Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first): 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes: -Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp -Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 -AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out: shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p -Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 10% off code: diysolar -Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA: watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information: I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
I have 2 * 144 watt, and 2 * 136 watt unisolar amorphous panels! They do great in low sunlight or northern regions, but if they get too hot, they produce far less!
@@andrewfong4216 It sure will, I like them but, they do not like being hot!
8 месяцев назад+1
OMG I am glad I saw this video! I'm brand new to solar and recently bought a very lightweight slide in truck camper with 2, 160w CIGS FLEXIBLE panels on top from Rich Solar. I had just watched your video about flexible panels from 4 years ago advising to avoid them as they would fail within the year. I had been starting plans to upgrade to maybe another panel and adding batteries and my heart sank when I watched your video from 4 years ago trashing flexible panels. Now watching this one, I feel so much better!
These CIGS Panels looking very promising! Cant wait to hear more about it! I think a lot of people desperately looking for a Flexpanel which is durable and not too expensive.
You heard of Solyndra? You've heard of these. The technology outlived the company it seems. Edit:These aren't actually CIGS panels. I mean the PowerFilm one, not the other one he shows
Great video but I noticed a mistake. Powerfilm is not CIGS. It's flexible amorphous silicon. That's why they are so expensive. CIGS are good but they degrade faster than amorphous silicon. Also, they have to be "sun soaked" if they have been stored in a dark area for a while. Amorphous silicon can be used immediately even if stored in darkness.
@@WillProwse Definitely interested in a follow-up video on the Rich CIGS panels. Would like to hear and learn more about sun soaking and the longevity of CIGS. Thanks for all you do, Will!! You are truly appreciated.
So is the panel used in this video not a CIGS panel? Would love to see a review of the new Renogy CIGS 150w panels. Just bought 4 but haven’t seen any reviews anywhere. Be first Will ☺️
Your subscribers deserve a follow up on cigs. This video and your evaluation is one reason I spent $1250 on these panels. They all failed(delamination). This is a common solar forum question now about these panels. I just got warranty coverage and installed new ones. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Think about this. Some people only golf on the weekend. If you put two of those panels on your "Golf Cart" as a golfer, using it on weekends, you might have a full battery every time you use the golf cart. I know, there are many other uses, this just stuck in my head as a practical scenario. I love your videos, they keep me thinking!
You can buy a pretty decent 300w MPPT boost controller for about 25 euros on aliexpress - search for CTK-300. It has multiple input voltages and programmable output voltages. Been using one for over a year without issue.
@@workshoponwheels4936 They are indeed slower than a Genasun, but have a programmable output voltage which the Genasun doesn't (which makes them perfect for under-charging ebike batteries). They are also far lighter than the Renogy shown here. Unfortunately the perfect MPPT boost controller doesn't exist, they all have compromises.
Will, their Renogy booster will certainly help a lot of people with unique installations. (nice Video) You appear to be having way too much fun with your golf cart, might I suggest that you take up the game of golf so that you can chase the golf ball all over the desert and get frustrated like the rest of the golf cart owners.
Golf is an odd game. Hitting an obscure pellet into a hole too far away with entirely inadequate weapons designed to create frustration and high blood pressure. But who's counting
I did not realize CIGS was a thing. Looks super compelling at this price. I was considering Zamp OBSIDIAN SERIES 90-Watt panels because of quality, low profile and weight but this Rich Solar CIGS seem to blow all that out of the water and much much cheaper. This is a game changer for me! Thanks Will!!!!
Did you ever pull the trigger on them? Curious how they lasted? I too was considering the obsidian but as thin as they are they won’t conform to a curved roof
@@caseycook738 I just checked the warranty on some CIGs panels. Initially RichSolar started with 5 year warranty and now they’re at 1 year on CIGs panels. So doesn’t look like they’re that confident in their product.
I have heard about those military solar panels about a year ago from another channel that they did their whole roof on their rv, but you kept saying that they are not good so I ignored it. Now that you have one and you are saying those military ones are good I am glad because I wouldn't want to purchase them. I am not an expert and you are 👍.
So these CIGS should also be better for vanlife type application than the regular flexible solar panel? Sounds like worth the money. What is there life span?
Hey, that's my Cougar travel trailer on the Rich Solar site! Two 100W PowerFLEX panels from Global Solar Energy (RIP). I was an engineer there for almost 15 years. We used my TT as a test bed for the CIGS panels. GSE has been gone for a few years so, the panels shown on my old rig are not the ones Rich Solar are selling.
Just put four or five of them on your roof a little customization extensions on the side to get five installed. Add foam filled tires so you don’t get leaks still be light and soft
Thanks Will, I really like the idea of the CIGS panels for my motorhome, would you mind doing a video showing performance in more favorable sun. I think you said 40 watts maximum driving around in that cool cart with the partial cloudy day.
2 weeks ago we installed such a flexible module. 100 Watts and 300 Volts. We directly charge our 240V System of 20 12V batteries in series. This flexible module had been manufactured by a German manufacturer who closed production a few years ago, as far as I know.
Omg but you have enough space in the roof for having like 3 of that flexible panels! Infinite powerrrr. Well this is a really interesting idea. Thanks for sharing man
Wish Will would do a recommendation for an electric offroad buggy. I'm rural enough where that one would be useful, but I'd prefer something less golf and more dune.
Finally this is what I needed, but I need bigger booster....so if 10 amps is max output, ~500 watts, that would be about 15 amps at 32 v input, but the site stated only 10-12 amp input!!!! The richer solar panel is super expensive, you can find other cigs cheaper....
Can you do a weekend camping trip from your golf cart, then set up all the luxury's you can using only solar.? Off the grid camping with solar.! Wow.! Thumbs up from Niagara Falls Canada.!
I replaced the roof on my golf cart with two 160w panels. Genasun boost charge controller and I haven’t had to charge it in three weeks. It’s legal to drive in my town so I use it to get around town for cheap.
I use the same AMP clamp for the price its amazing.. I try to keep the Fluke MINTY in the drawer for the serious stuff and checking everything before final installs.
I'd be interested to see you side-by-side compare that charger with the one the EE guy with the little farm had a few weeks back to see how they vary...
The only other device seems to be a QPX Solar mppt charge controller, but that stops charging at any little cloud and tries to find the MPP again for minutes. I hope the Renogy is better in that. It's on my list! Thanks, Will!
Isn't this the exact opposite of what you did with the buck converter? isn't this just like some kind of sophisticated boost converter the boost the voltage
But wait! There's a solution to the batteries getting too hot! Hot == Sun is out == Solar panel is producing power == You can put a small quiet fan in the battery compartment that only runs off the solar to ventilate it. A little fan only burns 1W or so... just use a 24VDC fan with a small in-line resistor and it can be directly connected to the panel. And you could also do something with the excess solar power that is produced when the battery is full. Since you wouldn't care how inefficient the power consumption is in that situation, there ought to be something that 80W could be used for... maybe power a small thermoelectric cooler for the battery compartment or something, since you wouldn't care about efficiency at that point. -Matt
Hey Will! I'm curious to know how that CIGS panel has performed now that you've had it awhile. I'm wondering if the different tech allows it to produce near STC or if they're about 80% like most other panels I come across.
great video, can I ask if you have time come back with some real numbers once you use it for a month. It's great to hear you tell people how fragile the batteries are(leaving them in the Nevada sun during the summer, not I good idea)
Hope you aren't adding too much weight. I hit 28 mph with my stock lifted club car after I got rid of 6 8v lead acid batteries and installed 2 allied lithium 48v in parallel. 380 lbs removed, 70 lbs added. Keep it light!
Someday I will have amassed half the solar power & toys that you have and I'll probably still want more 😂 The way you explain things is excellent bro, I've learned more from you than all my years in the public indoctrination center lol
I've wanted to convert a golf cart to solar for some time. One thing I can't get around is you have to leave your cart out in the weather all the time or else move it out into the clear whenever it is sunny and you want to charge. Golf cart won't last as long if you have to leave it out in the weather.
Was totally thinking same... custom cut a new roof from a thin piece of plywood or skip the wood idea and instead replace the roof w/a custom cut piece of HDPE or (better yet) custom cut a new roof from a sheet of Delrin (aka: Polyoxymethylene/POM for short) then paint the underside and edges black, but leave the top white to help lower temps from the Summer Sun!
@@__WJK__ It's only a small slim panel down the middle taped to the roof, plywood is overkill. He connected it just fine. The panel is flexable for a reason, why add a rigid flat pice of wood backing, it defeats the purpose of buying the flexable.panel for it's flexability.
@Troule9 T - Never questioned or said anything about anyone's "connections." Simply offered a few general/friendly suggestions regarding upgrading the cart's seemingly flimsy OEM roof "should" the solar panel have issues not sticking or not pulling in max wattage due to the cart's wavy, non-flat and/or very dark-colored roof.
Hey Will I haven't seen you do any evaluation on me silicon salt batteries which is supposed to have a long u says the charging cycle 3500 not as many as lithium and then they can go down past the 50% so that's better than lead acid and they can go down pretty far close to like lithium would you review some of the silicates old batteries like Bolt! Thanks G
USA Made Genasun makes waterproof 8A MPPT solar boost charge controllers. They are much smaller than this Renogy and cost about the same. You can also find inexpensive MPPT solar boost charger controllers made in china for about $40.
These flexible panels are getting to a point where they are useful for backpacking. Hang them on the back or top of the backpack, plug them into my Nitecore NB10000 external battery pack and voila - game changer. You need an inverter I guess. How big of a cell would you need to charge a 5000mah phone every 2 days?
That panel is SUPER interesting contrasted to those $$$jackery saga panels. VERY INTERESTING. Good ole rich solar...pushing the envelope. Ill have to visit the site to see if they come in different sizes....I mean Im not gonna buy one but im intrigued for sure.
It looks like your roof has room for 2 more panels, so you could have 3 of them up there! If you're afraid of cooking the battery, would connecting some fans around your battery that run off of solar power be able to keep them from cooking? I think with 3 panels on your roof, and a cooling system next to your batteries, you could for sure charge it outside.
Can you apply CIGS solar panels directly to a van's metal roof? Ram Promaster metal roof has ridges and I wonder if these panels can handle the heat of summer in Las Vegas. How has the CIGS solar panel held up? can you do a video all about CIGS solar panels? review the BougeRV
Will, do you plan to ever to a review of the Renogy 48V 3500W SOLAR INVERTER CHARGER? Seems very comparable to MPP solar all-in-one in price, but possibly much better quality.
Hi Will I’m doing a sail boat we have the engine out and want to go electric. It seems like a lot of this would work on my boat could you do a small sailboat electrification video using the tech and hardware you like maybe a shopping list we love your channel watching from the Island in the pacific it’s amazing what your doing.
My lance camper has an aluminum roof. Can I stick this CIGS painal on it? I do live in central California and in the summer it gets to 110 sometimes. Can the take that type of heat. I know that I cant put my hand on the roof on a got day it just gets too too hot. Please advise.
Hi Will, do you clean your mansion yourself? What do you do with all that room? Also I like the milk crate battery. Might build one someday when I but up a small solar system.
Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com
Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com
Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link):
amzn.to/2Aj4dX4
If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes:
-Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
-Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7
-AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out:
shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p
-Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
10% off code: diysolar
-Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA:
watts247.com/?wpam_id=3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
What exactly do you mean solar will cook the batteries.whats the temp limits of those batteries?
Protect this man at all cost
I have 2 * 144 watt, and 2 * 136 watt unisolar amorphous panels! They do great in low sunlight or northern regions, but if they get too hot, they produce far less!
Thanks, That's good to know. I had concerns when Will stuck it directly to the roof of the golf cart - that's going to get hot in the summer.
@@andrewfong4216 It sure will, I like them but, they do not like being hot!
OMG I am glad I saw this video! I'm brand new to solar and recently bought a very lightweight slide in truck camper with 2, 160w CIGS FLEXIBLE panels on top from Rich Solar. I had just watched your video about flexible panels from 4 years ago advising to avoid them as they would fail within the year. I had been starting plans to upgrade to maybe another panel and adding batteries and my heart sank when I watched your video from 4 years ago trashing flexible panels. Now watching this one, I feel so much better!
These CIGS Panels looking very promising! Cant wait to hear more about it! I think a lot of people desperately looking for a Flexpanel which is durable and not too expensive.
You heard of Solyndra? You've heard of these. The technology outlived the company it seems.
Edit:These aren't actually CIGS panels. I mean the PowerFilm one, not the other one he shows
Can hardly wait for the 1yr regarding longevity, durability and heat tolerance!
Great video but I noticed a mistake. Powerfilm is not CIGS. It's flexible amorphous silicon. That's why they are so expensive. CIGS are good but they degrade faster than amorphous silicon. Also, they have to be "sun soaked" if they have been stored in a dark area for a while. Amorphous silicon can be used immediately even if stored in darkness.
Oh darn, I thought those were cigs this whole time. Oops.
@@WillProwse Definitely interested in a follow-up video on the Rich CIGS panels. Would like to hear and learn more about sun soaking and the longevity of CIGS. Thanks for all you do, Will!! You are truly appreciated.
So is the panel used in this video not a CIGS panel? Would love to see a review of the new Renogy CIGS 150w panels. Just bought 4 but haven’t seen any reviews anywhere. Be first Will ☺️
Hey just wanted to say thank you for all of the helpfulness. I've been watching your video's for over a year and have built a system of my own
Thanks :)
@@micohabit you were right!!! That is so funny. I just found the video 😂😂
@@WillProwse same lmao
that is brilliant
@@micohabit hahaha, that's so random lol!
Normal Human: uses a ladder to get on top of the cart.
Will: Gets scissor lift out
LOL I love it
Of course...it's electric!
That's the "new" normal, lol😎
Will isn't even playing around with that lift. That is how you elevate in style.
Falling off a ladder is got to be in the top three most common injuries 😬 in a workshop. So good retirement plan.
He uses it to open his kitchen cabinets. Lol
Dystopian Golf carts are going to be everywhere soon 🙌🙌
LOVE YOUR CHANNEL
A couple of these CIGS might be the solution for my RV install? Let's see how the adhesive holds up. Thanks Will!
Your subscribers deserve a follow up on cigs. This video and your evaluation is one reason I spent $1250 on these panels. They all failed(delamination). This is a common solar forum question now about these panels. I just got warranty coverage and installed new ones. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
How are the new panels holding up?
Looking forward to more info on the CIGS panels. Also, great book very helpful, thank you.
Think about this. Some people only golf on the weekend. If you put two of those panels on your "Golf Cart" as a golfer, using it on weekends, you might have a full battery every time you use the golf cart. I know, there are many other uses, this just stuck in my head as a practical scenario. I love your videos, they keep me thinking!
You can buy a pretty decent 300w MPPT boost controller for about 25 euros on aliexpress - search for CTK-300. It has multiple input voltages and programmable output voltages. Been using one for over a year without issue.
They are however slow to adapt when shading changes, paying more for the better quality ones will give you more useful setup
@@workshoponwheels4936 They are indeed slower than a Genasun, but have a programmable output voltage which the Genasun doesn't (which makes them perfect for under-charging ebike batteries). They are also far lighter than the Renogy shown here. Unfortunately the perfect MPPT boost controller doesn't exist, they all have compromises.
Will, their Renogy booster will certainly help a lot of people with unique installations. (nice Video)
You appear to be having way too much fun with your golf cart, might I suggest that you take up the game of golf so that you can chase the golf ball all over the desert and get frustrated like the rest of the golf cart owners.
Golf is an odd game. Hitting an obscure pellet into a hole too far away with entirely inadequate weapons designed to create frustration and high blood pressure. But who's counting
Next upgrade: TESLA motor so you can finally do some doughnuts!
See "PlumQuick" best motors around.
Will, how about a test on battleborns new high output batteries ?
Met him at Home Depot and asked what he did for a living, nice blue Tesla sir.
Hey I remember you! Thanks haha
I did not realize CIGS was a thing. Looks super compelling at this price. I was considering Zamp OBSIDIAN SERIES 90-Watt panels because of quality, low profile and weight but this Rich Solar CIGS seem to blow all that out of the water and much much cheaper. This is a game changer for me! Thanks Will!!!!
Did you ever pull the trigger on them? Curious how they lasted? I too was considering the obsidian but as thin as they are they won’t conform to a curved roof
@@TobyCostaRica no I didn’t. Mostly because I got some second hand (albeit new) flex panels from a friend that didn’t need them. Good luck…
@@caseycook738 I just checked the warranty on some CIGs panels. Initially RichSolar started with 5 year warranty and now they’re at 1 year on CIGs panels. So doesn’t look like they’re that confident in their product.
I have heard about those military solar panels about a year ago from another channel that they did their whole roof on their rv, but you kept saying that they are not good so I ignored it. Now that you have one and you are saying those military ones are good I am glad because I wouldn't want to purchase them. I am not an expert and you are 👍.
This guy is a legend.
Perfect for the weekend retreat/hunting land, etc.
Ohm an, the airless tires have been a dream of mine! But you might have better luck finding them for a golf cart than me with my van
So these CIGS should also be better for vanlife type application than the regular flexible solar panel? Sounds like worth the money. What is there life span?
When are you going to do a solar airplane?
Hey, that's my Cougar travel trailer on the Rich Solar site! Two 100W PowerFLEX panels from Global Solar Energy (RIP). I was an engineer there for almost 15 years. We used my TT as a test bed for the CIGS panels. GSE has been gone for a few years so, the panels shown on my old rig are not the ones Rich Solar are selling.
Just put four or five of them on your roof a little customization extensions on the side to get five installed.
Add foam filled tires so you don’t get leaks still be light and soft
Thanks Will, I really like the idea of the CIGS panels for my motorhome, would you mind doing a video showing performance in more favorable sun. I think you said 40 watts maximum driving around in that cool cart with the partial cloudy day.
Smart guy
2 weeks ago we installed such a flexible module. 100 Watts and 300 Volts. We directly charge our 240V System of 20 12V batteries in series. This flexible module had been manufactured by a German manufacturer who closed production a few years ago, as far as I know.
Happy to see you will review the CIGS panel. Also interested in the CIGS vs Amorphous Silicon solar panels.
Omg but you have enough space in the roof for having like 3 of that flexible panels! Infinite powerrrr. Well this is a really interesting idea. Thanks for sharing man
Those panels are soooo awesome! Sweet setup man!
Right!! So nice. I love them
@@WillProwse Not sure if you saw my previous message got my crate built! it works awesome video on my channel
@@frankbush333 saw your video a few hours ago. Very cool!!
Awesome I was hoping you would check it out. Hope you liked it, any recommendations?
More solar video's using this new crate and other things soon!
Wish Will would do a recommendation for an electric offroad buggy. I'm rural enough where that one would be useful, but I'd prefer something less golf and more dune.
Where is the link for the CIGS panel?
Sorry, just posted video. Here it is: richsolar.com/products/80-watt-cigs-flexible-solar-panel?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
Thanks
Finally this is what I needed, but I need bigger booster....so if 10 amps is max output, ~500 watts, that would be about 15 amps at 32 v input, but the site stated only 10-12 amp input!!!! The richer solar panel is super expensive, you can find other cigs cheaper....
How nice...access to a lift and lots of great tools. Have fun.
43 watts from a 80 watt panel, on a cloudy day? I'm impressed.
Can you do a weekend camping trip from your golf cart, then set up all the luxury's you can using only solar.? Off the grid camping with solar.! Wow.! Thumbs up from Niagara Falls Canada.!
I might need some of those solar panels to stick on top of the house and power my computer systems 😁
I replaced the roof on my golf cart with two 160w panels. Genasun boost charge controller and I haven’t had to charge it in three weeks. It’s legal to drive in my town so I use it to get around town for cheap.
Weather condition’s 😂 Are there Lunar Panels somewhere we don’t know about yet? 🧐 Can we start some videos on that? 😆🎉
Would love to see a follow up. There seem to be a few new people offering similar panels.(Sunflare Xplor and BougeRV).
The Renogy charge controller booster and the flexible panels would go nicely with our Bluetti 200P, or I hope so anyway.
Yes looks like a good fit, be interesting to see if the MPPT work well with each other
Please do more testing on these CIGS panels. I don't trust other reviewers out there to give a fair review.
Nice setup like those panels. I use the MPT-3210A Solar boost controller for my higher voltage packs with small panels.
I use the same AMP clamp for the price its amazing.. I try to keep the Fluke MINTY in the drawer for the serious stuff and checking everything before final installs.
I'd be interested to see you side-by-side compare that charger with the one the EE guy with the little farm had a few weeks back to see how they vary...
I love the passion you bring to your ideas and research!!
Wow, gotta love technology. Have you considered adding regenerative braking as well to the golf cart? It would be interesting to see the outcome.
Honestly, a cloudy day is not a bad thing. It goes to show that you can still produce power even on a less than ideal day.
The only other device seems to be a QPX Solar mppt charge controller, but that stops charging at any little cloud and tries to find the MPP again for minutes. I hope the Renogy is better in that. It's on my list!
Thanks, Will!
Isn't this the exact opposite of what you did with the buck converter? isn't this just like some kind of sophisticated boost converter the boost the voltage
You make the best and most interesting videos on RUclips
Great video Will!! Love seeing your ideas for the golf cart and self reliance.
Cheers will :)
The booster looks like a great idea, but a solar panel that can be shaded and still produce, now that gets me excited.
But wait! There's a solution to the batteries getting too hot! Hot == Sun is out == Solar panel is producing power == You can put a small quiet fan in the battery compartment that only runs off the solar to ventilate it. A little fan only burns 1W or so... just use a 24VDC fan with a small in-line resistor and it can be directly connected to the panel.
And you could also do something with the excess solar power that is produced when the battery is full. Since you wouldn't care how inefficient the power consumption is in that situation, there ought to be something that 80W could be used for... maybe power a small thermoelectric cooler for the battery compartment or something, since you wouldn't care about efficiency at that point.
-Matt
I keep seeing these ,,12v chins 300 ah liFeP04 . From Amazon. Just wondering if you were going to do a video on this ? Love the golf cart btw
Hey Will! I'm curious to know how that CIGS panel has performed now that you've had it awhile. I'm wondering if the different tech allows it to produce near STC or if they're about 80% like most other panels I come across.
I'm curious too. Looks like Rich Solar changed their warranty from 5 years to 1 year so I wondering if they have some quality issues.
great video, can I ask if you have time come back with some real numbers once you use it for a month. It's great to hear you tell people how fragile the batteries are(leaving them in the Nevada sun during the summer, not I good idea)
Nice upgrade! That's a sweet little cart!
OK, finally figured out who this guy reminds me of: Sheldon Cooper AKA Jim Parsons. could be his kid brother. Just as smart too! 😆
Hope you aren't adding too much weight. I hit 28 mph with my stock lifted club car after I got rid of 6 8v lead acid batteries and installed 2 allied lithium 48v in parallel. 380 lbs removed, 70 lbs added. Keep it light!
I'm using tesla model 3 cell packs. Which like yours, made it 300 pounds lighter. Have you seen my past cart videos?
Someday I will have amassed half the solar power & toys that you have and I'll probably still want more 😂
The way you explain things is excellent bro, I've learned more from you than all my years in the public indoctrination center lol
I've wanted to convert a golf cart to solar for some time. One thing I can't get around is you have to leave your cart out in the weather all the time or else move it out into the clear whenever it is sunny and you want to charge. Golf cart won't last as long if you have to leave it out in the weather.
0:23 Notice the little screwdriver move slightly in the background.
I'd replace the roof of the cart with a flat piece of plywood. Idk how well it would work, but it could make mounting solar easier
Was totally thinking same... custom cut a new roof from a thin piece of plywood or skip the wood idea and instead replace the roof w/a custom cut piece of HDPE or (better yet) custom cut a new roof from a sheet of Delrin (aka: Polyoxymethylene/POM for short) then paint the underside and edges black, but leave the top white to help lower temps from the Summer Sun!
he did that already and changed back.. lol.. check his older videos.. this guy is hilarious!
@@noahsobd - Good to know, I'll have to go back and see if I can find the video.
@@__WJK__ It's only a small slim panel down the middle taped to the roof, plywood is overkill. He connected it just fine. The panel is flexable for a reason, why add a rigid flat pice of wood backing, it defeats the purpose of buying the flexable.panel for it's flexability.
@Troule9 T - Never questioned or said anything about anyone's "connections." Simply offered a few general/friendly suggestions regarding upgrading the cart's seemingly flimsy OEM roof "should" the solar panel have issues not sticking or not pulling in max wattage due to the cart's wavy, non-flat and/or very dark-colored roof.
Thanks for all you do Will!
Hey Will I haven't seen you do any evaluation on me silicon salt batteries which is supposed to have a long u says the charging cycle 3500 not as many as lithium and then they can go down past the 50% so that's better than lead acid and they can go down pretty far close to like lithium would you review some of the silicates old batteries like Bolt! Thanks G
USA Made Genasun makes waterproof 8A MPPT solar boost charge controllers. They are much smaller than this Renogy and cost about the same. You can also find inexpensive MPPT solar boost charger controllers made in china for about $40.
I was waiting to hear about the Renogy's efficiency or self-consumption for the DC-DC conversion.
Will, how are the CIGS panels holding up after a year? Thanks!
I have a 160 renogy with a Genasun 48v Lead-Acid/ 8A panel with my Trojans. Seems to keep up with my needs.
Have you ever considered looking at the Sol-Ark grid tie inverters? I enjoy your videos keep up the good work.
Something I've been wondering about. If you hook up two 12 V batteries in series for 24 V, can you take off one battery and use the 12 V for things?
Just over $100 per watt-wowza
These flexible panels are getting to a point where they are useful for backpacking. Hang them on the back or top of the backpack, plug them into my Nitecore NB10000 external battery pack and voila - game changer. You need an inverter I guess. How big of a cell would you need to charge a 5000mah phone every 2 days?
Will be interesting to see how well the flex panel holds up after 6 months and 1 year.
Any further research into the CIGS panels, degradation, efficiency?
That panel is SUPER interesting contrasted to those $$$jackery saga panels. VERY INTERESTING. Good ole rich solar...pushing the envelope. Ill have to visit the site to see if they come in different sizes....I mean Im not gonna buy one but im intrigued for sure.
It looks like your roof has room for 2 more panels, so you could have 3 of them up there! If you're afraid of cooking the battery, would connecting some fans around your battery that run off of solar power be able to keep them from cooking? I think with 3 panels on your roof, and a cooling system next to your batteries, you could for sure charge it outside.
Can you apply CIGS solar panels directly to a van's metal roof? Ram Promaster metal roof has ridges and I wonder if these panels can handle the heat of summer in Las Vegas. How has the CIGS solar panel held up? can you do a video all about CIGS solar panels? review the BougeRV
Can that painal take the summer heat of 120?
Very cool. Love the golf cart and trailer videos!
Will, do you plan to ever to a review of the Renogy 48V 3500W SOLAR INVERTER CHARGER? Seems very comparable to MPP solar all-in-one in price, but possibly much better quality.
Im so happy you got these panels, Ive been watching these and wanting them for a long time as well! 🩵 Definitely one of the next things on my list!
I love your super-powered Mars rover!! :)
Will have you thought about using super capacitor in parallel with batteries 🙂👍
Look into a Genasun unit!
Hi Will I’m doing a sail boat we have the engine out and want to go electric. It seems like a lot of this would work on my boat could you do a small sailboat electrification video using the tech and hardware you like maybe a shopping list we love your channel watching from the Island in the pacific it’s amazing what your doing.
My lance camper has an aluminum roof. Can I stick this CIGS painal on it? I do live in central California and in the summer it gets to 110 sometimes. Can the take that type of heat. I know that I cant put my hand on the roof on a got day it just gets too too hot. Please advise.
Hi Will, do you clean your mansion yourself? What do you do with all that room? Also I like the milk crate battery. Might build one someday when I but up a small solar system.
that was cool and I didn't know about those panels. super neat.
Hmmm, imagine a few modifications to change those flexible panels into roof shingles...... Could totally transform energy reliance.
Great job as always Will !!
Sweet. Was it a problem at all that the roof surface was uneven? My van also has ridges up top. Thanks!
How about making a "shade" for your battery compartment with an extra solar panel?
Now do a pack build with 32700 cells to test the new offerings for the mobile edition!
Hi!
Idea:
Build a 7kw continuous 220v system.