Flexible panels a la Kiwi's

[Nigel Crompton]

I'm not a beginner here, I've installed solar on 2 boats and 3 motorroams. Tilting, tilting & sliding and fixed. One of the motorroams twice, hence this post.
I once fitted B***** flexible panels on a motorroam and they didn't last 12 months. A winter in the Algarve did for them, they buckled & delaminated

BUT, recently talking to a friend who emigrated to NZ when he retired. He has a 7m-ish Burstner coachbuilt there that he has had 400w of solar installed upon.
These are inexpensive flexible panels from China; they are not mega-bucks marine quality. The talking point here is that his panels are mounted on 4/5mm Correx alike sheet and it seems to be the done thing in NZ - flexibility is retained and and an airgap is created - solving, possibly two things that cause failures. The entire back of the panel is covered with Correx so lots of adhesive my be used.

Anyone here tried this method ?

 

[Nigel Crompton]

Hmmmm ... looks like I might be a European pioneer of the technique then .....

 

[Tombola]

No but it sound very plasible so the correx takes the flex. What thickness correx did he use the half inch stuff or the 1/4 for flexibility on the surface to be applied.

 

[Brains]

We had our (flat) panels installed by VanBitz in 2020.
We looked at flexible at the time. VanBitz would not install them as from their extensive experience they did not last long.

Unless they are so cheap, and easy to replace, that you don't mind treating like you would say a tyre, with a 'life' of a few years, I'd get the job done properly

(Interesting to see you have the same surname as me, I've never met a non-relative!)

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

From my experience correx degrades very quickly with UV light ( sunshine) and whilst it may not be directly exposed, as under Flexi panels, the edges will soon start to disintegrate and affect the longevity of the panels

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[Tombola]

From my experience correx degrades very quickly with UV light ( sunshine) and whilst it may not be directly exposed, as under Flexi panels, the edges will soon start to disintegrate and affect the longevity of the panels

really ? how soon....the stuff we use has a UV light stable of 3-5 years according to makers and we havent seen any real complaint over the years, but obvs never thought about solar use

 

[Lenny HB]

May work in NZ as there climate is similar to ours but if you take your van to southern Europe not worth the risk.

 

[Nigel Crompton]

From my experience correx degrades very quickly with UV light ( sunshine) and whilst it may not be directly exposed, as under Flexi panels, the edges will soon start to disintegrate and affect the longevity of the panels

They've thought of that, and taped the edges with UV resistant tape.

No but it sound very plasible so the correx takes the flex. What thickness correx did he use the half inch stuff or the 1/4 for flexibility on the surface to be applied.

"4-5mm". I think I prefer this method to using the 6 eyelets; I'd be worrying about flex/flutter at 100kph ...