just sayin’

 

[Raul a/3]

A better way to put it, is, Crystalline cells needs air flow as they suffer from heat. Weather is flexi or rigid. The true traditional flexi panels are amorphous or CIGS. They don’t last as long as crystalline, but, they fair much better in heat, output is not affected as for crystalline. On boats, they glued to a different substrate compared to a metal van, less heat transfer. The new flexi from sunpower do use crystalline cells to improve longevity, they limit bending to 15deg max, and encapsulated in EFT. Now, other has copied this, and even state sunpower cells, but is not true. And to add to it, they limit bending to 30deg. Anyone who knows how crystalline cells are made, will understand this are doomed to fail.
The only true flexi are thin film amorphous that you can even roll up, or CIGS flexi panels. Nobody has brought out any different cell so far, still waiting for perovskites.

 

[Qnapper]

Raul a/3 - Good post if you know what solar panels are all about, however the average camper van or motorhome owner will not have a clue what you just posted....... they are only interested in how much they will cost, how easy to fit and will their fridge work better now......... I have a solar generator here at home with 450 watts worth of rigid panels giving me around 12 amps a day, so free power in the house. I know that in the UK folk are not so lucky with sun.......
On the camper van I have a single flexible 200 watt panel giving me around 10.5 amps on a good day, so charging the LiFePO4 12.8V 180 amps is never a problem.

 

[andy greenwood]

Nowt wrong with that
View attachment 143911

Hi , have you bolting the brackets down or just used sikaflex ? im nervous about drilling holes in the pop top

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hi , have you bolting the brackets down or just used sikaflex ? im nervous about drilling holes in the pop top

I used Sticks Like S**t, I’ve used it on many jobs & it does what it says on the tin. The advantage of the particular panel/mountings that I used, is that the mounts have a large surface area for bonding & they act as a fairing to keep the wind out. So far so good.

 

[Chris Sherwood]

I should add that my van has come with a flexi-panel, which seems to be working fine, so I will keep that for now.

 

[andy greenwood]

I used Sticks Like S**t, I’ve used it on many jobs & it does what it says on the tin. The advantage of the particular panel/mountings that I used, is that the mounts have a large surface area for bonding & they act as a fairing to keep the wind out. So far so good.

What type of brackets are they please ? I've not seen them when I've been looking on lots of different websites