Flexable solar panels

[rmay635703]

I have found that inflexable solar panels on my fathers minivan don't survive very well and started looking at this

EVTV Motor Verks Store: Flexible Solar Panel 120w, Solar, Boat and Golf, 120wsolarpanel

Good lord the $5 flexable panels have come up in price, but it is 120watt and more efficient.

In any even I would love a 12v flexi on the roof of my insight with "significant" wattage and will use a spare 12v AGM battery charge controller I have to see if that tops off my cars 12v battery as it sits all day and improves FE slightly.

(yes I saw the mini plug in hybrid cobb has)

I am also thinking of using a 48v set of those on my fathers kei van, 240 watts fits OK and that is nothing to sneeze at, 4-5 amps is only about half the speed of the big charger.

Main problem I see

1. Price, it isn't 2002 again

2. Dimensions and available voltages

In an ideal world I could buy these in small and efficient dimensions to create a high volt panel of any wattage.

Any ideas? Do the high efficiency units come in a lower price and different dimensions?

Thanx
Ryan

[Daox]

That is the first I've ever seen of solar panels with efficiencies over 20%.

It looks like you can get smaller ones on ebay. They aren't cheap though.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...panel&_sacat=0

[RedDevil]

A smaller one, 60 Wp for about $ 135:

EV-Power | Solar panel GWL/Sunny Flexible Mono 60 Wp (MPPT 18V)

[Baltothewolf]

Would that be enough to charge my 12v battery during the day? Hmm.

[RedDevil]

It would be too much just like that. Assuming your DC-DC converter keeps the 12V battery more or less topped off anyway.

You can do it, like if you like to run your stereo for lenghts of time engine off.
But you'd need a charge controller to protect the battery.

That thing also has leads to power something; if you hook up a fridge to that it would be disconnected when the battery gets low, so you can still start your car even though your sodas might be lukewarm.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

It would be too much just like that. Assuming your DC-DC converter keeps the 12V battery more or less topped off anyway.

My DC-DC converter can be turned on/off easily as the previous owner found out when he broke the positive 12v lead

Originally Posted by Daox

That is the first I've ever seen of solar panels with efficiencies over 20%.

It looks like you can get smaller ones on ebay. They aren't cheap though.
And here I thought the only reason for flexable panels was the cheapness, boy am I wrong, the lifespan of these things is still also a bit questionable, hence why the cost just seems a little much.

Ah well
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...panel&_sacat=0

that 30 watt would be about right but no, it aint cheap.