Encapsulating with EVA

[russ]

Wow! Then you get to do the work to have something that maybe works OK.

Sorry - but for the 99% plus of the population that are not real DIY types this is not a good deal.

Plus as Mike pointed out - off grid applications only.

Enjoy Alan - No one is telling you not to do it. You are enjoying making up excuses why what you think is best - fine but who cares.

Russ

[conntaxman]

diy solar panel

Mike you must lilke the LITTLE .... BOY.... obama.... Take heart man, their are Many diy around that can produdce a very good panel. You are or can not build a panel , that is why you are down on everone here.
GET A LIFE.
John

[Mike90250]

..their are Many diy around that can produdce a very good panel. You are or can not build a panel , that is why you are down on everone here.
GET A LIFE.

Oh. Where are they after 2 years ? 1 year ?

I'm not "down on folks". I tell them save their $$, study this stuff and then decide for themselves. Go rag on the scam artists that sell a ebook or vid, about running a house on a $200 homemade PV array. I want folks to keep their $, I'm not scamming them to get their hard earned $.
"get a life" ? Why whatever do you mean?
Here are some magic beans, I'll sell you for $43,000 and when you plant them, you can eat steak forever, but I have to leave town now, so buy them quick, I don't want you to loose out on this terrific opportunity to save yourself.

[conntaxman]

eva

Eva is white plastic
edited to add the above is NOT right, I meant to type TEDLAR is white plastic.


the video guy you are talking does NOT use eva he is using sylgard, probably the most expensive solar encapsulant ever made.
I've made panels with dow 6010 and it works fine and even though the moderators on this forum who have probably never made a panel will tell you it will fail based on their theoretical guesses

I've never had an issue with mine.

Would you rather get information from someone who has actually done it or people that think it can't be done who sit in front of their computer searching the net for info to support their view?

Alan. you are correct, some people can make a panel just as good as one that is factory made, and that will last just as long.Some cant make or even know what tools to use to make a panel. I give everyone alot of credit for doing it or at least trying.
also what you are useing to encap. is a very good product.
Keep up the good work. Build and save money.
Im just finishing up a solar tracker which will hold 1000 watts of panels. I still have to build the circuit for the 2 axis tracking...... Now you will hear that a tracker isn't worth the trouble and you don't gain much. That is a LIE. you will gain about 30 to 40 more percent and that's ALOT.
John

[russ]

Hi John - Alan is long gone as he was always being a wise ass.

You will make factory quality panels DIY?

My BS meter is going off scale up! Some might make an OK panel but not equal to factory.

Factory panels are a better deal in the long run.

[Mike90250]

....
Im just finishing up a solar tracker which will hold 1000 watts of panels. I still have to build the circuit for the 2 axis tracking...... Now you will hear that a tracker isn't worth the trouble and you don't gain much. That is a LIE. you will gain about 30 to 40 more percent and that's ALOT.
John

Ive seen the site of a large solar company, with about 8 tracker arrays in their parking lot. All have been broken and frozen for 6+ years.

I've been to a large off grid campsite, with about 4 of my size arrays (3Kw x 4) on 4 tracker poles. All broken, and unable to keep running. He had to re-align by hand and lock down.

I also know 1 person with a 800w passive tracker (uses butane inside hollow tubes as counterweights to track the sun. That is still working after 12 years.

So if you are building a smallish tracker (1kw) you are likely to know how it works and able to get replacement parts. But generally, they fail.

[bruceme]

Stupid simple passive alignment

I think I found a link to that passive tracker system. Super simple and I really like it. Does this look right?

http://towardsabettertinyhouse.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/super-cheap-easy-to-build-solar-tracker/

The readers digest version(of this one)... It uses a dual-sided gas filled piston with shade slats. If the left side gets hot... it expands more than the right and angles the entire unit into the sun... BRILLIANT!

-Bruce

[s.xavier]

nothing wrong with DIY modules but to say they will work anywhere near manufactured modules is a tough sell... after you take into account the production costs and time allocation how much do you really save compared to a manufactured system???

the idea of large scale production fundamentally will bring down costs... you can build a car from scratch but can you honestly really say it will work as well as a BMW or Benz?? I'm not doubting you can't and innovation/imagination should be fostered but lets take into account other variables... like while building this system, isn't there something more important to allocate your time??

just my two cents

[conntaxman]

solar tracker

Ive seen the site of a large solar company, with about 8 tracker arrays in their parking lot. All have been broken and frozen for 6+ years.

I've been to a large off grid campsite, with about 4 of my size arrays (3Kw x 4) on 4 tracker poles. All broken, and unable to keep running. He had to re-align by hand and lock down.

I also know 1 person with a 800w passive tracker (uses butane inside hollow tubes as counterweights to track the sun. That is still working after 12 years.

So if you are building a smallish tracker (1kw) you are likely to know how it works and able to get replacement parts. But generally, they fail.

mike. can you give the name and address of the 2 places that have the broken trackers that you say are broken.I would like to go and see them
tks

[Mike90250]

mike. can you give the name and address of the 2 places that have the broken trackers that you say are broken.I would like to go and see them
tks

They are in Northern California. One is a store right along hwy 101 , the other is a private resort 40 miles down a dirt road.
I cannot name them, and the arrays are not quite large enough to make out in google earth.

[caliman]

Do we really need EVA sheet in front of solar cells ?

[Mike90250]

Do we really need EVA sheet in front of solar cells ?

Only if you want a moisture proof seal to the front glass (needs vacuum lamination). EVA also provides some resilience between the thermal coefficients too.

[Erin]

is function of EVA here is protection and package of solar panel?

[Erin]

do we really need EVA sheet in front of solar cells?

[sdold]

do we really need EVA sheet in front of solar cells?

If only we had a forum member in the EVA business who could educate us.