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Mounting solar panel question

Ryan Neeley

Active member
Solar panels are sensitive to heat right? So if you are mounting a panel on top of your tent, should there be air between the solar panel and tent for ventilation or can it be mounted directly to the tent?
 
Roof tops like those on tents are pretty thin to start with, so there won't be much problem from a heat retention standpoint.
 
Agree, I would just worry about keeping it clean so you are getting as much power from it as you can.
 
I have four diffrent panels I use depending on what/where. 200 watt flex mounted on my teardrop, 120 watt fixed panel I use to use with my small trailer, 75 watt fixed mounted on my cruiser to keep the battery good when its parked and a 180 watt folding for forests (this is now used in place of my 120 watt fixed I would drag around).

My large fixed pointed at the sun (small stand holding it up), moving it to match the sun has the best output. My 200 watt flex panel (Renology) puts out considerably less due to the heat and the fact it just points up. I also notice an output difference depending on temperature on all of them but my flex panel is the most sensitive to heat.

If I was going to mount on a hard shell RTT, I would use a flex panel due to weight but get as large as you can to compensate for the output. A soft shell RTT I dont think I would mount it to it because of removing and installing the cover would be difficult.

If I was to do the panel on my teardrop today, I would use a fixed and space it an inch over the roof. As it sits, the mounted panels don't like my forest trips and I find I use my folding panel more than ever.

Before I bought my flex panel, I researched how heat and lack of airflow would affect it and was surprised with how much it did. Fortunately I bought one big enough where it won't hurt me.

All in all, If I were to start over, I would have a fixed for the simplicity and a folding for the times im in shade. If I had to choose one it would be the folding due to the fact it works everywhere.

OH...controller is everything.
 
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