Solar panel mounting ideas

[r3g]

Scrump said:

I have a pc power supply for use in my van. It has 12v input and whatever the pc needs as output.
It is just changing the voltage and going DC to DC which I understand is a lot more efficient than going DC to AC to DC as it would be with an inverter.
The supply I have is something like 80w so no good for you but the concept is the same.

Yeah 80W is laptop territory. I realise that using a laptop rather than a PC would instantly solve a lot of problems but I don't like using laptops for a variety of reasons and wouldn't suit my use case without a bunch of compromises that I'm not willing to do. I'd rather not change anything with my current system at all, but if the inverter route proves to be problematic and I end up not having enough juice due to the conversion inefficiencies then there are plenty of mini PCs available now which run off the same power brick transformers as laptops and the monitor uses one too as they pull around 90W iirc so there are options to run all the important stuff off DC with a bit of work.

I looked at how one goes about "converting" a tower PC to run on 12V but it involves a lot of chopping and moving wires on the internal PSU which I don't want to get involved with. I'd rather no go down the mini PC route either tbh as I just can't be arsed with the hassle of installing everything and moving everything across. I know from bitter experience that what should be an 'easy' 30 min install of an OS and your stuff, always turns into at least a full day job as inevitably something will throw up an error or some compatibility issues requiring hours of research on the internet to find out what the problem is and how to fix it. I am NOT a patient person!

[ferret50]

[url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/Gu5S7r24[/url]





Mine is a much smaller panel!

I used the plastic brackets supplied to bolt to each corner of the panel, marked where they sat on the roof and used the Silkaflex glue that the OP mentioned. I drilled through the roof for the cables using a step drill and fed the cables via gland box that was also glued down. Cables were laid in the cant rail over the rear doors then fed down the n/s D post to a control panel mounted behind the n/s rear door.

I was concerned about the potential 'aerofoil effect' from the panel, so I shaped an oak offcut to a triangular shape and glued that to the roof and leading edge of the panel.

It's now on it's second trip to the Algarve and has remained glued to the roof!

HTH

[r3g]

Not possible to use the corner mounts as the size of these are as wide as the van roof.

[Caddyshack]

r3g said:

Not possible to use the corner mounts as the size of these are as wide as the van roof.

I think I would reduce the panel size a bit.

Your thread made me think that we need our panels to be on a 360 degree full axis gimbals with AI sun tracking. Lay flat when driving and then park up and they track the sun, you wouldn’t need as many panels then.

[ferret50]

r3g said:

Not possible to use the corner mounts as the size of these are as wide as the van roof.

Turn through 90'?

But why do you feel the need for so much power?

My B to B charge controller running with that one sensible size panel gives me two days sat without starting the engine!

[r3g]

ferret50 said:

Turn through 90'?

But why do you feel the need for so much power?

My B to B charge controller running with that one sensible size panel gives me two days sat without starting the engine!

Can only get 1 panel on if turned the other way. If you've no EHU and there is 2 weeks of constant grey as is typical in the UK Autumn through Spring, then you're not going to be running a constant 150-200Ws for very long without sizeable battery storage. Panels are much cheaper than lithies and also better than running the engine.

It's better to over-spec it and not need it than under-spec it and later regret it. Your little panel will work fine for you in the height of summer as you're probably a typical user who only needs it to charge your phones and interior LCD TV and LED lighting. My requirements are power hungry and potentially needed all year round when most people have their van or motorhome tucked away in storage.

[Steve Kimberley]

r3g said:

Steve Kimberley said:

I have one of these, 400w Perlight Black panels, mounted on L brackets. Very happy with its performance, but like all panels it's dependent on the currant bun.
(I also have 70A of DC-DC for when it rains ).
https://www.hdmsolar.co.uk/products/perlight-400w-...

Edited by Steve Kimberley on Friday 9th February 17:37

I need to make some calls to these panel suppliers and find out what the situation is with the frames and if they actually have any. The pics on the websites typically only show a top down view. These larger size ones are designed for house roofs as obviously 400W isn't yer average panel size for a motorhome / camper, and they seem to mount with clips (as per my photo links) rather than screw into the side of the panel frame which is better security for something that's going to move and get jostled around.

I'm seeing a builder on Monday who is also a fabricator so I reckon he'll have some good suggestions for a good way of doing it. Whilst talking it over with him on the phone, he was telling me about a friend of his who had a 'stealth' camper van conversion and had put a glass carrier frame on the offside and then mounted 2x 400W panels to it in addition to a 400W roof panel ! He got a custom cover made to go over the side panels when he was travelling to protect them and obviously deter any light fingers, then when parked up somewhere in the UK winter, would position that side of the van facing the low sun and get nearly as much power coming in as you would do in the summer with your usual roof panels. I thought it was genius !

It mounts via ten of these (two each end and three each side. They're 522'd down to the roof, plus two screws each, and there's one nut and bolt up through the panel's frame.

[Caddyshack]

Steve Kimberley said:

r3g said:

Steve Kimberley said:

I have one of these, 400w Perlight Black panels, mounted on L brackets. Very happy with its performance, but like all panels it's dependent on the currant bun.
(I also have 70A of DC-DC for when it rains ).
https://www.hdmsolar.co.uk/products/perlight-400w-...

Edited by Steve Kimberley on Friday 9th February 17:37

I need to make some calls to these panel suppliers and find out what the situation is with the frames and if they actually have any. The pics on the websites typically only show a top down view. These larger size ones are designed for house roofs as obviously 400W isn't yer average panel size for a motorhome / camper, and they seem to mount with clips (as per my photo links) rather than screw into the side of the panel frame which is better security for something that's going to move and get jostled around.

I'm seeing a builder on Monday who is also a fabricator so I reckon he'll have some good suggestions for a good way of doing it. Whilst talking it over with him on the phone, he was telling me about a friend of his who had a 'stealth' camper van conversion and had put a glass carrier frame on the offside and then mounted 2x 400W panels to it in addition to a 400W roof panel ! He got a custom cover made to go over the side panels when he was travelling to protect them and obviously deter any light fingers, then when parked up somewhere in the UK winter, would position that side of the van facing the low sun and get nearly as much power coming in as you would do in the summer with your usual roof panels. I thought it was genius !

It mounts via ten of these (two each end and three each side. They're 522'd down to the roof, plus two screws each, and there's one nut and bolt up through the panel's frame.

I think these will work if the bottom of the L shape is longer and goes under the panels as they need to come back from the overhang and back on to the roof.

[r3g]

Caddyshack said:

I think these will work if the bottom of the L shape is longer and goes under the panels as they need to come back from the overhang and back on to the roof.

They can't go that close to the edge. The panels are too wide. They even exceed the mushroom mountings.

Saw this video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czmFyIR1jS0

[ferret50]

r3g said:

Can only get 1 panel on if turned the other way. If you've no EHU and there is 2 weeks of constant grey as is typical in the UK Autumn through Spring, then you're not going to be running a constant 150-200Ws for very long without sizeable battery storage. Panels are much cheaper than lithies and also better than running the engine.

It's better to over-spec it and not need it than under-spec it and later regret it. Your little panel will work fine for you in the height of summer as you're probably a typical user who only needs it to charge your phones and interior LCD TV and LED lighting. My requirements are power hungry and potentially needed all year round when most people have their van or motorhome tucked away in storage.

So what will you use for leccy in the winter when it is dark for 16 hours a day?

[r3g]

ferret50 said:

So what will you use for leccy in the winter when it is dark for 16 hours a day?

I am in tne UK not northern Norway.

[ferret50]

r3g said:

ferret50 said:

So what will you use for leccy in the winter when it is dark for 16 hours a day?

I am in tne UK not northern Norway.

Panels on my garage roof in N Norfolk where producing powa from 0830 to 1530 in Dec and early Jan!

[r3g]

ferret50 said:

Panels on my garage roof in N Norfolk where producing powa from 0830 to 1530 in Dec and early Jan!

That's a fair point. I didn't look at it from the angle. An extra lithy might be required or more likely, I'll change the tower PC to a mini-PC which only sip power in comparison and can be wired DC to DC so there's an immediate saving there by not having to invert it. Anyway, I'm not usually in the UK for a lot of our winter time so might not even be an issue.

[Caddyshack]

r3g said:

ferret50 said:

Panels on my garage roof in N Norfolk where producing powa from 0830 to 1530 in Dec and early Jan!

That's a fair point. I didn't look at it from the angle. An extra lithy might be required or more likely, I'll change the tower PC to a mini-PC which only sip power in comparison and can be wired DC to DC so there's an immediate saving there by not having to invert it. Anyway, I'm not usually in the UK for a lot of our winter time so might not even be an issue.

You may be able to add a portable wind turbine when you park up…cloudy and rainy days are often windy days.