Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

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Polaraco
Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
I have this freshly reroofed 27 X 20 Foot flat roof. Since I have consumed my wall and pitched roof space, I was thinking of laying down a bunch of rolls. I am looking at some 18 foot, 148 watt strips. Since the infastructure is in, then it's an easy install.

Anybody have any experience with them?
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    those are amorphous and usually don't age as well compared to the other pv types and they are about half as efficient. if they are flat then you will only see significant production in the warmer months when the sun is more overhead. imo these thin film types should be far cheaper per watt than the other types because of the reasons i stated in my first sentence.

    btw, i don't recall you saying how you wall mounted your pvs.
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    Heh And I thought my memory was bad. LOL
    I have 1500W on 42* facing due south on the roof. I have 500 on a 44* facing west. I now have 1000 vertical on my upper west wall, and eventually 750 watts on the lower level between the windows. As the season progresses, I have watched my solar output go up gradually, about an Amp a week. I am currently producing about 45%. I have actually seen my meter running backwards! Well until one of the AC units kicked in. But at least it was running slow.

    I spoke with the Roofer in length on the roofing material. This stuff is state of the are and my retirement roof. I am not supposed to put any holes in this stuff. So mounting racks is out. So the alternative is the rolls with the beutel backing. My architect said this stuff is heavily used because of the install costs and the weight. But he is unaware of the performance. I looked at it this way, 2- 150 panels are 500 bucks and 2- 148w rolls of this stuff is $350. You're right about the efficency, they are only 9% efficient, but the costs offset the efficiency. They say average life is 10 years. I can live with all that I guess. Not many options. Better than none at all!

    As far as being flat and summer being the best output, Summer is when I need it the most.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    hmm, now i admit that my memory isn't what it used to be and neither is my eyesight, but i know i am not alone here as i asked HOW you mounted them to the wall. i understand you angled them, but on what a sliding board?:p
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  • john p
    john p Solar Expert Posts: 814 ✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    In simple terms thin film solar panels are junk.
    They have poor output for the size and degrade very quickly.
    We have ones from 3 different manufacturers on roof at work and even after 2 yrs output has dropped over 10%, They quickly get discoloured.
    And the good news is some have failed completely ,so can soon take them down and into the garbage bin.
    They are only ok if you get them FREE.
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?
    niel wrote: »
    hmm, now i admit that my memory isn't what it used to be and neither is my eyesight, but i know i am not alone here as i asked HOW you mounted them to the wall. i understand you angled them, but on what a sliding board?:p

    LOL Lemme tell ya, 60's are a bear.

    I mounted them land scape with a set of roof rails. I forget the maker of the rails. These are a true 90* vertical. I get a couple of hours of direct light. I was amazed how long they put out good current so late in the day.

    Guess I should scrap this idea of the rolls then.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    up to you if you get the thin films or not, but we just want you to know what you are looking at in doing so. in fact i am wondering when they go bad if you can peel them back up without damaging your roof. there are mounts for roofs that don't involve screws and holes too as i believe they weight the pvs down. i'd not heard of anyone who had used this method.
    http://www.unirac.com/commercial/commercial-products/rapidrac-g10-commercial
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    UNIRAC That's whose rails I am using. I recently had a TIA so names aren't sticking too well.

    I don't want a ballast system. I need 120 pounds for every 43# panel. I have another idea. I can set the panels on rails, attach the rails to angle aluminum and fasten them on the sides of the house.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    i'd like some pics when you do that if you don't mind.
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    It's just a matter of materials and a little aluminum welding which I can do
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  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #11
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    There are quite a few different technologies all bundled into the bag that's called "thin film"- all with very different efficiencies. A lot of the manufacturers that used to make plain old amorphous silicon thin film modules, now make hydbrid or "micromorph" modules that use both microcrystaline and an amorphous layer in the same panel. This gives higher efficiencies and apparently better response in low light and non-ideal mounting conditions. Efficiency is typically 9% (Normal poli is around 14-15%) .

    Here's a leaflet from one such manufacturer explaining why their panels produce more kWh/kW installed in central european conditions (less direct sun, more cloud), than traditional silicon.
    http://inventux.de/fileadmin/user_upload/files/Datenblaetter/Datenblatt_STC-Messung_inventux_EN.pdf
    And Kaneka also make a micromorph panel: http://www.kaneka-solar.com/products/pdf/U-SA.pdf

    All carry the standard 80% after 25 years warranty.

    The inventux modules also have a rather neat mounting system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdkQIfRz6pw&feature=player_embedded
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    Thanks Stephen. Good Shtuff.

    The Eventux system looks nice abut you would need a pretty true structure. Not this old house. That system would still require holes in my roof
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #13
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    Well I went and done it. I bought 2 panels and installed them today. It was fairly easy. I was getting 6.9 amps from 2- 148 @ 24V watt rolls. They have the MC3 connectors which turns out to be a hassle.

    One day and I am pleased so far. One of the panels took a real beating because the wind decided kick up. But it was putting out close to full capacity with the sun well past the panels prime. I think 165 watts from potential of 256 was good for where the sun was. I'll be up there tomorrow finishing up one more panel so I'll check it again then. It's getting too hot for me to be out there. LOL

    I checked them before I started to remove the paper off them and was getting 14V partial eexposed. But when I laid them out, and it was hot and all exposed, it showed 1V. What the. . . I decided to continue to connect them to my junction box and surprised to see the current there. Strange schtuff.

    Oh yeah Niel. . . Each panel weighs 30 pounds. There's a lot of copper in these. Not as thin as you would think.

    But as the saying goes, we'll see
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #14
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    thin film is often referred to as the type of pv like as in amorphous and doesn't mean the pvs are thin.
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  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #15
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    Wonder why you think the MC3 connections are a hastle unless you were trying to connect to Mc4 or something like that. I liked mc3 terminals myself as you don,t need a tool to disconnect them. I have some of both kinf and had to get adapter cables so I could expand one of my solar strings. :Dsolarvic:D
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #16
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?

    That's what I was talking about Niel. I was a bit surprised myself after your warnings. I'll see if I can find the spec sheet and post the link just for FYI. They are much heavier thn a couple of others I found
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  • Polaraco
    Polaraco Solar Expert Posts: 102 ✭✭✭✭
    #17
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    Re: Solar Rolls! Any Body ever use them?
    solarvic wrote: »
    Wonder why you think the MC3 connections are a hastle unless you were trying to connect to Mc4 or something like that. I liked mc3 terminals myself as you don,t need a tool to disconnect them. I have some of both kinf and had to get adapter cables so I could expand one of my solar strings. :Dsolarvic:D

    I have all the MC4 Stuff here. This was my first encounter with MC3. I bought some adaptor cables ect., but as usual, I had still had to make something. I think I'll just convert everything to MC4 and be done with it.

    I kniow there is a special tool, for the amount I have to disconnect these, I just use a small screw driver
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