ma2t
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2021
- Messages
- 13
Hi All,
I've got an interesting solar challenge, to add 1000+ watts solar to a 2020 Ford Transit high-top extended length van. I'm constrained by the 144" by 62" (3.66M by 1.57M) roof space. There is the flexibility of a few inches in each dimension as I am building a custom roof rack. The entire roof can be used for solar, I'll outline how roof vents and other roof features are managed at the bottom of this post.
The question is, what solar panel should I be looking at? Physical size and power are critical.
So far I have reviewed about 20 different solar panels and experimented with arranging them East to West and North to South. Here I show 6 panels but there could be more panels or as few as 3 of the new 400 watt panels. The frame will be custom so assume whatever the configuration, the panels will be well supported. For the 6 panel North-South layout, the ideal panel is 762 mm wide by 1219 mm long. For the East-West layout, the panels would need to be 1575 mm long by whatever width fills the space best.
This first batch of panels I found on Amazon. My detailed sheet has price, links, plus 2x and 3x dimension multipliers but they are removed here for simplicity. I'm not thinking about the price that much at this time, just trying to find panels that will fit.
This next set of panels comes from a 2021 survey of the top 10 most efficient panels on the market. These panels are significantly larger.
So far the Solaria PowerXT comes closest to fulfilling the task. At 1621 mm long, the panels are about 46 mm (1.8") longer than the ideal length, but workable. The width only leaves room for 3 panels but at 400 watts each, a total of 1200 watts would be nice. I don't have a price quote yet, but for 3 panels they can be somewhat expensive but still affordable.
About the roof rack, I'm building a 10" high attic on the roof. The roof is hinged on the driver's side with a pair of linear actuators to point the panels at the sun. The attic will be mount points for the solar panels, lighting, security cameras, and the volume inside the attic will be for a par of Maxxair fans, lightweight storage of clothing, fishing poles, etc. Search for "Curt and Snow Solar" on YouTube to see a working example.
Thanks in advance!
I've got an interesting solar challenge, to add 1000+ watts solar to a 2020 Ford Transit high-top extended length van. I'm constrained by the 144" by 62" (3.66M by 1.57M) roof space. There is the flexibility of a few inches in each dimension as I am building a custom roof rack. The entire roof can be used for solar, I'll outline how roof vents and other roof features are managed at the bottom of this post.
The question is, what solar panel should I be looking at? Physical size and power are critical.
So far I have reviewed about 20 different solar panels and experimented with arranging them East to West and North to South. Here I show 6 panels but there could be more panels or as few as 3 of the new 400 watt panels. The frame will be custom so assume whatever the configuration, the panels will be well supported. For the 6 panel North-South layout, the ideal panel is 762 mm wide by 1219 mm long. For the East-West layout, the panels would need to be 1575 mm long by whatever width fills the space best.
This first batch of panels I found on Amazon. My detailed sheet has price, links, plus 2x and 3x dimension multipliers but they are removed here for simplicity. I'm not thinking about the price that much at this time, just trying to find panels that will fit.
This next set of panels comes from a 2021 survey of the top 10 most efficient panels on the market. These panels are significantly larger.
So far the Solaria PowerXT comes closest to fulfilling the task. At 1621 mm long, the panels are about 46 mm (1.8") longer than the ideal length, but workable. The width only leaves room for 3 panels but at 400 watts each, a total of 1200 watts would be nice. I don't have a price quote yet, but for 3 panels they can be somewhat expensive but still affordable.
About the roof rack, I'm building a 10" high attic on the roof. The roof is hinged on the driver's side with a pair of linear actuators to point the panels at the sun. The attic will be mount points for the solar panels, lighting, security cameras, and the volume inside the attic will be for a par of Maxxair fans, lightweight storage of clothing, fishing poles, etc. Search for "Curt and Snow Solar" on YouTube to see a working example.
Thanks in advance!