Calculate Solar Cost For Your Home - geni.us/solar_reviews DIY Home Solar ( as low as $1.26/Watt) - geni.us/project_solar Supplies ECO-WORTHY Flexible 100W Panel - geni.us/23k6F59 ECO-WORTHY Rigid 100W Panel - geni.us/2Fk0zAK UniStrut Spring Nuts - geni.us/GIqiUO Panel End and Mid Clamps - geni.us/dQmg Lap Sealant - geni.us/E7HDRGk EcoFlow 100W Panel - geni.us/0LR1mBl BougeRV 100W Panel - geni.us/q6orTqp Renogy 100W Panel - geni.us/uSVA100 DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
I installed 7 flex panels on a camper and 5 of 7 failed within two years - this despite being stored undercover off season. Replaced everything & expanded with 10 rigids 5 years ago with zero failures since. The camper is normally insulated where the trailer in this video may not be. A good test would include roof insulation that'll further increase the ungapped flexibles temp but have lttle effect on elevated rigids.
I had the same experience with failure of one brand of 100W flex panel (8 years ago- a flush car roof mount) A different, twice the price brand with a good warranty has held up. It's just very hard to judge quality of the various China made products, but if the installation is a lot of labor, best to buy from an established US dealer with good warranty, despite the price. They will have screened out the suppliers with poor QC/construction.
flax panels aways fail in real use. 1-2 years of realistic use time is possible. some burns, some of them delaminate, some fail without visible damages one scraches. others loose ~30% of there performance in ~ 1 year and then start to fail... trash all the time with this stuff. serrious youtuber will tell you stay away from flex stuff, its ok for sometimes use in hollidays but thats all.
I would say rigid but I tried the new BougeRV Arch 200 Watt Fiberglass Flexible panels and boy is it tough! You should check out some of the videos for them. I don't do my own videos but I had this panel on my boat and it takes a beating and still works great. I will probably put these on my 5th wheel soon.
Thanks for the feedback. Future plans would be to test all of these main brands and get as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as possible with the addition of some endurance testing where we see if they degrade over time.
Buy one of those bullseye plastic modules. Line up the bullseye dot and you are aimed for maximum power. After my power outage due to Milton, I just kept re-aiming my Renogy panel throughout the day.
The flexible panels would be useful for mortorhomes on the inside of the windshield, independently from the main system for additional usages if needed.
The flexible is considerably lighter. I use them for easy deployment in emergency charging situations. They can be easily hung outside of windows. They can be taken in less than five minutes. And placed in a similar amount of time. And a large advantage is that they can be handled by someone with a back injury as they weigh around 2.2 pounds. With a decent amount of output.
Also gotta figure the angling would boost energy generation by some 30% or better. Rigid seems to be the better option. Now if I were going to slap the flexible on an Airstream or similar surface, this would be nicer. I guess it just depends on the application.
We are moving in the next 2 months. Once I get to the new location in Jan 2025 I will start the project. I plan on starting small and then scaling up with multiple different levels of capability. Ending setup should be able to charge my Cybertruck 😳. The first setup will most likely be less than 400W and a Delta 3 Plus.
On a vehicle, the flat/flexible has potential to save on gas with less drag. Would be cool to see by how much. However, if the flexible has reduced durability and longevity I wouldn't choose that to begin with.
Do flexible degrade so fast after 1-3 yrs only if you attach them flush mount to roof? What if I create a rack system and some edge reinforcements to give tons of air space underneath flexible panels (say 8-10" of airflow space underneath)? Would that make them last just as long as rigid panels?
I can't say, but... I have flexible panels on my truck camper, but I mounted them using strut channel. They're actually on polycarbonate roofing material that has sort of square tubes running the length. They're only a few inches off the roof. I'd intended to experiment with liquid cooling, but then I bought a place on the coast where it's always cool. So it hasn't been a priority. All that being said, I've had no problem after three or four years now. There were times this summer when they produced more than rated, but just for a few minutes after clouds broke and before everything warmed up. With 8-10" of clearance, I'd be concerned about the increased drag and what impact that would have on mileage.
Huh interesting video you published as DHL is literally a few hours away to deliver an eco-worthy 130 watts (70 euros) to my address. I have large batteries and an MPPT sitting around, so I thought why not put them to use. Limited space, but I might be able to add one more panel to the balcony window if the first one was good.
I'm thinking all because the ridged has glass is why the flex one produces more Watts, from light not reflecting away as much, but I didn't watch all the video because having to go to work
All I know is after seeing a few flexible solar panels leave heat burn marks on the underside (topside of roof), I’m steering away from them. Airflow MATTERS as it dissipates heat instead of transferring it.
maybe I don't understand the comparison but isn't it like testing a 50w bulb and a 75w bulb and saying yes the 75w bulb is brighter? Doesn't it need to be 100w to 100w or 130 to 130? The tech changes as well as efficiency so really its comparing totally different efficiency and wattage. So that's not really apple to apple. 130w to 130w with same efficiency, that would be a legit test to compare because otherwise it pretty much means just get the highest wattage one that's on sale. Or if it needs to bend get the flexible🙂
You never factored in the weight! RV's in particular are already very tall (much more so than you utility trailer) you are mounting those to the roof, all that extra weight on the roof, of an already tall non aerodynamic box, will make it even more top heavy and potentially unstable. For that reason, and the smoother airflow, I went with flexible panels on my RV roof, and and additional rigid "suitcase" style that I can set up on the ground.
@@surfguy777 its almost asa if those brands are not actual mfg of solar panels and just rebranding them from china without ever touching them. i keep posting the site but yt blo (ks me for spam/links for a few days. no cool
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Calculate Solar Cost For Your Home - geni.us/solar_reviews
DIY Home Solar ( as low as $1.26/Watt) - geni.us/project_solar
Supplies
ECO-WORTHY Flexible 100W Panel - geni.us/23k6F59
ECO-WORTHY Rigid 100W Panel - geni.us/2Fk0zAK
UniStrut Spring Nuts - geni.us/GIqiUO
Panel End and Mid Clamps - geni.us/dQmg
Lap Sealant - geni.us/E7HDRGk
EcoFlow 100W Panel - geni.us/0LR1mBl
BougeRV 100W Panel - geni.us/q6orTqp
Renogy 100W Panel - geni.us/uSVA100
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
I installed 7 flex panels on a camper and 5 of 7 failed within two years - this despite being stored undercover off season. Replaced everything & expanded with 10 rigids 5 years ago with zero failures since.
The camper is normally insulated where the trailer in this video may not be. A good test would include roof insulation that'll further increase the ungapped flexibles temp but have lttle effect on elevated rigids.
I had the same experience with failure of one brand of 100W flex panel (8 years ago- a flush car roof mount) A different, twice the price brand with a good warranty has held up. It's just very hard to judge quality of the various China made products, but if the installation is a lot of labor, best to buy from an established US dealer with good warranty, despite the price. They will have screened out the suppliers with poor QC/construction.
What is worse is you often see people gluing the flexible panels to their camper/van roofs. I can only imagine how hard it must be to replace those.
flax panels aways fail in real use.
1-2 years of realistic use time is possible.
some burns, some of them delaminate, some fail without visible damages one scraches.
others loose ~30% of there performance in ~ 1 year and then start to fail...
trash all the time with this stuff.
serrious youtuber will tell you stay away from flex stuff, its ok for sometimes use in hollidays but thats all.
This seems to be a common theme
Neglected to consider, especially for RV applications, is the thermal transfer to the roof/coach.
What would it be as I noticed the flexable gets very, very hot
I would say rigid but I tried the new BougeRV Arch 200 Watt Fiberglass Flexible panels and boy is it tough! You should check out some of the videos for them. I don't do my own videos but I had this panel on my boat and it takes a beating and still works great. I will probably put these on my 5th wheel soon.
Thanks for the feedback. Future plans would be to test all of these main brands and get as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as possible with the addition of some endurance testing where we see if they degrade over time.
That was a really worthwhile and interesting video. Thank you for taking the time to make it.
I installed three 200 CIGS panels, peel and stick. They are a game changer, mounted flat in May, they peaked at 660 watts output.
Buy one of those bullseye plastic modules. Line up the bullseye dot and you are aimed for maximum power. After my power outage due to Milton, I just kept re-aiming my Renogy panel throughout the day.
Great review, thanks so much!
You bet!
The flexible panels would be useful for mortorhomes on the inside of the windshield, independently from the main system for additional usages if needed.
The flexible is considerably lighter. I use them for easy deployment in emergency charging situations. They can be easily hung outside of windows. They can be taken in less than five minutes. And placed in a similar amount of time. And a large advantage is that they can be handled by someone with a back injury as they weigh around 2.2 pounds. With a decent amount of output.
Which is beter for using panels on roof to charge batteries in cargo van while driving in the sun. Average trip is 1600km long
Also gotta figure the angling would boost energy generation by some 30% or better. Rigid seems to be the better option. Now if I were going to slap the flexible on an Airstream or similar surface, this would be nicer. I guess it just depends on the application.
💯 there are a lot of different applications out there so just locking in on one type isn't possible.
The flexible shouldn’t last as long as the rigid? Plus also the additional weight of the rigid impacts mpg so more factors to consider
When will you be doing the trailer project. I’m planning on doing solar and batteries for an enclosed trailer using the EcoFlow batteries.
We are moving in the next 2 months. Once I get to the new location in Jan 2025 I will start the project. I plan on starting small and then scaling up with multiple different levels of capability. Ending setup should be able to charge my Cybertruck 😳. The first setup will most likely be less than 400W and a Delta 3 Plus.
Great video!
On a vehicle, the flat/flexible has potential to save on gas with less drag. Would be cool to see by how much. However, if the flexible has reduced durability and longevity I wouldn't choose that to begin with.
Do flexible degrade so fast after 1-3 yrs only if you attach them flush mount to roof? What if I create a rack system and some edge reinforcements to give tons of air space underneath flexible panels (say 8-10" of airflow space underneath)? Would that make them last just as long as rigid panels?
I can't say, but... I have flexible panels on my truck camper, but I mounted them using strut channel. They're actually on polycarbonate roofing material that has sort of square tubes running the length. They're only a few inches off the roof. I'd intended to experiment with liquid cooling, but then I bought a place on the coast where it's always cool. So it hasn't been a priority. All that being said, I've had no problem after three or four years now. There were times this summer when they produced more than rated, but just for a few minutes after clouds broke and before everything warmed up.
With 8-10" of clearance, I'd be concerned about the increased drag and what impact that would have on mileage.
The degradation is the same. I built a 10ft tall rack system for 10 300w flexible within 2yrs 80% drop in output. Such a disappoint!
mm yes, the 36 degree angle stick. Perfection.
I see a link for the spring Unistrut nuts but will there be a link for the aluminum Unistrut railings ?
I ordered 10' sections from Grainger www.grainger.com/product/Strut-Channel-Slotted-Aluminum-45YV54
You did a video on plugging 4 solar panels into the house and its supposed to cut power bill ? it was 11 months ago, any updates on that ?
Huh interesting video you published as DHL is literally a few hours away to deliver an eco-worthy 130 watts (70 euros) to my address. I have large batteries and an MPPT sitting around, so I thought why not put them to use. Limited space, but I might be able to add one more panel to the balcony window if the first one was good.
Nice, best of luck getting the setup up and running 👍
I'm thinking all because the ridged has glass is why the flex one produces more Watts, from light not reflecting away as much, but I didn't watch all the video because having to go to work
All I know is after seeing a few flexible solar panels leave heat burn marks on the underside (topside of roof), I’m steering away from them. Airflow MATTERS as it dissipates heat instead of transferring it.
Fluke lite meter?
Yep, it also has panel temp, angle, and orientation. Pretty slick but a bit pricey for a DIYer amzn.to/4e4i1q5
maybe I don't understand the comparison but isn't it like testing a 50w bulb and a 75w bulb and saying yes the 75w bulb is brighter?
Doesn't it need to be 100w to 100w or 130 to 130? The tech changes as well as efficiency so really its comparing totally different efficiency and wattage. So that's not really apple to apple.
130w to 130w with same efficiency, that would be a legit test to compare because otherwise it pretty much means just get the highest wattage one that's on sale. Or if it needs to bend get the flexible🙂
He did. At 8:30 he explains how the flexible panel should have had a 30% advantage but measured to be 26%.
I appreciate the math!
You bet!
Flexible is not new. 30 years ago, unisolar was popular
Still working after 10 years. On cargo van, fixed to roof, is it worth it?
You never factored in the weight! RV's in particular are already very tall (much more so than you utility trailer) you are mounting those to the roof, all that extra weight on the roof, of an already tall non aerodynamic box, will make it even more top heavy and potentially unstable. For that reason, and the smoother airflow, I went with flexible panels on my RV roof, and and additional rigid "suitcase" style that I can set up on the ground.
Ear-adiance
federal tax credit, aka robbing your neighbor to pay for new toys
lol flexible solar panels are like 25-30 cents per watt shipped now. where are you buying your panels? get off of scamazon.
What site is your go to for panels?
@@everydaysolar alixp =]
@@everydaysolar alxp
What site then? Eco worthy and renogy are both around 50 cents/watt at the cheapest I can find.
@@surfguy777 its almost asa if those brands are not actual mfg of solar panels and just rebranding them from china without ever touching them. i keep posting the site but yt blo (ks me for spam/links for a few days. no cool