Need help with solar panel mounting ideas

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JCruse

JCruse

10 Year
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Threads
207
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1,774
I just got the panel linked below and already on the roof is the rack pictured below. I have a few partial ideas for mounting and thought someone here might have more experience and know how than me.

(The roof has no OEM luggage rack)

I know I could just put the panel in the rack pictured below and be done with it, but I'm trying not to do that so I can still use the rack.

Originally I had the idea of mounting the panel to drawer slides below the rack so it can be stowed under the rack for travel and rolled out for use. It was a beautiful plan except as it turns out I don't have enough clearance under the rack. I could still get 8 spacers and 8 longer bolts to raise the rack and use the slides, assuming my plan would even work. I could also just get two gutter mount crossbars but I'm trying to avoid that method. So that's why I'm here asking for assistance. Thanks.


Ideally I'd like to mount the panel to the rack without putting it IN the rack...


Panel:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z6CW7O/?tag=ihco-20





Rack:


4c06fbf8-36f4-4ae3-8d06-d3508e3637c0.JPG
 
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What year 80 series is that?:confused:

Some guys are mounting the panel on slides under the rack and pulling it out when they need the solar power. Be advised that if under the rack bars the panel may not produce if the shading is just right or wrong depending on how you look at it.
 
Solar panels REALLY should be aimed towards the sun if you want best efficiency. Putting them flat on the roof/rack etc especially at higher latitudes seems to be pretty wasteful of their potential (and the $$ you invested in them).

cheers,
george.
 
That's pretty cool. You should post up a how-to once you complete the entire process. What are you connecting to? A fridge?
 
George_tlc hit the nail on the head. You could have them mounted in the -they won't move around while driving- but if you're planning on "permanently" keeping them level with the marching surface then you're honestly wasting time and money. They should be able to be moved throughout the day, when able, to track the sun.

Also, if you have not already. Look at getting a MPPT charge controller. On my panel it reduced the charge time for the secondary battery by about 35%.
 
Being able to adjust your panel through out the day will net you the best performance but the reality is one you need a good mounting system to accomplish this and two you need to take the time to adjust it. A high quality mounting system like this <link is costly and require you to take the time to adjust it during the day. If you miss or not able to make the needed adjustment you just lost all of your potential gain. The advantages of a set and forget flat approach is the maybe a loss of 10% living in the south:meh:

Controllers have argued to death on the solar forums and a MMPT will give you maybe 20% more output for a very short time frame in extreme condition with only netting you maybe 10 - 15% overall increase. A MMPT controller runs ~$100 more then a PMW controller when you look at the return you would be much further ahead by spending the monies on a larger panel.

Dont overlook the OP is talking about a 100W system. Gaining 10-15% on a 100W system by moving the panel or a high dollar controller does not justify the additional cost. The set and forget it system (flat mounting) makes the most sense when you factor in the cost factor.

K.I.S.S. when it comes to vehicle solar
 
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Phil, that's why I had "higher" latitudes in my post. Jcruse is not in Arizona... He will be throwing away quite a lot of capacity. He will also have to ensure the vehicle is optimally located/placed versus under a tree etc. If the panel is not vehicle mounted and you have say 20 - 30' of cable, it gives a lot more options to just position it somewhere to get full sun and at that point you may as well aim it too.

Even in the oz bush I see a LOT of difference between the panel aimed roughly at the sun (at least tilted towards it) versus horizontal, especially in spring/autumn where the sun is even further from the vertical.

I keep my setup very kiss - it's in a padded bag and it's a) a fold in 1/2 panel and b) has folding legs. I pull it out, unfold it, pull out the legs and point it towards where the sun will rise. I re-point it 2 or 3 times during the day when I'm at the vehicle. Of course I'm not camped in areas frequented by magpies.

Anyhow, yes, most of this has all been posted in the electronics section before - which is really where this thread belongs versus 80 tech.

cheers,
george.
 
george_tlc said:
Phil, that's why I had "higher" latitudes in my post. Jcruse is not in Arizona... He will be throwing away quite a lot of capacity. He will also have to ensure the vehicle is optimally located/placed versus under a tree etc. If the panel is not vehicle mounted and you have say 20 - 30' of cable, it gives a lot more options to just position it somewhere to get full sun and at that point you may as well aim it too.

Even in the oz bush I see a LOT of difference between the panel aimed roughly at the sun (at least tilted towards it) versus horizontal, especially in spring/autumn where the sun is even further from the vertical.

I keep my setup very kiss - it's in a padded bag and it's a) a fold in 1/2 panel and b) has folding legs. I pull it out, unfold it, pull out the legs and point it towards where the sun will rise. I re-point it 2 or 3 times during the day when I'm at the vehicle. Of course I'm not camped in areas frequented by magpies.

Anyhow, yes, most of this has all been posted in the electronics section before - which is really where this thread belongs versus 80 tech.

cheers,
george.
Click to expand...

I agree wrong section, reported.

George, given the OP is looking for mounted panel what mounting system would you recommend to give the ability to angle the panel with any orientation of the vehicle? The only off road mounting system I have found and seen is linked in my previous post and is very costly. I would be interested is finding a less costly mounting system for off road use.
 
Phil, yeah, I guess my point is that mounting the panel restricts its use a lot. On trips I go on the roof rack is packed with gear and already takes a beating with low hanging branches etc, so a panel up there would be a bad idea.

Having the panel slide out means it would be shaded unless the mount could be oriented to point the panel at the sun, so quite a mechanism and expensive if not home built and also requires parking the vehicle optimally.

I try to park the vehicle under some kind of shade/trees while camping - to keep the fridge inside cooler, so again, having a fixed mount panel would not work well.

For sure, any mount solution (or freestanding like I use), will really depend on the individual use and if they are camped where magpies are prevalent. I am fortunate I camp in isolated areas and have NEVER had any issues with camp gear pilfering even when near other folk - but then the other folk are also camping and like minded.

The other issue is exactly how much solar power does the OP NEED to harvest per day based on electrical needs. Possibly even a horizontal mounted panel may be 'good' enough. In my case (being an engineer does help) I want to get the most out of my panel setup :) More AH into the batteries, the colder setting I can run the fridge 24/7 and the colder the beer :)

cheers,
george.
 
At the end of the day if you have cold beer and your vehicle starts in the morning your system was design correctly for your needs and environment no matter what you did. :cheers:

Wishing cold beer and a vehicle that starts to the OP:)
 
I have a 60W rolled up panel that hangs between my limb risers at about a 45 degree angel. It seems to work well.
 
I put a 120W panel flat on the roof of our pop-top coupled with a PWM controller. Unveiling it after making the last connection on a sunny day my TriMetric meter showed 3.6A going into the batteries. I'm plenty happy with that. It's 3.6A that I wasn't getting before. Could it be more optimized for a better yield? No doubt. Would I then need to babysit/monitor it? Absolutely. Is that likely to happen? Not a snowball's chance......

Technology is my slave, not the other way around.
 
I assume your battery is fairly charged already and the PWM controller is not pushing the max in. In full sun and the panel POINTING at the sun, you should be able to get 8A+ out of that panel into a somewhat discharged battery.

cheers,
george.
 
Like I said, I'm happy with what I'm getting and I don't have to mess with it. The latter part is as important to me as the former.

It's important that folks doing research understand what they might be giving up with a fixed mount and what kind of interaction they'll need to have with the system if they want to maximize the yield with a movable/aimable panel.
 
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