magentawave
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Yeah, only 36 watts and insanely expensive. Looks nice though!
How to mount solar panel to top of Thule rooftop cargo box?
- Thread starter magentawave
- Start date
Help Support Van Living Forum:
One issue with flexible panels of any length, mounted on a dark color plastic or fiberglass cargo box lid, is thermal expansion along the longitudinal axis, which might crack or distort the holes in the lid, or soften and loosen adhesive if that is used. is Another issue is a reduction in output due to lack of panel cooling on the underside.
Also, the bigger the panel is the more they expand, which can certainly stress the mounting points. A small 36 watt panel is probably not expanding enough to damage itself or the lid, but a large panel sure might cause some problems. One way to minimize that is to use multiple smaller panels with small gaps between them. Another way would be to use slotted holes in the panels.
But, 36 watts might only be enough to charge a phone or a tablet. Hardly worth the added cost compared to portable fold-out solar panels you can buy for less than $100.
I'm sure the 'big name' manufacturers address the thermal problems, but a DIY or 'one-off' project might have some 'glitches' later on.
Also, the bigger the panel is the more they expand, which can certainly stress the mounting points. A small 36 watt panel is probably not expanding enough to damage itself or the lid, but a large panel sure might cause some problems. One way to minimize that is to use multiple smaller panels with small gaps between them. Another way would be to use slotted holes in the panels.
But, 36 watts might only be enough to charge a phone or a tablet. Hardly worth the added cost compared to portable fold-out solar panels you can buy for less than $100.
I'm sure the 'big name' manufacturers address the thermal problems, but a DIY or 'one-off' project might have some 'glitches' later on.
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