ETFE vs. PET Flexible Solar Panel

[kllcbosmetris]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For stealth, I'm looking into flexible solar panels that can blend in with a dark colored van. [This way even if someone sees the van from an upper floor, it won't be super obvious -- good for stealth and good for theft deterrence.] The best (or the closest rather) I've found is Lensun (image below) that has darker non-cell areas. I also noticed they say [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"ETFE Flexible Solar Panel, Top Quality NOT the Cheap PET Flexible Solar Panel."[/font]

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[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1. Do you now any other manufacturer with dark non-cell areas?[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2. Do you agree that [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]ETFE is better than PET?[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3. Do you know any other manufacturer with ETFE panels?[/font]

 

[tx2sturgis]

Looks like a nice panel but remember, black=heat.

 

[John61CT]

Yes you can't mount these direct to your roof and expect them to last long.

Even the best case average maybe 2-3 years.

And every degree higher temp is lower power output.

Forget trying to get that level of stealth, unless you keep solar blankets or suitcase style inside, unfold them when out of town.

 

[KathyC]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3. Do you know any other manufacturer with ETFE panels?

[/font]Allpowers makes one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071JQQL84  and so does
GreeSonic:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ET1YBJG

 

[frater secessus]

My take:  

ETFE vs PET - probably not a big deal for the average vandweller.  Efficiency is already dealt with when you buy a panel based on output (100w or whatever).  ETFE is supposed to last longer but flex panels generally don't last that long anyhow.  Regular paper plates vs fancy Chinet paper plates?  ETFE would likely be more important for folks tied to a hot, humid/rainy location like Atlanta, Houston, Florida, etc.

On power loss from heat:  flex/amorphous panels are affected less by heat.  The Temp Coefficient for Voc on amorphous is something like -.20%, and the hard panels something like -.45%.  This will reduce the hit taken from the lack of underside air flow on surface mounted flex panels.

On degradation from heat:  yes, heat will kill them faster but flex might already be regarded as disposable anyhow due to much shorter lifespans.

On darker panels, the industry tends to call them "black", so adding that search term might help you find them.  

Overall, I think flex panels for stealth is probably not a good tradeoff.  It's easy to hide framed mono/poly panels in a roof rack, etc, and you'd have cheaper, much longer lasting panels with up to 50% more wattage for the roofspace. 

Of course, that's just my opinion.  Let us know what you decide.  I'd love to see how the new flex panels are working out.  They seem to be getting better and better.

 

[John61CT]

If the framed last twenty years

but the flex average 2-3, and cost double per kW

but you "need" to go with flex

then anything you can do to ensure greater longevity without paying (much) more

is IMO worth doing.

Some are made from Sunpower cells, I thought greatest efficiency watts per area?

 

[willprowse]

I took apart one of the lensun panels and they are made VERY cheaply. They sent me a suitecase one for free, and the gauge of wires that connected the panels together was super tiny. And there was no diode protection. This one probably does have it, but watch out for lensun. Not the best.

I have a friend with this new "durable" panel by them and its holding up (same exact panel mentioned in first post). He has it mounted with vhb and black silicone on the edges. So it is flush mounted, no airflow, mounted to a black thule box..... which will get hot, but he lives at the beach near sf, so it will probably be fine.

It does look good though haha I am super curious to see the output of these panels after a few years. They are pretty new. I am sure a van dweller in arizona will tell us all how fast they die.

 

[kllcbosmetris]

I took apart one of the lensun panels and they are made VERY cheaply. They sent me a suitecase one for free, and the gauge of wires that connected the panels together was super tiny. And there was no diode protection. This one probably does have it, but watch out for lensun. Not the best.

I have a friend with this new "durable" panel by them and its holding up (same exact panel mentioned in first post). He has it mounted with vhb and black silicone on the edges. So it is flush mounted, no airflow, mounted to a black thule box..... which will get hot, but he lives at the beach near sf, so it will probably be fine.

It does look good though haha I am super curious to see the output of these panels after a few years. They are pretty new. I am sure a van dweller in arizona will tell us all how fast they die.

I was hoping their flexible panels to be better (re: better wires) than their suitcase model. Reputation is not that great as you noted but the stealth factor for those ETFE panels is making me reconsider. If you look closely they look very durable. And those would be barely noticeable on a dark van.