Cheap solar: some basics.
I keep going round and round with the idea of getting a Harbor Freight Solar Kit. It's 3 15 watt panels a cheap charge controller and a couple of 12V CFL lamps for about $150 on sale to $250 normal price. It's enticing but when you look at real solar panels you realize that it's not a good buy.
Problem 1 - They are thin film Solar panels. Thin film panels have a very very short lifespan. Depending on the quality and thickness of the film they can last from 1 year to 12 years. If you can see through the panels, it's a low quality one. I went to harbor freight and had them open a box for me. You can see the lights on their ceiling through them. This is not good.
Problem 2 - durability These thin film panels are printed on thin glass. This means you need to protect them with a frame and more glass, making them produce less power. OR, you need to bring them in out of the weather. both of these are not a good thing for solar power generation. dont even think of mounting these to a camper all the time. the flexing of the trailer would crack the glass.
Problem 3 - Power output. One China made polysilicon cell based panel for $199.00 will produce 85-100 watts of power. At this point it's silly to think of buying the Harbor freight kit for ANY reason other than you have an emergency and need a very small amount of solar power right now.
Considering that 45 watts of 12V power will NOT charge a typical car battery in a day, this means you cant use it as a power source unless you buy several of these kits. 4 of these kits will give you about 170 watts of useable power after you add diodes and a proper charge controller. For that price you can get three China 100 watt panels and a charge controller and end up with 260 watts. More than twice the power for the same money.
Problem 1 - They are thin film Solar panels. Thin film panels have a very very short lifespan. Depending on the quality and thickness of the film they can last from 1 year to 12 years. If you can see through the panels, it's a low quality one. I went to harbor freight and had them open a box for me. You can see the lights on their ceiling through them. This is not good.
Problem 2 - durability These thin film panels are printed on thin glass. This means you need to protect them with a frame and more glass, making them produce less power. OR, you need to bring them in out of the weather. both of these are not a good thing for solar power generation. dont even think of mounting these to a camper all the time. the flexing of the trailer would crack the glass.
Problem 3 - Power output. One China made polysilicon cell based panel for $199.00 will produce 85-100 watts of power. At this point it's silly to think of buying the Harbor freight kit for ANY reason other than you have an emergency and need a very small amount of solar power right now.
Considering that 45 watts of 12V power will NOT charge a typical car battery in a day, this means you cant use it as a power source unless you buy several of these kits. 4 of these kits will give you about 170 watts of useable power after you add diodes and a proper charge controller. For that price you can get three China 100 watt panels and a charge controller and end up with 260 watts. More than twice the power for the same money.
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