Which TYPE of Solar Panel Should You Choose?! Glass, Flexible, Or Folding Solar Panels Compared
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
- Have you ever wondered which solar panel you should use? There are many types available and each one is meant for a specific use case. In this video, I go over different use cases, advantages, and disadvantages to flexible, folding, and glass solar panels. Which type of solar panels do you use for your setup?
Have an in depth solar or power station question? Get direct contact with me HERE:
asqme.com/@Jasonoid
Solar Panels Featured In The Video:
Elecanta 120w Folding Panel: amzn.to/49TOmOZ
SunPower Flex 50 Flexible Panel: amzn.to/3vtDp7F
BougeRV 100w 9BB Glass Panel: amzn.to/3vlBToa
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Video Timestamps:
Introduction: (0:00)
Testing for Power Output: (1:00)
Portable / Folding Solar Panels: (4:27)
Flexible Solar Panels: (7:58)
Glass Solar Panels: (10:39)
Conclusion & Graphs: (13:22)
#jasonoid #renogy #bougerv #sunpower #solar - Наука та технологія
I used a single 100 watt Cig from BRV this winter on the roof of my Coop. It performed as advertised and the chickens had warm water all winter. 🐓
Thats AWESOME! My coop is in the shade most of the time so solar is a little hard for me to run. What battery are you running?
@@Jasonoid The OUKITEL,615Wh PS! We had one week where it was below zero at night. I always covered it with a grocery thermal bag and some sheepskin towels and it did just fine. Never dropped below 23%. That cold week I did have to bring it in to charge via AC because of the 100 watt Solar input cap and lack of sun. I was considering that mod you posted but could never find the video again as the warrantee is now over. We have pretty mild winters here in Eastern Tennessee compared to you all.
@@Gman-26 These BougeRV panels have an excellent output plus they’re less likely to crack etc. I’m looking for panels for the roof of my car so I can run my portable refrigerator and some other larger electrical stuff I tend to use all the time. The only negative thing about those panels are 1/ the price and 2/They are way too long for my car.
I like these videos because it compares things. When people look at one item and say it is good, I always wonder good compared to what? One thing I wish you had included is your CIGS panel in the group to compare. One more note as you say what is good for camping. I know you have a truck for camping, so the flexible panels are not an issue to haul. Some of us only have cars, so that flexible is hard to find a space for without it getting possibly damaged. I know this is a pretty minor point. Overall, you do a great job and are greatly appreciated.
The CIGs panels fall under the 'flexible' category.... KINDA LOL
They can roll up a little tighter than other flexible panels and they cost much more but they are still designed to be surface mounted and are very lightweight. I appreciate you being a long time subscriber and watcher, thanks!
@@Jasonoid I would also add that they are far tougher. Try shooting any of the ones you tested. The CIGS would be fine. My CIGS, also by BougeRV, so foldable, so in some ways, it has the best of all the options. It is just way more expensive and not quite as energy dense. Thanks again.
I bought 3 Hardkorr 200w portable panels for this Winter snowbird trip in Arizona, they work from the sun comes out till sunset producing up 500+w at peak sun, they definitely provide enough for day time use of power and keep my 2 battery stations top up, ( Anker 757 and Evergear MP2000 total of 1229w n 2264w) I got these battery stations instead of converting the rv that way I can move them to my 29 floor apartment for any emergencies with power issues, just like Jason suggest, I am very happy with these equipment and amaze you can get free power from the sun all day long. Last year trip my wife kept complaining about not enough power and freezing in the desert cold mornings, this year we are happy campers.😊😊
I LOVE being a happy camper!
Great content as usual. I’m installing my (4) 100 Watt Renogy Panels this week on new RV and I have a foldable Dokio 320 that I have configured for old RV. It’s not that great a Portable Panel but it does charge. I configured my Renogys in Parallel Configuration and I’m happy. Great recommendation. You are the man.
I have those Dokio in 220watts. I live in Los Angeles and I have to say that even with our sunny days, I only get around 70 watts maximum input on a good day. I’d definitely NOT purchase again.
Excellent content here! I really appreciate the breakdown on how these panels can be used.
I got a glass panel and it was larger than I anticipated. I should've went with a folding panel 😂
I guess it all depends on what you are using it for. Folding panels are great for camping :)
Good info, I like the blue sky box!!
That was fun project! I have two different shunts inside controlled by a switch so I can see solar power and then power going to the battery.
Where did you buy that, Jasonoid?
Just bought three Newpowa 100w flex panels and I love them. Also mounted them to the PVC frames with kickstands to follow the sun.
How do you like those flex panels?
Hi giving info about things that others assume we already know, well done 👍🐝😊
So many people don't know about solar. Id say the newbie audience is much larger than the experienced audience 😁
Appreciate the comparisons! Thanks for your efforts!
The best I have ever gotten from my Elecaenta 120 watt panel is 92 watts or less in the winter. I have two Elecaentas and put them in series. The Elecaenta panels outdo my Bluerise quite a bit but the Bluerise is so darn easy to deploy and I use it to top off my EB3a's. Good video Jason. I like that you are doing videos on camping situations and not going to what your UA-cam other solar guys are doing with huge big darn systems. I glance at their titles and usually just; "spin-on" to something else.
Both my Elecaenta 120 panels put out around 100 watts but they are the early models, maybe they changed the quality overtime?
I want to balance the content for all my viewers. Big systems are exciting but they are out of the reach of most people due to the cost. I'll keep that in mind moving forward, Kevin 👍😁
Good instructional video
On the mark again, great video!
Thank You for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤
I found the Elecaenta to be heavy for the watts and more difficult to set up and move with the sun compared to the bi-fold ones that magnetically close and have just two kickstands, like the VigorPool 100W, Kohree 100W, or the Bluetti PV68. I have four of the SunPower 50W flex and four of the SunPower 100W flex, and I really love these. They are some of my best performers. I like having four each so I can wire them in series, parallel, or series-parallel. Given you had a clear blue sky day, why didn't you wire the SunPower in series? I frequently get 100% or more of rated with these. One type of solar panel you did not address are the CIGS. They are amazing, and with the long warranty, well worth getting. I just tested out a pair of BougeRV CIGS, the 100W short form with the grommets, and saw 215W from the pair in series.
Wiring the Sunpower Flex 50s in series or parallel would provide the same power output.
CIGs fall under the flexible panel type. They are excellent at shading performance but cost near $2.50 per watt.
Great video! I am partial to SunPower :)
I can tell by your name haha!
@@Jasonoid 🤣
Great video Jason!!! I am thinking that some of the flexible panels would be great to stick out of my second story skylights to temporarily power my fridge when the power goes out! They would be easy to deploy due to the weight. Also they would fit in a very odd area in my camper van for some extra power when needed
- Katy
PS Running the TV and internet off power stations right now due to a winter snow storm!
I hope the storm doesn't run too long for you! Glad to know you have power available to keep things going 👍😁
That skylight idea is pretty cool, you'd have to let me know how that works for you!
I'm glad to know that I am not alone when it comes to solar addiction. I started out with an apex, then 2 jackery 500's, than ecoflow river mini, river pro, 2 delta max 2000 and 2 delta 2's. Wife had a heart attack when I started researching the Pecron ef 1500. I love the 30 amp dc ports it has.
The Pecron E1500LFP is a sweet device!
I second the CIG panel. Its technology really makes it the one all-around panel that can do it all. I really, really want one, but I have so much invested in my current solar inventory that spending another $450 or so for a CIG is really a stretch. Must save pennies!
CIG 200w panel from Bouge RV runs $599, way too pricey. I'm unaware of any other seller of CIG panels. Is there another?
@@mosler302 I'm not aware of another, no, but there is a channel called HoboTech and he offers a substantial discount code, like 25%. I also think that $599 price is a new high for them.
I take two Bluetti 420 watt foldable panels when I camp. Given their size they are annoying to reposition with their kickstands. I opted to make pvc frames and attach them. The frames are way easier to move around :) I used to take two 200 watt rigid panels but the foldable are so much nicer to transport.
Excellent idea!
I'm thinking the flexible would be good for huricane areas as i can easily remove them
interesting you were able to get more watts from the two smaller 50's.. I am looking for a 4runner roof rack mount and had a renogy 100watt panel that never got over 85ish watts.
When a panel is flat on the roof it will only get peak power during mid summer, in the middle of the day. As the sun starts to get lower in the sky in different times of the year (fall, spring and winter) you'll see less power from it. That's probably the main downside to a flat mount solar panel.
Great video. I will be getting panels for my rv and I want to learn more about mounting options. I see some people using vhb tape and other brackets to mount them. Does the tape hold well and does it matter whether they are ridged or flexible and what about air circulation under them? Thanks!
Going with glass rigid panels on your roof would be the best long term solution as they are the most durable and will last the longest (10 to 20 years). Johnny's Weekends installed Renogys 200w flex panels on his RV and he really likes them. He has a great video about it HERE: ua-cam.com/video/2YOdN8f0u2Q/v-deo.htmlsi=84GnoT3JP7BeB4wE
I am also seeing really good performance on these same panels and it's coming up to the year mark of everyday use. They just jacked the price up crazy high on them... I wish they were more affordable. Buying these panels sure hurt my wallet.
I have two 100 watt Sunpower flexible solar panels on the cap of my truck.
I used heavy duty outdoor velcro to hold it down.
I have driven over 25,000 miles the last two years and they still are on my truck.
Using the heavy duty velcro allows to be able to remove the panels.
@Jasonoid thanks for responding. I already have 2 - 100w ridged glass panels, but didn't want to install them because my plan is to get larger (at least 200w per panel) on the roof and didn't want to put extra holes in the roof with a temporary setup. (not sure how long until I get my "dream" system. )
Anyway, I like the idea of vhb tape or velcro to use with the 100w panels . I've seen videos using vhb tape (I believe HoboTech has them on his van with flexible panels. Another of your commenters said heavy duty velcro works. I'm leaning towards the velcro idea with my ridged panels. I just put a brand new roof with a pvc/rubber liner. I'm scared that the wind will pull on and lift up the liner. Is that a real concern or am I just being paranoid?
@@GratefulWarriorMom I personally don't think velcro is a good idea with the glass rigid panels, only with the lightweight flex panels. As long as the specs of the panel (voltage and amperage) are similar to the other panels you can mix them in one array.
I use my portables when I need extra charging on my solar power stations. You can get the most out of the sun if I had some bad charging weather that ran my stations down. You can recoup pretty quickly using them on the next good solar charging day. My portables can get prime sun a lot longer then my glass just because its so easy to move them. I also use them for my instant pot. I take my little pecron e600 which is super light outside with the portables. The little pecron gets recharged in no time because it takes in 400 watts of solar.
Great feedback, thanks for sharing!
I have a question. My inverters can only handle 150v worth of panels, which five 200w panels in series is it. If I put some 200w panels in parallel with the ones in series, can I up my wattage output without wiping out my inverters?
This video will help you understand those concepts of series and parallel:
ua-cam.com/video/OZvrTuhJhXs/v-deo.html
SunPower really knows how to waste space on such a panel 🤣. What is this for a very bad design.
They are pretty old panels compared to the new tech. It's what I already had, I should probably invest in a newer 100w flexible panel!
You can always come and borrow my two Windy Nation flexible 100 watt panels.@@Jasonoid
I have four of those and they are FABULOUS. I had them set up year round on an upper south facing deck and I could easily wire them in series, parallel or 2S2P for charging various (and various sized) power stations. I could easily charge 1-4 power stations at a time and it took seconds to get the charging going. I regularly saw 100% or more of rated. I saw up to 221W from 2S2P. Don't diss what you don't know from experience.
hello, is it possible to contact you via an email address? I know you publish a lot of comparison videos, which is great, but sometimes too much information can be more confusing than helpful. I would like to ask you 2 or 3 questions about a system I want to build for a cabin, describe the products I would like to use, and get your humble opinion. Thank you
I'm available through consulting here:
asqme.com/@Jasonoid