Hi Tim! Lovely video as always! Realistic condition and cleaned van for photos and videos, and it generated 5kwh and change. Solid amount, considering panels being very warm and dusty from typical usage and not tilted. That is alot of stuff going against it, which in my eyes just proves how amazing solar panel tech is. Can you tell something more about typical watt usage. And kinda my little side question, does your panels have diode bypass so if one panel gets shaded others can produce as normal. You are great :)
Haha, not going to lie - the thought BRIEFLY crossed my mind to add water misters around the panels (I have that ridiculously large 75-gallon water tank in the back!)
Ordered an extended wheelbase Express like yours beginning of May, got a call from the dealer beginning of July telling me no V8's will be put in vans for 2023. I guess I'm stuck with a V6, at least it's not that 4 cylinder they're sticking in pickups.
I've been hearing a lot on those back-orders. But you know, that re-designed 4.3L V6's are pretty strong engines! Had to recheck the specs, but 285 hp (213 kW) and 305 lb⋅ft (414 N⋅m) is pretty respectable! Too bad they're not still offering the 6.6L gas engine they debuted for the vans in 2021. I heard they're wildly powerful.
@@kustomdeluxe8489 Wow that's awful. I heard they're discontinuing the Express and Savana line as of 2025 as well. It's an old platform for sure, but it's also tried and true. Hope GM gets their ducks in a row soon enough!
I have a 2002 gmc savana 3500 5.7 van. Standard wheelbase. Cargo style. But has side barn door glass and rear door glass. (I need pop out windows where to get?) I have a new in the box fantastic roof vent/fan. Need ventilation so badly! I have yet to install it because I haven’t decided where the best location would be so that when I add panels one day…the fan won’t be in the way. Of course I know a roof fan would cause me to give up space for panels, I just want to put it in a spot that allows it to be in the proper gap between panels. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks
From what I've seen (depending on your location) the easiest way to get the pop-out windows is to swap the whole door assembly with one from the auto salvage / used parts market. Otherwise, you will need to remove your windows, purchase the new windows which have mounting holes for hinges and latch. Purchase the hinges and latches and weatherstrips. I'm not sure if the cargo doors have the holes pre-drilled for the hinges and latches to mount into, or if you would have to align and drill the holes yourself. ************************* As for the fan location, it's really hard to say without knowing what solar panels you will end up with. There are so many different sizes out there. I would recommend installing the fan towards the back of the van. Then you could open a front window (even 1cm would be enough) and the fan could create a nice breeze from front to back.
Hey there!! Working on a solar panel cooling product. Where do you get your theory of 3.8% deficiency and efficiency factors from? I’m struggling to find this information. Or is this based on your own findings and data?
Hey Quentin, it’s slightly different from panel to panel. That figure came from the data sheet for my specific panels (Power -0.38% /°C) Page 2 under the “Electrical Data” column: www.energymatters.com.au/images/sunpower/spwr_230wh_com_en_a4.pdf
Always love your videos man! the more technical info the more interesting! great job!
Thanks Jack!
I'm definitely a data geek haha
Hi Tim! Lovely video as always! Realistic condition and cleaned van for photos and videos, and it generated 5kwh and change.
Solid amount, considering panels being very warm and dusty from typical usage and not tilted. That is alot of stuff going against it, which in my eyes just proves how amazing solar panel tech is.
Can you tell something more about typical watt usage.
And kinda my little side question, does your panels have diode bypass so if one panel gets shaded others can produce as normal.
You are great :)
I would challenge you to years in the arctics =] Try getting a charge between october and june.
Wait, you have the ability to water cool your panels? What did I miss?! Nice real world test.
Haha, not going to lie - the thought BRIEFLY crossed my mind to add water misters around the panels (I have that ridiculously large 75-gallon water tank in the back!)
Hey there! Where did you purchase your Sunpower panels from? Sunpower doesn’t sell individual panels!
There was a reseller in Lancaster, CA I found on FB Marketplace.
What solar panels are those .?
Ordered an extended wheelbase Express like yours beginning of May, got a call from the dealer beginning of July telling me no V8's will be put in vans for 2023. I guess I'm stuck with a V6, at least it's not that 4 cylinder they're sticking in pickups.
I've been hearing a lot on those back-orders.
But you know, that re-designed 4.3L V6's are pretty strong engines! Had to recheck the specs, but 285 hp (213 kW) and 305 lb⋅ft (414 N⋅m) is pretty respectable!
Too bad they're not still offering the 6.6L gas engine they debuted for the vans in 2021. I heard they're wildly powerful.
@@VanwithTim Dealer requoted the van as a 2023 with v6, only 5 grand more than the 2022 price with the v8, I told him "never mind".
@@kustomdeluxe8489 Wow that's awful. I heard they're discontinuing the Express and Savana line as of 2025 as well. It's an old platform for sure, but it's also tried and true.
Hope GM gets their ducks in a row soon enough!
I have a 2002 gmc savana 3500 5.7 van. Standard wheelbase. Cargo style. But has side barn door glass and rear door glass. (I need pop out windows where to get?) I have a new in the box fantastic roof vent/fan. Need ventilation so badly! I have yet to install it because I haven’t decided where the best location would be so that when I add panels one day…the fan won’t be in the way. Of course I know a roof fan would cause me to give up space for panels, I just want to put it in a spot that allows it to be in the proper gap between panels. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks
From what I've seen (depending on your location) the easiest way to get the pop-out windows is to swap the whole door assembly with one from the auto salvage / used parts market.
Otherwise, you will need to remove your windows, purchase the new windows which have mounting holes for hinges and latch. Purchase the hinges and latches and weatherstrips.
I'm not sure if the cargo doors have the holes pre-drilled for the hinges and latches to mount into, or if you would have to align and drill the holes yourself.
*************************
As for the fan location, it's really hard to say without knowing what solar panels you will end up with.
There are so many different sizes out there.
I would recommend installing the fan towards the back of the van. Then you could open a front window (even 1cm would be enough) and the fan could create a nice breeze from front to back.
Hey there!! Working on a solar panel cooling product. Where do you get your theory of 3.8% deficiency and efficiency factors from? I’m struggling to find this information. Or is this based on your own findings and data?
Hey Quentin, it’s slightly different from panel to panel. That figure came from the data sheet for my specific panels (Power -0.38% /°C)
Page 2 under the “Electrical Data” column:
www.energymatters.com.au/images/sunpower/spwr_230wh_com_en_a4.pdf
you look very similar to joel haver