On Sat, Oct 01, 2011 at 05:43:43PM -0700, Lochadio Who wrote:
>
> I was going to buy P.V. cells in bulk and turn it into one big solar panel
> rather then bolt some big clunky production panels to my lovely arched
> canopy. It will also save me a lot of weight.
Something I've been looking at, which is pricey but has the great
advantage of being very lightweight and semi-flexible without the
downsides of flexible panels, is this:
http://www.lensunhk.com/2pcs-80watt-flexible-solar-panel-total-160watt-p-74.html
Their 2 x 80W panels seem to be the best deal, and free shipping to the
US makes them just a little more affordable - but they're still not
cheap (~$4.90/W). The big plus is that you could use these as a bimini
top by themselves - they're grommeted at the corners, and can be flexed
over a rigid support structure. That could make a big difference in
overall design, by decreasing the "up top" weight. Just something to
consider.
There's a few other companies (listed on, e.g., alibaba.com) that sell
this kind of panels, but this seems to be the only one doing it retail.
--
Ben Okopnik
-=-=-=-=-=-
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