Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first): 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes: -Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp -Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 -AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out: shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p -Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 10% off code: diysolar -Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA: watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information: I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
OMG I am glad I saw this video! I'm brand new to solar and recently bought a very lightweight slide in truck camper with 2, 160w CIGS FLEXIBLE panels on top from Rich Solar. I had just watched your video about flexible panels from 4 years ago advising to avoid them as they would fail within the year. I had been starting plans to upgrade to maybe another panel and adding batteries and my heart sank when I watched your video from 4 years ago trashing flexible panels. Now watching this one, I feel so much better!
I have 2 * 144 watt, and 2 * 136 watt unisolar amorphous panels! They do great in low sunlight or northern regions, but if they get too hot, they produce far less!
These CIGS Panels looking very promising! Cant wait to hear more about it! I think a lot of people desperately looking for a Flexpanel which is durable and not too expensive.
You heard of Solyndra? You've heard of these. The technology outlived the company it seems. Edit:These aren't actually CIGS panels. I mean the PowerFilm one, not the other one he shows
Your subscribers deserve a follow up on cigs. This video and your evaluation is one reason I spent $1250 on these panels. They all failed(delamination). This is a common solar forum question now about these panels. I just got warranty coverage and installed new ones. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
So these CIGS should also be better for vanlife type application than the regular flexible solar panel? Sounds like worth the money. What is there life span?
Think about this. Some people only golf on the weekend. If you put two of those panels on your "Golf Cart" as a golfer, using it on weekends, you might have a full battery every time you use the golf cart. I know, there are many other uses, this just stuck in my head as a practical scenario. I love your videos, they keep me thinking!
Great video but I noticed a mistake. Powerfilm is not CIGS. It's flexible amorphous silicon. That's why they are so expensive. CIGS are good but they degrade faster than amorphous silicon. Also, they have to be "sun soaked" if they have been stored in a dark area for a while. Amorphous silicon can be used immediately even if stored in darkness.
@@WillProwse Definitely interested in a follow-up video on the Rich CIGS panels. Would like to hear and learn more about sun soaking and the longevity of CIGS. Thanks for all you do, Will!! You are truly appreciated.
So is the panel used in this video not a CIGS panel? Would love to see a review of the new Renogy CIGS 150w panels. Just bought 4 but haven’t seen any reviews anywhere. Be first Will ☺️
I did not realize CIGS was a thing. Looks super compelling at this price. I was considering Zamp OBSIDIAN SERIES 90-Watt panels because of quality, low profile and weight but this Rich Solar CIGS seem to blow all that out of the water and much much cheaper. This is a game changer for me! Thanks Will!!!!
Did you ever pull the trigger on them? Curious how they lasted? I too was considering the obsidian but as thin as they are they won’t conform to a curved roof
@@caseycook738 I just checked the warranty on some CIGs panels. Initially RichSolar started with 5 year warranty and now they’re at 1 year on CIGs panels. So doesn’t look like they’re that confident in their product.
Will, their Renogy booster will certainly help a lot of people with unique installations. (nice Video) You appear to be having way too much fun with your golf cart, might I suggest that you take up the game of golf so that you can chase the golf ball all over the desert and get frustrated like the rest of the golf cart owners.
Golf is an odd game. Hitting an obscure pellet into a hole too far away with entirely inadequate weapons designed to create frustration and high blood pressure. But who's counting
I have heard about those military solar panels about a year ago from another channel that they did their whole roof on their rv, but you kept saying that they are not good so I ignored it. Now that you have one and you are saying those military ones are good I am glad because I wouldn't want to purchase them. I am not an expert and you are 👍.
Omg but you have enough space in the roof for having like 3 of that flexible panels! Infinite powerrrr. Well this is a really interesting idea. Thanks for sharing man
Can you do a weekend camping trip from your golf cart, then set up all the luxury's you can using only solar.? Off the grid camping with solar.! Wow.! Thumbs up from Niagara Falls Canada.!
2 weeks ago we installed such a flexible module. 100 Watts and 300 Volts. We directly charge our 240V System of 20 12V batteries in series. This flexible module had been manufactured by a German manufacturer who closed production a few years ago, as far as I know.
Thanks Will, I really like the idea of the CIGS panels for my motorhome, would you mind doing a video showing performance in more favorable sun. I think you said 40 watts maximum driving around in that cool cart with the partial cloudy day.
You can buy a pretty decent 300w MPPT boost controller for about 25 euros on aliexpress - search for CTK-300. It has multiple input voltages and programmable output voltages. Been using one for over a year without issue.
@@workshoponwheels4936 They are indeed slower than a Genasun, but have a programmable output voltage which the Genasun doesn't (which makes them perfect for under-charging ebike batteries). They are also far lighter than the Renogy shown here. Unfortunately the perfect MPPT boost controller doesn't exist, they all have compromises.
I replaced the roof on my golf cart with two 160w panels. Genasun boost charge controller and I haven’t had to charge it in three weeks. It’s legal to drive in my town so I use it to get around town for cheap.
Finally this is what I needed, but I need bigger booster....so if 10 amps is max output, ~500 watts, that would be about 15 amps at 32 v input, but the site stated only 10-12 amp input!!!! The richer solar panel is super expensive, you can find other cigs cheaper....
I use the same AMP clamp for the price its amazing.. I try to keep the Fluke MINTY in the drawer for the serious stuff and checking everything before final installs.
Wish Will would do a recommendation for an electric offroad buggy. I'm rural enough where that one would be useful, but I'd prefer something less golf and more dune.
I'd be interested to see you side-by-side compare that charger with the one the EE guy with the little farm had a few weeks back to see how they vary...
great video, can I ask if you have time come back with some real numbers once you use it for a month. It's great to hear you tell people how fragile the batteries are(leaving them in the Nevada sun during the summer, not I good idea)
What kind of batteries are you using a have a cart that has 4 12 volt battery to make 48 volts just wondering for when I have to change mine. Thanks great vid
Isn't this the exact opposite of what you did with the buck converter? isn't this just like some kind of sophisticated boost converter the boost the voltage
Can you apply CIGS solar panels directly to a van's metal roof? Ram Promaster metal roof has ridges and I wonder if these panels can handle the heat of summer in Las Vegas. How has the CIGS solar panel held up? can you do a video all about CIGS solar panels? review the BougeRV
My lance camper has an aluminum roof. Can I stick this CIGS painal on it? I do live in central California and in the summer it gets to 110 sometimes. Can the take that type of heat. I know that I cant put my hand on the roof on a got day it just gets too too hot. Please advise.
The only other device seems to be a QPX Solar mppt charge controller, but that stops charging at any little cloud and tries to find the MPP again for minutes. I hope the Renogy is better in that. It's on my list! Thanks, Will!
What would you recommend for a 1500 watt 48vdv inverter for my golf cart? Currently have 4 - 12v trojan FLA. 400w panel. a basic mppt boost converter. I was trying to find something with terminal lugs for the AC output so I can custome install receptacles on the dash. I am considering 120v or 240. $300-$500 budget. Thanks for all the great videos!
Will, do you plan to ever to a review of the Renogy 48V 3500W SOLAR INVERTER CHARGER? Seems very comparable to MPP solar all-in-one in price, but possibly much better quality.
These flexible panels are getting to a point where they are useful for backpacking. Hang them on the back or top of the backpack, plug them into my Nitecore NB10000 external battery pack and voila - game changer. You need an inverter I guess. How big of a cell would you need to charge a 5000mah phone every 2 days?
Will, can you make an upgraded version of this video? Renogy has a newer model with Bluetooth connection. Also, BougeRV, Rich Solar and Sunflare have these solar panels. Sunflare gives them a 25 year warranty, while BougeRV only gives a 5 year warranty. Years ago I saw this video, but now I own a 2017 Fiat 500e eSport version with 19,000 miles. I don't drive much, but wanted a roof top CIGS for the car. Only 1kw a day is fine. That provides 3-4 miles a day and I drive less per week. Can I use the Renogy mppt charge controller or is it best to use my EcoFlow Delta 2 to capture my solar and then schedule to charge my car later? I presume that the Fiat 500e has too high voltage. Is charging the 12V system a better idea? The heated seats are 12 volt.
Hey Will I haven't seen you do any evaluation on me silicon salt batteries which is supposed to have a long u says the charging cycle 3500 not as many as lithium and then they can go down past the 50% so that's better than lead acid and they can go down pretty far close to like lithium would you review some of the silicates old batteries like Bolt! Thanks G
Hope you aren't adding too much weight. I hit 28 mph with my stock lifted club car after I got rid of 6 8v lead acid batteries and installed 2 allied lithium 48v in parallel. 380 lbs removed, 70 lbs added. Keep it light!
I've wanted to convert a golf cart to solar for some time. One thing I can't get around is you have to leave your cart out in the weather all the time or else move it out into the clear whenever it is sunny and you want to charge. Golf cart won't last as long if you have to leave it out in the weather.
Question: what's the minimum solar system to survive power outage and still keep fridge and freezer going. Keep radio and maybe internet/TV. Minimal lights. Charge phones. No need for heat... have propane for that. Just starting and I'd like to begin with at least enough to keep basics powered during long term power outage which happens frequently in Michigan.
Wonder if you can help me. We are making homes for Fijians. The grid power here is often non existant. Also the average temperature is between 28- 36 degrees C I want to put in about 250Ahs in a 12volt configuration. Because of the temperature factor, is it smarter to put in a LTO battery. The battery will feed Led lights and a 2000watt 230v inverter.
It looks like your roof has room for 2 more panels, so you could have 3 of them up there! If you're afraid of cooking the battery, would connecting some fans around your battery that run off of solar power be able to keep them from cooking? I think with 3 panels on your roof, and a cooling system next to your batteries, you could for sure charge it outside.
Looking at the specs of that controller it says it auto detects 36/48 volts automatically for NON lithium batteries. Will it work for lithium ebike batteries, or even better lifepo4?
Hi Will, I want to separate out some critical circuits from my main panel, then run those on solar with a transfer switch to put the circuits back on the grid when the batteries need charged. What do I need? Critical circuits will require approximately 8k watts. I really appreciate your videos!!
Will, really enjoy your videos. I had a question, I want to upgrade my go-power system on my 20' travel trailer, I think the inverter and solar controller are fine. I currently have 2 agm batteries, no lith-ion. I need more panels. I was considering doing renogy 4 x 100 panels or maybe adding a couple of these CIGS. Current system has one go-power flex 100. What do you think?
Help I'm getting into solar because of you (so thank you) I bought your book on Amazon, I bought a renogy 100w 12v panel that came with a charge controller I also got a renogy 100ah Agm battery. I'm just testing a simple 1 panel system hoping to go to a 2 panel system. What breaker should I use? I heard it's better that bothering with fuses, so what do you think?
Hi Will, do you clean your mansion yourself? What do you do with all that room? Also I like the milk crate battery. Might build one someday when I but up a small solar system.
Please help...Hi just wondering if I can build a battery power bank using those small 12v 10ah lithium battery s ? Like 5 of then? They are about 10.00 each use.
Hi Will I’m doing a sail boat we have the engine out and want to go electric. It seems like a lot of this would work on my boat could you do a small sailboat electrification video using the tech and hardware you like maybe a shopping list we love your channel watching from the Island in the pacific it’s amazing what your doing.
How has this charge controller held up? I've seen such a mix bag of reviews for this thing on the web. Im in a similar situation where I have a 48v battery and a 24v panel so I believe this would work.
Will, just wondered if you were aware that Lithion Battery, Inc, who recently purchased the Valence battery company, is located in Henderson, NV. Perhaps a tour?
As always another great video Also I'm not sure if you have heard of this new little ev called the changli but I wounder if you could do the same thing with it and maybe even put a trailer hitch on the back of it and pull the solar trailer with it ....... I'd love to see you get a changli and then hear your thoughts on it and what's better between it and your golf cart and what you think about the batteries and the wiring systems and the only reason that I even mentioned it is bc I really think that it's in your wheelhouse and feel like you're going to be honest with your answer
Hi Will , I posted this question to another channel . ( Most of us don't have access to free youtube $ , so why are you using an AC switch over for your back up power ? I am using DC. Alternator power injected into my system on my Solar aray side , Allowing my Conex / Exantrex charge controller to regulate the voltage charge to my battery bank . This is trigerd by low voltage triger from my battery bank , True off grid and saving $ on switching gear and such ) What do you think Will ? Thanks John C
USA Made Genasun makes waterproof 8A MPPT solar boost charge controllers. They are much smaller than this Renogy and cost about the same. You can also find inexpensive MPPT solar boost charger controllers made in china for about $40.
But wait! There's a solution to the batteries getting too hot! Hot == Sun is out == Solar panel is producing power == You can put a small quiet fan in the battery compartment that only runs off the solar to ventilate it. A little fan only burns 1W or so... just use a 24VDC fan with a small in-line resistor and it can be directly connected to the panel. And you could also do something with the excess solar power that is produced when the battery is full. Since you wouldn't care how inefficient the power consumption is in that situation, there ought to be something that 80W could be used for... maybe power a small thermoelectric cooler for the battery compartment or something, since you wouldn't care about efficiency at that point. -Matt
Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com
Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com
Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link):
amzn.to/2Aj4dX4
If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes:
-Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
-Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7
-AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out:
shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p
-Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
10% off code: diysolar
-Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA:
watts247.com/?wpam_id=3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
What exactly do you mean solar will cook the batteries.whats the temp limits of those batteries?
Protect this man at all cost
OMG I am glad I saw this video! I'm brand new to solar and recently bought a very lightweight slide in truck camper with 2, 160w CIGS FLEXIBLE panels on top from Rich Solar. I had just watched your video about flexible panels from 4 years ago advising to avoid them as they would fail within the year. I had been starting plans to upgrade to maybe another panel and adding batteries and my heart sank when I watched your video from 4 years ago trashing flexible panels. Now watching this one, I feel so much better!
I have 2 * 144 watt, and 2 * 136 watt unisolar amorphous panels! They do great in low sunlight or northern regions, but if they get too hot, they produce far less!
Thanks, That's good to know. I had concerns when Will stuck it directly to the roof of the golf cart - that's going to get hot in the summer.
@@andrewfong4216 It sure will, I like them but, they do not like being hot!
These CIGS Panels looking very promising! Cant wait to hear more about it! I think a lot of people desperately looking for a Flexpanel which is durable and not too expensive.
You heard of Solyndra? You've heard of these. The technology outlived the company it seems.
Edit:These aren't actually CIGS panels. I mean the PowerFilm one, not the other one he shows
Can hardly wait for the 1yr regarding longevity, durability and heat tolerance!
Hey just wanted to say thank you for all of the helpfulness. I've been watching your video's for over a year and have built a system of my own
Thanks :)
@@micohabit you were right!!! That is so funny. I just found the video 😂😂
@@WillProwse same lmao
that is brilliant
@@micohabit hahaha, that's so random lol!
Your subscribers deserve a follow up on cigs. This video and your evaluation is one reason I spent $1250 on these panels. They all failed(delamination). This is a common solar forum question now about these panels. I just got warranty coverage and installed new ones. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
How are the new panels holding up?
So these CIGS should also be better for vanlife type application than the regular flexible solar panel? Sounds like worth the money. What is there life span?
Dystopian Golf carts are going to be everywhere soon 🙌🙌
A couple of these CIGS might be the solution for my RV install? Let's see how the adhesive holds up. Thanks Will!
Think about this. Some people only golf on the weekend. If you put two of those panels on your "Golf Cart" as a golfer, using it on weekends, you might have a full battery every time you use the golf cart. I know, there are many other uses, this just stuck in my head as a practical scenario. I love your videos, they keep me thinking!
Looking forward to more info on the CIGS panels. Also, great book very helpful, thank you.
LOVE YOUR CHANNEL
Great video but I noticed a mistake. Powerfilm is not CIGS. It's flexible amorphous silicon. That's why they are so expensive. CIGS are good but they degrade faster than amorphous silicon. Also, they have to be "sun soaked" if they have been stored in a dark area for a while. Amorphous silicon can be used immediately even if stored in darkness.
Oh darn, I thought those were cigs this whole time. Oops.
@@WillProwse Definitely interested in a follow-up video on the Rich CIGS panels. Would like to hear and learn more about sun soaking and the longevity of CIGS. Thanks for all you do, Will!! You are truly appreciated.
So is the panel used in this video not a CIGS panel? Would love to see a review of the new Renogy CIGS 150w panels. Just bought 4 but haven’t seen any reviews anywhere. Be first Will ☺️
I did not realize CIGS was a thing. Looks super compelling at this price. I was considering Zamp OBSIDIAN SERIES 90-Watt panels because of quality, low profile and weight but this Rich Solar CIGS seem to blow all that out of the water and much much cheaper. This is a game changer for me! Thanks Will!!!!
Did you ever pull the trigger on them? Curious how they lasted? I too was considering the obsidian but as thin as they are they won’t conform to a curved roof
@@TobyCostaRica no I didn’t. Mostly because I got some second hand (albeit new) flex panels from a friend that didn’t need them. Good luck…
@@caseycook738 I just checked the warranty on some CIGs panels. Initially RichSolar started with 5 year warranty and now they’re at 1 year on CIGs panels. So doesn’t look like they’re that confident in their product.
Will, their Renogy booster will certainly help a lot of people with unique installations. (nice Video)
You appear to be having way too much fun with your golf cart, might I suggest that you take up the game of golf so that you can chase the golf ball all over the desert and get frustrated like the rest of the golf cart owners.
Golf is an odd game. Hitting an obscure pellet into a hole too far away with entirely inadequate weapons designed to create frustration and high blood pressure. But who's counting
You make the best and most interesting videos on UA-cam
This guy is a legend.
I have heard about those military solar panels about a year ago from another channel that they did their whole roof on their rv, but you kept saying that they are not good so I ignored it. Now that you have one and you are saying those military ones are good I am glad because I wouldn't want to purchase them. I am not an expert and you are 👍.
Omg but you have enough space in the roof for having like 3 of that flexible panels! Infinite powerrrr. Well this is a really interesting idea. Thanks for sharing man
Perfect for the weekend retreat/hunting land, etc.
Can you do a weekend camping trip from your golf cart, then set up all the luxury's you can using only solar.? Off the grid camping with solar.! Wow.! Thumbs up from Niagara Falls Canada.!
2 weeks ago we installed such a flexible module. 100 Watts and 300 Volts. We directly charge our 240V System of 20 12V batteries in series. This flexible module had been manufactured by a German manufacturer who closed production a few years ago, as far as I know.
Happy to see you will review the CIGS panel. Also interested in the CIGS vs Amorphous Silicon solar panels.
Thanks Will, I really like the idea of the CIGS panels for my motorhome, would you mind doing a video showing performance in more favorable sun. I think you said 40 watts maximum driving around in that cool cart with the partial cloudy day.
Next upgrade: TESLA motor so you can finally do some doughnuts!
See "PlumQuick" best motors around.
Will, how about a test on battleborns new high output batteries ?
You can buy a pretty decent 300w MPPT boost controller for about 25 euros on aliexpress - search for CTK-300. It has multiple input voltages and programmable output voltages. Been using one for over a year without issue.
They are however slow to adapt when shading changes, paying more for the better quality ones will give you more useful setup
@@workshoponwheels4936 They are indeed slower than a Genasun, but have a programmable output voltage which the Genasun doesn't (which makes them perfect for under-charging ebike batteries). They are also far lighter than the Renogy shown here. Unfortunately the perfect MPPT boost controller doesn't exist, they all have compromises.
I replaced the roof on my golf cart with two 160w panels. Genasun boost charge controller and I haven’t had to charge it in three weeks. It’s legal to drive in my town so I use it to get around town for cheap.
Ohm an, the airless tires have been a dream of mine! But you might have better luck finding them for a golf cart than me with my van
Those panels are soooo awesome! Sweet setup man!
Right!! So nice. I love them
@@WillProwse Not sure if you saw my previous message got my crate built! it works awesome video on my channel
@@frankbush333 saw your video a few hours ago. Very cool!!
Awesome I was hoping you would check it out. Hope you liked it, any recommendations?
More solar video's using this new crate and other things soon!
Finally this is what I needed, but I need bigger booster....so if 10 amps is max output, ~500 watts, that would be about 15 amps at 32 v input, but the site stated only 10-12 amp input!!!! The richer solar panel is super expensive, you can find other cigs cheaper....
I use the same AMP clamp for the price its amazing.. I try to keep the Fluke MINTY in the drawer for the serious stuff and checking everything before final installs.
Wish Will would do a recommendation for an electric offroad buggy. I'm rural enough where that one would be useful, but I'd prefer something less golf and more dune.
Normal Human: uses a ladder to get on top of the cart.
Will: Gets scissor lift out
LOL I love it
Of course...it's electric!
That's the "new" normal, lol😎
Will isn't even playing around with that lift. That is how you elevate in style.
Falling off a ladder is got to be in the top three most common injuries 😬 in a workshop. So good retirement plan.
He uses it to open his kitchen cabinets. Lol
I'd be interested to see you side-by-side compare that charger with the one the EE guy with the little farm had a few weeks back to see how they vary...
Will, how are the CIGS panels holding up after a year? Thanks!
I love the passion you bring to your ideas and research!!
Nice setup like those panels. I use the MPT-3210A Solar boost controller for my higher voltage packs with small panels.
great video, can I ask if you have time come back with some real numbers once you use it for a month. It's great to hear you tell people how fragile the batteries are(leaving them in the Nevada sun during the summer, not I good idea)
What kind of batteries are you using a have a cart that has 4 12 volt battery to make 48 volts just wondering for when I have to change mine. Thanks great vid
How nice...access to a lift and lots of great tools. Have fun.
Isn't this the exact opposite of what you did with the buck converter? isn't this just like some kind of sophisticated boost converter the boost the voltage
Can you apply CIGS solar panels directly to a van's metal roof? Ram Promaster metal roof has ridges and I wonder if these panels can handle the heat of summer in Las Vegas. How has the CIGS solar panel held up? can you do a video all about CIGS solar panels? review the BougeRV
Wow, gotta love technology. Have you considered adding regenerative braking as well to the golf cart? It would be interesting to see the outcome.
Smart guy
My lance camper has an aluminum roof. Can I stick this CIGS painal on it? I do live in central California and in the summer it gets to 110 sometimes. Can the take that type of heat. I know that I cant put my hand on the roof on a got day it just gets too too hot. Please advise.
The Renogy charge controller booster and the flexible panels would go nicely with our Bluetti 200P, or I hope so anyway.
Yes looks like a good fit, be interesting to see if the MPPT work well with each other
Met him at Home Depot and asked what he did for a living, nice blue Tesla sir.
Hey I remember you! Thanks haha
The only other device seems to be a QPX Solar mppt charge controller, but that stops charging at any little cloud and tries to find the MPP again for minutes. I hope the Renogy is better in that. It's on my list!
Thanks, Will!
Honestly, a cloudy day is not a bad thing. It goes to show that you can still produce power even on a less than ideal day.
When are you going to do a solar airplane?
Any further research into the CIGS panels, degradation, efficiency?
Great video Will!! Love seeing your ideas for the golf cart and self reliance.
Something I've been wondering about. If you hook up two 12 V batteries in series for 24 V, can you take off one battery and use the 12 V for things?
What would you recommend for a 1500 watt 48vdv inverter for my golf cart? Currently have 4 - 12v trojan FLA. 400w panel. a basic mppt boost converter. I was trying to find something with terminal lugs for the AC output so I can custome install receptacles on the dash. I am considering 120v or 240. $300-$500 budget.
Thanks for all the great videos!
Will, do you plan to ever to a review of the Renogy 48V 3500W SOLAR INVERTER CHARGER? Seems very comparable to MPP solar all-in-one in price, but possibly much better quality.
These flexible panels are getting to a point where they are useful for backpacking. Hang them on the back or top of the backpack, plug them into my Nitecore NB10000 external battery pack and voila - game changer. You need an inverter I guess. How big of a cell would you need to charge a 5000mah phone every 2 days?
Nice upgrade! That's a sweet little cart!
Will, can you make an upgraded version of this video? Renogy has a newer model with Bluetooth connection. Also, BougeRV, Rich Solar and Sunflare have these solar panels. Sunflare gives them a 25 year warranty, while BougeRV only gives a 5 year warranty.
Years ago I saw this video, but now I own a 2017 Fiat 500e eSport version with 19,000 miles. I don't drive much, but wanted a roof top CIGS for the car. Only 1kw a day is fine. That provides 3-4 miles a day and I drive less per week.
Can I use the Renogy mppt charge controller or is it best to use my EcoFlow Delta 2 to capture my solar and then schedule to charge my car later? I presume that the Fiat 500e has too high voltage. Is charging the 12V system a better idea? The heated seats are 12 volt.
Have you ever considered looking at the Sol-Ark grid tie inverters? I enjoy your videos keep up the good work.
Weather condition’s 😂 Are there Lunar Panels somewhere we don’t know about yet? 🧐 Can we start some videos on that? 😆🎉
Hey Will I haven't seen you do any evaluation on me silicon salt batteries which is supposed to have a long u says the charging cycle 3500 not as many as lithium and then they can go down past the 50% so that's better than lead acid and they can go down pretty far close to like lithium would you review some of the silicates old batteries like Bolt! Thanks G
Hope you aren't adding too much weight. I hit 28 mph with my stock lifted club car after I got rid of 6 8v lead acid batteries and installed 2 allied lithium 48v in parallel. 380 lbs removed, 70 lbs added. Keep it light!
I'm using tesla model 3 cell packs. Which like yours, made it 300 pounds lighter. Have you seen my past cart videos?
I've wanted to convert a golf cart to solar for some time. One thing I can't get around is you have to leave your cart out in the weather all the time or else move it out into the clear whenever it is sunny and you want to charge. Golf cart won't last as long if you have to leave it out in the weather.
Question: what's the minimum solar system to survive power outage and still keep fridge and freezer going. Keep radio and maybe internet/TV. Minimal lights. Charge phones. No need for heat... have propane for that. Just starting and I'd like to begin with at least enough to keep basics powered during long term power outage which happens frequently in Michigan.
I have a 160 renogy with a Genasun 48v Lead-Acid/ 8A panel with my Trojans. Seems to keep up with my needs.
I was waiting to hear about the Renogy's efficiency or self-consumption for the DC-DC conversion.
Wonder if you can help me. We are making homes for Fijians. The grid power here is often non existant. Also the average temperature is between 28- 36 degrees C
I want to put in about 250Ahs in a 12volt configuration.
Because of the temperature factor, is it smarter to put in a LTO battery. The battery will feed Led lights and a 2000watt 230v inverter.
Please do more testing on these CIGS panels. I don't trust other reviewers out there to give a fair review.
43 watts from a 80 watt panel, on a cloudy day? I'm impressed.
It looks like your roof has room for 2 more panels, so you could have 3 of them up there! If you're afraid of cooking the battery, would connecting some fans around your battery that run off of solar power be able to keep them from cooking? I think with 3 panels on your roof, and a cooling system next to your batteries, you could for sure charge it outside.
The booster looks like a great idea, but a solar panel that can be shaded and still produce, now that gets me excited.
Will have you thought about using super capacitor in parallel with batteries 🙂👍
Can that painal take the summer heat of 120?
Looking at the specs of that controller it says it auto detects 36/48 volts automatically for NON lithium batteries. Will it work for lithium ebike batteries, or even better lifepo4?
Hi Will, I want to separate out some critical circuits from my main panel, then run those on solar with a transfer switch to put the circuits back on the grid when the batteries need charged. What do I need? Critical circuits will require approximately 8k watts. I really appreciate your videos!!
Cheers will :)
I keep seeing these ,,12v chins 300 ah liFeP04 . From Amazon. Just wondering if you were going to do a video on this ? Love the golf cart btw
Thanks for all you do Will!
Great video as always. Do you think the flexible CIGS solar panels can handle the heat from mounting to the aluminum roof of a cargo trailer?
Will, really enjoy your videos. I had a question, I want to upgrade my go-power system on my 20' travel trailer, I think the inverter and solar controller are fine. I currently have 2 agm batteries, no lith-ion. I need more panels. I was considering doing renogy 4 x 100 panels or maybe adding a couple of these CIGS. Current system has one go-power flex 100. What do you think?
some 48v lithium batteries require 54.6v to fully charge. Can this unit charge the car fully?
I might need some of those solar panels to stick on top of the house and power my computer systems 😁
Help
I'm getting into solar because of you (so thank you) I bought your book on Amazon, I bought a renogy 100w 12v panel that came with a charge controller I also got a renogy 100ah Agm battery. I'm just testing a simple 1 panel system hoping to go to a 2 panel system.
What breaker should I use? I heard it's better that bothering with fuses, so what do you think?
Hi Will, do you clean your mansion yourself? What do you do with all that room? Also I like the milk crate battery. Might build one someday when I but up a small solar system.
Please help...Hi just wondering if I can build a battery power bank using those small 12v 10ah lithium battery s ? Like 5 of then? They are about 10.00 each use.
Hi Will I’m doing a sail boat we have the engine out and want to go electric. It seems like a lot of this would work on my boat could you do a small sailboat electrification video using the tech and hardware you like maybe a shopping list we love your channel watching from the Island in the pacific it’s amazing what your doing.
How has this charge controller held up? I've seen such a mix bag of reviews for this thing on the web. Im in a similar situation where I have a 48v battery and a 24v panel so I believe this would work.
Will, just wondered if you were aware that Lithion Battery, Inc, who recently purchased the Valence battery company, is located in Henderson, NV. Perhaps a tour?
Sweet. Was it a problem at all that the roof surface was uneven? My van also has ridges up top. Thanks!
As always another great video
Also I'm not sure if you have heard of this new little ev called the changli but I wounder if you could do the same thing with it and maybe even put a trailer hitch on the back of it and pull the solar trailer with it ....... I'd love to see you get a changli and then hear your thoughts on it and what's better between it and your golf cart and what you think about the batteries and the wiring systems and the only reason that I even mentioned it is bc I really think that it's in your wheelhouse and feel like you're going to be honest with your answer
Where is the link for the CIGS panel?
Sorry, just posted video. Here it is: richsolar.com/products/80-watt-cigs-flexible-solar-panel?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
Thanks
So if you can shoot it could you cut the corner off to make it fit perfectly say on the bow of a boat?
Hi Will , I posted this question to another channel . ( Most of us don't have access to free youtube $ , so why are you using an AC switch over for your back up power ? I am using DC. Alternator power injected into my system on my Solar aray side , Allowing my Conex / Exantrex charge controller to regulate the voltage charge to my battery bank . This is trigerd by low voltage triger from my battery bank , True off grid and saving $ on switching gear and such ) What do you think Will ?
Thanks
John C
I'm in love with the Renogy Rover Boost
it's a better Wife than any Woman I have ever known, met, or seen.
I wish I had a robot Wife.
Build you one.🤖
USA Made Genasun makes waterproof 8A MPPT solar boost charge controllers. They are much smaller than this Renogy and cost about the same. You can also find inexpensive MPPT solar boost charger controllers made in china for about $40.
Do I need a city permit to put solar system in my backyard or deck?
Great job as always Will !!
But wait! There's a solution to the batteries getting too hot! Hot == Sun is out == Solar panel is producing power == You can put a small quiet fan in the battery compartment that only runs off the solar to ventilate it. A little fan only burns 1W or so... just use a 24VDC fan with a small in-line resistor and it can be directly connected to the panel.
And you could also do something with the excess solar power that is produced when the battery is full. Since you wouldn't care how inefficient the power consumption is in that situation, there ought to be something that 80W could be used for... maybe power a small thermoelectric cooler for the battery compartment or something, since you wouldn't care about efficiency at that point.
-Matt
Will be interesting to see how well the flex panel holds up after 6 months and 1 year.