Club 80-90 Forums

Now this might be a stupid question and might be best to ask the manufacturer, but has anyone trimmed the edges of a solar panel? the flexible type that is. I've bought a second panel to go on the van. Same wattage, same company but annoyingly its a different size to the other one.

When I say trimming I dont mean the cells, just the plastic base.

I'm test fitting at the moment but as you can see from the picture its overlapping. Should I live with a bit of overlap on a panel?

Ps yes the roof is filthy and due a wash....

As no electricals go through the edges. I see no reason why you cannot trim them. Oh,and give that roof a scrub.

You can trim , but dont go too close to the cells, especially with those fibreglass panels, they are prone to cracking anyway .
I would be tempted to only trim the inner where the two panels touch on one of them

Mocki wrote: ↑26 Jan 2024, 17:23 You can trim , but dont go too close to the cells, especially with those fibreglass panels, they are prone to cracking anyway .
I would be tempted to only trim the inner where the two panels touch on one of them

Thanks for the input chaps. Yeah that was my plan to just trim as little as possible so they fit comfortably on the roof.

What size are those panels , electrically ?

They look like my 130w eco-worthy panel.

Mocki wrote: ↑26 Jan 2024, 19:34 What size are those panels , electrically ?

 130W

Rosie n' Jim wrote: ↑26 Jan 2024, 19:53 They look like my 130w eco-worthy panel.

They are!

Nice 130w @36v will do you well …..

My monkey brain recalls them being 24v panels .. but I doubt I'll get the factory rated outputs. If the weather is sunny tomorrow I'll have to have a play and see what I can get out of them. I've got some wiring to shorten and sort out.. and cut the edge on one at least..  

I bought mine a few weeks back. Whilst trial fitting them, a gust of wind ripped it off the roof and cartwheeled it down the road. I have yet to test it fully, but voltage and current appear rather low.

Oh dear, well hope its OK. What sort of MPPT controller you have?

So if they are 24v each that’ll be 48v at 130w , even better

Yeah hoping it will be all I need, once I get an inverter, new fridge etc etc etc

I use a Renogy Rover Li 40 Amp controller, usually fed by two 100W Renogy rigid panels. But the are mounted on a roof rack that prevents the fitting of my roll out awning. The plan is to use the flexible panel when the weather is good enough to need the awning. I suspect it will, if positioned well, produce nearly as much power as the other two flat on the roof.
I would like to be able to angle the rigids toward the Sun/South, but who knows which way the van will face when parked! 

Rosie n' Jim wrote: ↑28 Jan 2024, 08:40 I use a Renogy Rover Li 40 Amp controller, usually fed by two 100W Renogy rigid panels. But the are mounted on a roof rack that prevents the fitting of my roll out awning. The plan is to use the flexible panel when the weather is good enough to need the awning. I suspect it will, if positioned well, produce nearly as much power as the other two flat on the roof.
I would like to be able to angle the rigids toward the Sun/South, but who knows which way the van will face when parked! 

Thats the only problem with having them fixed to the roof you need to park so you can point them towards then sun! did that in scotland.. ended up parked with the roof facing away from the sun.. not that you could see it for most of the week