[Electric Boats] Re: Solar panels

 

Joe, I developed solar encapsulations in the 80s and 90s and back then we were doing glass-to-glass.   These laminations were made up of a glass backing, an acrylic or EVA material in with the panels and a glass front.  Problem with these was cost and weight.   Just getting back into Solar now and it's a blast; now a days you can purchase fiberglass backed EVA laminated panels with real copper solder pads on the back.  They can come with crystalline, semi-crystalline or even some exotics but no matter which way you go, they're light and super easy to us.  problem is stiffness.  So for a deck, I'd get some panels with the expectation that they're to be discarded.  Build it into a prototype hull section using whatever method you want and test it.  Once you make a deck section that works, you've landed upon the correct formula.  

As for methods, Laminating panels in while the deck is molded seems to me to be too much risk,  all at once for a one-off.  I'm sure that if you could try it enough times to get it right and it's certainly possible but there's a lot at stake for a one-off run.   

If I were to do this, I'd laminate panels into deck cutouts.  EVA sheet is available on Ebay and some folks laminate EVA encapsulated panels with a hair-dryer.  That's very skill based too so I'd try epoxy and vacuum bags in a purpose-shaped inset in your deck after it's de-molded.  Be sure to wax the front of your panel before laminating so you can peel out the epoxy from the panel lens.  Epoxy is not UV resistant.  If yo ever need to remove the panel, Epoxy softens at a temperature considerably cooler than polyester.  

Good luck.  Joe

    

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Joe Grez, President of PropEle Electric Boat Motors Inc.  makers of the Electric Paddle
www.electricpaddle.com
joe@propelemarine.com
425-241-9241
10404 428 ave se, North Bend Wa, 98045

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