Considering a pair of solarland glass 100w panels to replace the 100w renogy panels that failed.
Anyone with knowledge of solarland panels?
Anyone with knowledge of solarland panels?
Solarland panels?
- Thread starter gettinthere
- Start date
No experience with them but I have 560 watts of panels on the Macgregor and 480 on the Endeavour and they are all panels I've bought from Solar Blvd.
https://www.solarblvd.com/product_i...=2666&osCsid=fce94466e161a464a3fb98ad1c5eb571
The ones on the mac have been on for some years with no problems and I just keep one 80 watt on the Endeavour all the time to keep the batteries topped off. If you click on the link above you can see they have a 100 watt panel for $125.
Not sure how you are mounting them but...
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=23651&p=291195#p291195
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-electrical/electrical-index.html
...since my mounts/frames are pretty much nonadjustable dimensionally and panel dimensions can change over the years for a particular watt size I ordered an extra 80 watt for the Endeavour and an extra 60 watt for the Mac just in case one got damaged so that I would have a replacement with the correct dimensions. Worry about damage while out is also the reason I didn't use any panels over 100 watts. If one is damaged on a trip then I still have power from the others. Getting fuel at Marco Island I did run a panel into a piling in Florida some years back....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/FL-spring-2011/FL-Spring-11-7.html
... It broke the glass and was all bent up but kept working. I called Solar Blvd (CA) and they sent a replacement out the same day to the marina there (FL) and I had it a couple days later. We sat on anchor in the bay and went ashore a couple times and I make sure now than none of my panels hang out past the rub-rail,
Sumner
=============================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
https://www.solarblvd.com/product_i...=2666&osCsid=fce94466e161a464a3fb98ad1c5eb571
The ones on the mac have been on for some years with no problems and I just keep one 80 watt on the Endeavour all the time to keep the batteries topped off. If you click on the link above you can see they have a 100 watt panel for $125.
Not sure how you are mounting them but...
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=23651&p=291195#p291195
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-electrical/electrical-index.html
...since my mounts/frames are pretty much nonadjustable dimensionally and panel dimensions can change over the years for a particular watt size I ordered an extra 80 watt for the Endeavour and an extra 60 watt for the Mac just in case one got damaged so that I would have a replacement with the correct dimensions. Worry about damage while out is also the reason I didn't use any panels over 100 watts. If one is damaged on a trip then I still have power from the others. Getting fuel at Marco Island I did run a panel into a piling in Florida some years back....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/FL-spring-2011/FL-Spring-11-7.html
... It broke the glass and was all bent up but kept working. I called Solar Blvd (CA) and they sent a replacement out the same day to the marina there (FL) and I had it a couple days later. We sat on anchor in the bay and went ashore a couple times and I make sure now than none of my panels hang out past the rub-rail,
Sumner
=============================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
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Are all the junction boxes holding their waterproof seal well?
No delamination in any cells?
Do they flex at all?
No delamination in any cells?
Do they flex at all?
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I have had a small Solarland one mounted to the stern rail for 7 seasons now. A couple of seasons it was abused by birds and their droppings. So far no issues at all. Solarland was recommended by someone more in the know than I. It came with stickers affixed to the back of the glass stating the cells are made in Germany meeting ISO9000 and so on. It does seem well made. I never did the output test MS recommends because this was before all of that thread. I'm also planning a solar upgrade this winter and will be considering them again. I got it and the charge controller from eMarine Inc. and will again.
These have not been in salt water all this time. 200 watts on the Mac have been on since 2011 with no problem and the boat uncovered outside. Three trips to Florida (6 months on the water there) and other trips. Added 360 watts before the Bahama trip and no problems there.
I haven't had to do anything to them. About the flex the frames seem stiff to me and I haven't had problems with...
.. the ones above since 2011 and the Mac moves all the time when on the water. They are mounted to the frame on the panel. The additional ones since then are bolted inside of frames I made so that I can pivot them into or out of position as needed. On the 3 month Bahama trip I never ran the outboard or gen-set once for power and that included a 3 day stormy cloud covered stretch at one point running a poorly insulated 63 quart fridge and lots of computer time and CPAP machine at night along with other electrical.
I feel good enough about them that I also bought six of the 80 watt panels for the Endeavour also. If I ever have problems I'll report back,
Sumner
=======================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas