Traveling with my Solar Panel (ideas to protect it?)

[byrdz1]

Many of you helped me last season when I purchased a solar set up. I now have a 100W panel, and it is GREAT. Now for the next hurdle, how to carry it around without damaging it or my car. I know I could attach it to the top of the tear, but it is a mondernistic and the panel would really throw off the lines, or cut down on my ablility to park where I want in the direction that want and put the panel where I want. (Control issues )

So now I have a panel that is 47.0” tall x 21.1” wide x 1.57” thick
I would like to protect it when traveling and maybe use the same "case" to prop it up when it is out doing its thing.
The idea that I have is a wooden box with a slot that the panel slides into. The top of the box would have two hinges so it could fold over to protect it when traveling, but then fold back on itself to use as a "stand" with the panel inside the slotted edges.

That is my idea, I would like to see how any of you may have solved "How to travel with a BIG panel" (that is not attached to the tear)
thanks

[Shadow Catcher]

Ours is attached, however, in finding a case and keyboard for our iPad a model is presented. Protecting the glass is paramount a piece of plywood does the trick, hinged backwards and braced it becomes the support. You can weight the cover/support with what ever so that it does not blow over. Padding will not protect the glass from a blow!

[bdosborn]

Surprisingly, its not the glass you need to protect real well, its the back. The glass is hail rated, meaning you could hit it with 1"diameter hail at 50 mph at it and it shouldn't break. The back is different, it's not hail rated so it doesn't take much to break the panel from behind. That's how a lot of panels get damaged - the fork lift driver picks up a pallet, hooks the back of the first panel and they all break. I bet you could lay your panel on the bed (glass up), strap it down so it doesn't fall off the bed and it would be fine.

Bruce

[byrdz1]

you two have been helpful as always, I am going to make a cover for the back and a bag for the whole works.

thanks again!

[jeff0520]

For my solar panels I am planning on making plywood boxes with two piece lids, with a vertical split in the middle, and a swing out leg on the back sort of like a picture frame stand. Just position the boxes in a good spot, kick out the stand, open the doors, and plug the wires into the charge controller. Somebody mentioned wind. Thanks for that. My design just got tabs addes to the bottom corners of the box and to the leg for stakes to be driven in.

[Lgboro]

I believe that any trauma that would damage my solar panel would destroy my aluminum over foam/cedar framed tear. My panel on the tear below has a deep junction box or I would lower the panel more. Just too much hassle to install a smaller junction box.

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I spent 40 plus days out in my tear this past late summer / fall camping season and at my 12 volt needs my trailer mounted solar panel (80 watt) would bring may battery back to 100% in 3 or 4 hours. Even in the few shaded sites I stayed in I never failed to have full battery by sunset. I only use 15 to 20 amps currently so my 55 amp hour battery stays above 70%. For my next planned build I want a small standy so I have purchased 2- 100 watt panels so I can install 12volt refrigerator (UL-Solar had some 100 watt frameless panels just before Christmas so I bought them on their Ebay site a little cheaper due to the holiday season). I intend on building these panels in as part of the roof so I didn't need or want them framed which will save having aluminum under the panels saving a little more weight.

[bdosborn]

I intend on building these panels in as part of the roof so I didn't need or want them framed which will save having aluminum under the panels saving a little more weight.

Remember that PV panel output goes down with higher temperature. A framed panel needs air space underneath it so it stays a little cooler, which is something to keep mind with the frameless panels. I just installed some frameless panels on our trailer with 3M VHB tape but I haven't had them out to try them yet. We have a white filon skin on our trailer so I'm hoping heat won't an issue.



Bruce

[Martiangod]

I hardmounted mine but put a sloped kick at the front of it to slide small braches or road debris ip and over.

[Lgboro]

Bruce, thanks for posting pics of you latest solar install- always learn from your installs. My son has designed several solar units that have been deployed by DOD and Homeland Security in some really brutal weather extremes. I'm trying to pic him for a more educated guess of the air space I need under my panels. His initial thinking was a quarter inch would probably be good but I will probably design in more dead air space than that since mine will be custom built instead of a retro fit. I'm sure I'll use at least 1 1/2 inches of insulation if not more for both sound and thermal insulation as in my current tear.

[bdosborn]

Here's what I used to stick mine down with:

3m 4941 VHB

I did a lot of reading at the 3M web site on the different types of VHB tape and this what I picked. I hope it works. Right now the panels are stuck down incredibly tight, I think I would break the panel trying to peal it off. We'll see what happens after its been out in the sun for awhile.

Bruce