Flexible stick-on solar

[dan_b]

Anyone know anything about these?

https://electrek.co/2021/07/28/these-st ... injection/

According to the article "The panels can be installed directly on a roof’s surface without racking, anchors, or ballast. Maxeon says the solar panels are engineered to conform to uneven roof surfaces.

The panels have no metal frames or heavy glass. The installed weight is around 6 kg (13 pounds) per square meter, which is 50% lighter than conventional systems, and they’re 4 mm thick. They’re also certified for fire resistance. The panels feature an efficiency rating of 20.9%."

That sounds rather impressive?

[Stinsy]

All the ones I've seen have been 2x - 5x the cost per kWh compared with traditional panels. Popular with Motorhomes, canal boats, and other similar installations. However domestic or commercial roofs traditional panels are still the best choice.

[nowty]

I don't have any personal experience of them but from memory, I recall from the old forum that someone used some flexible ones and they only lasted a small number of years before malfunctioning in some way. Don't know if they have improved recently.

I did have a crazy idea about 8 years ago of creating a giant sun shade for the house using them and keeping them in place with taught steel wires. Sometimes I am glad I don't act on ALL my ideas.

[Joeboy]

I have a stick on fitted to my Bongo, Works well for that application but i don't think i'd have on my res prop due to higher cost and heat issues, there's no gap for air to pass behind to cool. I'd love to fit a full shaped set to a light weight EV just for the craick.

[Stinsy]

I'm thinking of stringing together half a dozen of these, covering them in flexible solar panels, and towing them down the motorway behind an EV:



I foresee no problems whatsoever.

[Mr Gus]

Just give me a closed (water tight) solar panel car-port top layer with an aerated under layer (also watertight) & insulation beneath that, something that saves on weight like plasti-coated uv resistant galv steel with around 120mm of insulation core to add to the rigidity (ie commercial warehouse panel design)

& apply that design to wall covering exterior insulation for housing stock.

My grans croft house was covered in painted galv steel as a scottish solution to harsh climes, it worked well with the stone underneath, I don't know why we have to have exterior rendering insulation or "nothing"

Need to adopt the Scandi / Icelandic approach & get rid of our fascination with porus brick facings to approach a whole new way of cladding that allows a simple overlay of panels in a cost effective manner.

How does stick on solar work with glass (as in a surface temperature auto ventilating greenhouse) ?

Or corrugated plastic (tube wall) sheeting for a summer energy shade that can be stacked in a shed (false wall storage) to deflect heat build up clipped to an "ALSO" lightweight support structure?

The sort of sheeting I'm referring to is thicker grade"hobby" type that elsewhere I linked to projects a guy made bike camping trailer / homeless shelter type thing, also used for temporary site fencing.