Smaller bifacial panels

[sailingharry]

I have a sailboat, and am about to upgrade the existing panels (an accident has shattered my existing, so a chance to redesign). A simple replacement with identical panels will get me about 600W. I'd like to get over that. For starters, consider money to not be an issue (of course it is, but let's leave it out for now).

My challenge is space. Always a challenge in a sailboat. My spot is a maximum of about 96"/2400mm wide, and a maximum of about 70"/1800mm long. The width is a fairly hard limit, as I have things sticking up on both sides that both get in the way and also cause shade. Length is a bit less firm, as it is limited by aesthetic concerns, but is also limited by the fact that support ends at about 40" (so at 70" long, I have 30" of unsupported panel). This seems to give me a fairly hard power limit of about 330W for each of 2 panels. If money is not a consideration, bifacial panels are a plus.

Here's the conundrum. I can't find available bifacial panels under about 80" or more long (which gives me half the panel flying unsupported in free space!). I have found a BlueSun 330W bifacial panel specs that would be perfect. I can't find any pricing at all, and I can't find orders that come in less than pallet size out of China.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to find a smaller bifacial panel? I'm certainly willing to consider used.

Thanks!

Harry

 

[Rocketman]

Another idea…

Make a frame of extruded aluminum from 80/20.com (or other vendors) and put the longer panels on the frame. That way it is supported.

Good Luck

 

[mikefitz]

How about,

Bifacial 220 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel

Renogy's latest innovative 220W bifacial solar panel is among the best solar panels for marine and RV applications. Bifacial energy yield up to 30%

www.renogy.com

MIke

 

[sailingharry]

Another idea…

Make a frame of extruded aluminum from 80/20.com (or other vendors) and put the longer panels on the frame. That way it is supported.

Good Luck

This would address the ability of the solar panel itself to be supported, and may work. But it still leaves the solar array unsupported -- the end of my structural arch is only 26" from the forward end of the solar panels (and consists of two tubes only about 8" apart). There is a welded 1" pipe that goes back another 18", but I question how much support that can give. This means that a 80" solar array (the frame supported pair of panels, rather than the panels themselves) is supported on an 8" wide platform, with over 4' of area cantilevered. It may well be strong enough, but it would certainly make me nervous!