Longevity of Solar Camper Solutions panels

[Maria Taplin]

Hello - about to invest in a panel - has anybody had them fitted for some years, any issues? How long can I expect it to last. Only 1 year warranty

 

[CALI FATE]

good question - mine lasted 18 months but the failure was put down to a batch problem. It was replaced under warranty last summer and has worked fine since.

 

[altvic]

Got 2x120w from Roger 3 year ago. Still working.

 

[WelshGas]

Got 2x120w from Roger 3 year ago. Still working.

6 yrs and still pumping out the Watts.

 

[stephen watson]

I bought 2 solar panels from Roger 4 years ago. After 3 years a very thin layer of plastic started to peel off the top of the panels (1st picture). Now in their 4th year this has peeled off completely and the plastic below seems to continuously develops a white dusty top surface (2nd picture). They still work but it must affect their efficiency and I also worry about how long they will now last. Roger has told me he doesn't use these panels any more, so I doubt if you would have the same problem. I have always found Roger very helpful, but as he no longer deals with the supplier he has told me the best he can do is offer me 2 new discounted panels at a cost of over £500. Whilst I sympathise with Roger I'm not very happy with the outcome. One of the reasons I paid more (over £800 originally) and didn't go down the diy route was to hopefully have some resource in case of problems. There don't seem to be any reliable figures on solar panel longevity but I'd been expecting many more years. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has had similar problems?

 

[tuono001]

Mine has recently failed after 5 years. I've tested, with a multimeter, with no results. I feel that it should have lasted longer but its one of those things, there's no guarantee how long they will last.
Time for a new one before camper jam.

 

[stephen watson]

Mine has recently failed after 5 years. I've tested, with a multimeter, with no results. I feel that it should have lasted longer but its one of those things, there's no guarantee how long they will last.
Time for a new one before camper jam.

It seems to be a bit of a lottery buying solar panels. The best you can do seems to be to go to a reputable supplier, like Roger, but even then you may end up with a panel lasting only a few years. If I buy anything else electrical I usually research Which? and for example buy a household appliance from the best manufacturer with a 1 year guarantee and expect it to last 10 years. I'd count myself very unlucky if an expensive item failed after only a few years. Solar panels on houses don't seem to fail so soon. My advice is enjoy them whilst they last but don't expect the same longevity as other consumer items.

 

[rod_vw]

I've had panels from Photonic Universe on three campers, first two with their simple controllers and now with a RING RSCDC30 combined Battery to Battery and MPPT Solar operation. The current set-up is four years old and has no problems. As far as I have heard from the present owners of the previous vehicles there have been on problems with them.

 

[tuono001]

Do you think that a panel on a van has to deal with a harsher environment? Thinking more vibration and weathered from travelling.

 

[WelshGas]

6.5 yrs and counting. Still very good output.

Do you think that a panel on a van has to deal with a harsher environment? Thinking more vibration and weathered from travelling.

Agree, House panels aren't exposed to 60 mph winds/rain as often as panels on a vehicle, and hopefully not the same vibration.
Also, house/solar farm panels are much more robust and a higher quality, But they also weigh a lot more and are more expensive.

 

[bob_summers]

Always wondered why solar is not an option on a new van. Maybe the reliability lottery is something VW don't want to get into.

 

[WelshGas]

Always wondered why solar is not an option on a new van. Maybe the reliability lottery is something VW don't want to get into.

Available on the Grand California.

 

[stephen watson]

If I bought GC would be tempted to pay for VW option, as presumably would be covered by extended warranty for 5 years if you bought that as well.

 

[DrJuanKerr]

Read from thread #9 on this post
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/solar-controller-wrm15-dualb-bluetooth-help.34197/page-2
My panel off Roger barely lasted 2 years!

 

[Legin]

Both my panels failed inside two years. Photonic Universe supplied same as Roger used for a while. Support frame very similar to the Roger one ! Black finish. Replaced with one panel from Topsolar which works better than the PU ones ever did - so far 115w out of a 120w panel. I put the Top solar on top of the PU old one to give it more support.

 

[tuono001]

Delivered today, I'm going to attach it to the old panel from Roger, working nicely straight away. Overcast today but still giving 0.3/0.4a rising with the sunshine, 14v and 43kwh. Not sure how this compares to the old one but it's charging the battery

 

[Cali Phillip]

Both my panels failed inside two years. Photonic Universe supplied same as Roger used for a while. Support frame very similar to the Roger one ! Black finish. Replaced with one panel from Topsolar which works better than the PU ones ever did - so far 115w out of a 120w panel. I put the Top solar on top of the PU old one to give it more support.

Make me think Rodgers set up needs to be stiffer to avoid flex from vibration.
Also wondered if anyone noticed a reduction in mpg, keep wondering if a small spoiler in front of the panel would help reduce drag.

 

[tuono001]

You wouldn't notice any mpg difference as its to low.
I think auto express did an article about the effects of top boxes and the like on mpg. Once you get to motorway speeds you are punching a massive hole through the air, a solar panel would make no difference.

 

[Alied]

Delivered today, I'm going to attach it to the old panel from Roger, working nicely straight away. Overcast today but still giving 0.3/0.4a rising with the sunshine, 14v and 43kwh. Not sure how this compares to the old one but it's charging the batteryView attachment 79858

Do you have a link for this panel please?

 

[tuono001]

Flexible Solar Panel 195Watt Monocrystalline 12V ETFE Coating 22% Effi

One of the largest flexible panels for curved surfaces. Ideal for RVs, campervans, motorhomes and boats. It works with MPPT chargers at 12V, 24V and 48V. We bring the comfort of your home on the road. Meet the Voltacon-Flex 195W Flexible Solar Panel - the pinnacle of cutting-edge technology and...

voltaconsolar.com

There you go. If you have topcashback you get some money back through their link.

 

[stephen watson]

Interesting. For me half the price of Roger's discounted replacement panels and with a 5 year instead of 1 year guarantee. Wondering which to go for...

 

[tuono001]

I ordered 2 days ago and the FedEx guy turned up today. They hadn't sent me an email about delivery so it was a surprise.
You will need to do some wiring work as it comes with cable connectors that won't match anything from Roger.
I've tried to contact Roger but had no reply, so had to sort something quickly as want it ready to use ASAP. Took a gamble with this as I'm a novice with this kind of thing, hopefully all will be good.
Need to clean the roof before refitting it.

 

[Legin]

I used this one and its now cheaper than when i bought. 100w panel and I have had 115w out of it. The panel junction box looks better than the photonic one. Also fits over the existing panel so a bit of sika and a rivet at each corner it was done
I partly bought this because it runs at a higher voltage lower current than most. The advantage being it will achieve the minimum delta over battery voltage more easily so better in low light.
So far so good.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TDK1KPF/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Roger Donoghue]

This is a post I made a few days ago regarding replacing panels.

Off hook up stays and portable solar panels

5 yr old panel. Vehicle garaged outside all year round.

vwcaliforniaclub.com

That discussed the evolution of panels over the last 6 or so years - I've been buying the best I can and tehnology has been improving constantly. There is no arguing that traditional framed panels are more robust, but they weigh a lot more and are physically much thicker. Thin panels are an emerging technology that is improving over time.

I won't repeat everything there but instead discuss what I'm doing going forward.

Before I go any further please bear in mind have been having my own panels made to my spec for over a year now with no failures at all. Not a single one. More on that at the bottom of this message.

The early panels I sold are mostly still going strong many years later - even with some of the top plastic coating going milky in colour on some. There will be some loss of performance.

I will discount new replacements after the 2 year warranty, as I have been doing. With the discount being higher the closer to 2 years one fails (if it does - they don't all fail!). As time moves on the discount will still be close to 50% but will gradually decrease over time as I need to draw a line somewhere or I'll not be here to help in the future.

As for my new panels - supplied from June 2020 onwards - I was motivated to have them made as I've been buying black Dual EFTE panels from a UK distributor for many years now with only two failures on record (I keep thorough warranty notes). They are much more rigid than plastic panels, and are totally encapsulated in EFTE, which is then melted/bonded to form one solid piece of EFTE. There is no PET coating to delaminate or discolour. No visilble layers to seperate. They import the EFTE material (plastic) from Japan to ensure it is the best they can use.

I was appraoched by the manufacturer out of the blue and it turned out I knew their product (above) so had panels made to my spec. I went for 100W as this is the best compromise between capacity (watts) and rigidity (for longevity). As the wattage increases the width does and they start to lose their rigidity. You can identify them as they are all black, and have my company logo on the top corner.

Below is the final assembly.



The panel below being layered before bonding.



EFTE sheets ready for production



I will now offer a two year warranty on these panels from delivery date, over the previous one year, and that extends back to when I started selling them last June. If there is a fault in year three to year four I will replace for £180+ shipping - that is a framed and wired panel ready to "plug and play". That is enough to ensure I don't go out of business but you are looked after. After year four, replacement cost will be £229+shipping. Again, much cheaper but sustainable. This may be adjusted proportionally if the shiping crisis worsens. Currently I've suspended my Autumn production order as the shipping rates have gone truly insane. I'm hoping my current stock will carry me into winter and then things might have returned to some sense of normality.

I'm obviously hoping this won't be necessary, but it should give you some reassurance. I've got the same panels (120w versions) out there in their 100's and all going strong after several years.

Some notes:

The panels I'm having made are streets ahead in terms of quality to Amazon/Ebay £110 100w panels. I pay more than that landed for mine. They are the best I can find.

Steven Watson, you should receive your new panels today. It is worth noting your existing ones do still work and that I gave you a significant discount after 4 years.

Tuono - I respond to all emails and would not have ignored yours. If you are on g mail it is worth checking your spam folder. I don't know your real name so can't check my records.

 

[Properjob]

I hope I’m not tempting fate by saying this but my setup from Roger is still going strong with no issues at all.