Is my panel dead? (pic)

[ramstein]

The seller offered to send me a new panel, that's cool

 

[T Pasto]

I have four 130 watt flex panels outputting 21-22volts consistently and about 5.5 amps each. One set had the protective cover trapped within the tie down eyelets. I have them all taped down with Eternabond to seal out wind and water from getting under them (BTW they work amazingly for me here in the S Idaho Dessert heat). Anyway, I had to service something and pulled the Eternabond up off the edge of one panels and nothing delaminated and Eternabond is a bear to pull up when it's cold. I suspect you'll get good numbers from all the panels and find out the panel assembly had to protective surfaces.

 

[ramstein]

Thanks mate. I am planing to tape all the panels' edges too. I bought a strong tape from amazon it is very sticky it should do the trick.

 

[JWLV]

Yikes. That’s not good. This is why I stay away from flex panels. I had two before and rarely used them. One died unexpectedly for no reason at all. No physical damage, connections are good, diode is good. Just no current even though there is voltage. Knowing what I know now, if I were to set up a mobile/portable system I would go with regular glass panels in an aluminum frame. Flex panels just don’t last.

 

[ramstein]

Yikes. That’s not good. This is why I stay away from flex panels. I had two before and rarely used them. One died unexpectedly for no reason at all. No physical damage, connections are good, diode is good. Just no current even though there is voltage. Knowing what I know now, if I were to set up a mobile/portable system I would go with regular glass panels in an aluminum frame. Flex panels just don’t last.

the problem I faced seems to be a manufacturing defect, I won't blame the company since it can arrive even with the best ones. But yes I know flexibles can quickly fail. Anyway there are also people using flexibles for years without any issue. I think it has to deal with the way you mount them on the roof (allowing air circulation mainly, or weather conditions maybe). I hope they will last at least a year
It was not a solution for me to mount rigid ones, I'd like to go stealth. Nobody can see the panels on my roof until they look at my van from above. Plus here in France there are barriers at the entrance of parking lots, you have to keep your height minimal to be able to go everywhere.

 

[Supervstech]

Handling and mounting will mean the difference between long life and a rapid failure.
Flexible panels should be renamed to something that stresses care and solid mounting.

 

[ramstein]

Yes absolutly, and first rule in my opinion is to not stick the panel, but use something else to maintain it that will allow the air to flow under it from side to side