Featured solar panels: where to buy

[DrewSTNY]

i just found this site that auctions off items the government no longer needs. maybe stealing panels is a lot cooler, but it looks like this is a complete setup and the bid is currently only $300?
https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/auction/view?auc=1831778

Pretty sweet. Use what you need and sell/scrap the rest. Probably could make a nice trailer/camper out of the frame.

 

[sandoz25]

Canadian tire sales solar panels

 

[Will Wood]

Could someone come to the Jamboree this year and do a solar panel workshop??

 

[DrewSTNY]

Very cool idea. Getting to the jambo isn't in the cards for me so far this year, but I would totally be up to do it.

I'm sure there are others who can share what they have learned with the community.

 

[marmar]

why didn't y'all tell me i needed mc4 connector things? : P

got all my stuff today. i paid a bit extra to get my battery in two days vs. a week, cause i'm hoping to hit the road sometime next week. (if i ever finish this ball joint replacement on my van. ughhh)

are all battery terminal screws the same size? i'm assuming i need to get screws and those terminal hook things to put on the end of wires.

after looking more into z-mounts, it appears that they DO give some space between the panel and the roof of the vehicle...like 22mm? lol

i'm really excited to start tinkering with this controller. it's so tiny!

this panel is beautiful. i hope it works. <3

why didn't y'all tell me i needed mc4 connector things? : P

got all my stuff today. i paid a bit extra to get my battery in two days vs. a week, cause i'm hoping to hit the road sometime next week. (if i ever finish this ball joint replacement on my van. ughhh)

are all battery terminal screws the same size? i'm assuming i need to get screws and those terminal hook things to put on the end of wires.

after looking more into z-mounts, it appears that they DO give some space between the panel and the roof of the vehicle...like 22mm? lol

i'm really excited to start tinkering with this controller. it's so tiny!

this panel is beautiful. i hope it works. <3

Hey do you mind telling where you bought all those from? I'm in search right now. Amazon won't ship to P.O. boxes so I need to find who would cuz no address.

 

[Looking4Life]

Yeah, for the hot summer I'm going with one of the non-compressor fridges (draws relatively little power and no compressor spikes), little bit smaller than a dorm fridge. Pretty small, 1.7 cubic feet, no freezer, draws less than a 100 watts so I can keep it going 24/7 on one of my arrays (I'm going to see if that same array can also keep my router powered from the same battery). It can run on DC, too.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-1...pter-SHP1712SDCIS/203464659?keyword=dc+fridge

Those are peltier cooler fridges, they suck at keeping anything really cold. Good for Soda's and shit but no meat. They usually can't cool something more than 36° F than the ambient temperature so if its 96°F in the van, that means your cooler will be 60°F, not good enough for meat, but beers and water will taste better.
If you really want a cold fridge you need a Danfrost DC compressor like this one

But they are way more expensive which sucks, but will keep you food safe.

 

[DrewSTNY]

Agreed on the compressor fridge. A 12v Danfoss or something similar is the way to go. If I end up with a way to do it, I would get a compressor kit and build the box. That may be cheaper, but I haven't looked into it. It's a pretty popular option on sailboats since they don't have good places to put a pre-built unit.

 

[freegander]

Hey do you mind telling where you bought all those from? I'm in search right now. Amazon won't ship to P.O. boxes so I need to find who would cuz no address.

I pretty much got it all from Amazon, except a few things I bought from ebay.

Where are you? I would look into three options:
a) Amazon lockers
b) General Delivery through the USPS
c) find someone with an address in the place you're at. I'm sure lots of people would be willing to accept your mail for free, but some might take a small donation. If you know absolutely no one in town, look up someone on couchsurfing or a similar site.

 

[BadBoBo]

I do not think this would be a good tip for living out of a van. But if you have a squat shack... The highway department throws away TONS of useable solar panels. Mainly because they get cracked and only put out half of the juice.

No they do not put out a lot of juice but they will usually give them away if you just ask.

As for keeping stuff cool the best method I found when I was living out of my truck was a ice maker.
NewAir AI100S Portable Ice Maker. Yes it is expensive. And no it will not run off your solar bank. But that being said you can keep meat in a cooler with enough ice. And there is nothing more relaxing than taking a sip from a ice cold drink on a hot summer day. Plus if you ever find yourself in a area after a disaster you can sell it for 12 bucks a bag :b

 

[DrewSTNY]

I do not think this would be a good tip for living out of a van. But if you have a squat shack... The highway department throws away TONS of useable solar panels. Mainly because they get cracked and only put out half of the juice.

No they do not put out a lot of juice but they will usually give them away if you just ask.

As for keeping stuff cool the best method I found when I was living out of my truck was a ice maker.
NewAir AI100S Portable Ice Maker. Yes it is expensive. And no it will not run off your solar bank. But that being said you can keep meat in a cooler with enough ice. And there is nothing more relaxing than taking a sip from a ice cold drink on a hot summer day. Plus if you ever find yourself in a area after a disaster you can sell it for 12 bucks a bag :b

I don't know, man. I found one that runs on 160 watts. Since it only runs when making ice, it might not be too bad. It's probably about a 10A load, so not the most efficient, but someone might be able to take the cooling unit and turn it into a pretty kick ass fridge. Just a thought.

 

[BadBoBo]

Yeah I had this hooked up to my alternator in my truck(via dc converter)

I don't know, man. I found one that runs on 160 watts. Since it only runs when making ice, it might not be too bad. It's probably about a 10A load, so not the most efficient, but someone might be able to take the cooling unit and turn it into a pretty kick ass fridge. Just a thought.

. Not solar friendly. But when I was covering 400 miles or so in a few days. This thing just sat next to my bed and made me ice....Since the truck did not have AC I LIVED for those cold drinks.

 

[DrewSTNY]

Yeah I had this hooked up to my alternator in my truck(via dc converter)



. Not solar friendly. But when I was covering 400 miles or so in a few days. This thing just sat next to my bed and made me ice....Since the truck did not have AC I LIVED for those cold drinks.

I hear you. That's a pretty kick ass unit though. Just have to keep it topped off with water to make ice.

 

[mouse]

Resurrectig an old post, I know, but it was featured and there is relevant and timely info:

• the Renogy 100w (poly, Vmp presumably 17.8v) mentioned in the OP are on sale for $90 at Home Depot through 11/30.
  
• Grape Solar 100w (poly, Vmp=18v) @ Home depot are also on sale for $90 until 12/4.

That's a pretty good price for those panels, particularly in areas with low/no sales tax. Those intending to run shunt or PWM charge controllers will get a couple more watts output from the Renogys as the Vmp is lower.

Related: one panel like this and a $10 shunt controller wired into even a starter battery can make a cheap and functional system. Two panels and a deep cycle battery are enough to run the basics, a roof vent, and a 12v fridge through the night.