Solar Panels

Glass Solar Panels

​Pros:
  • Cheap (usually)
  • Extremely durable (can handle snow, rain, heat for years!)
  • Easy to mount. Use mounting tape or buy some mounts
  • Last 25+ years, no problem

Cons: 
  • Heavy. Typically around 16 pounds for a 100 watt solar panel
  • Can cause a huge amount of aerodynamic drag to your vehicle
  • Mounting glass panels to the roof of a moving vehicle is typically a bad idea. If one of these falls off your roof, someone can die. Make sure you mount all panels properly.
  • Requires air flow under the panel. Just an inch or so, not much, but it is necessary. 
  • Do not mount large glass panels to your roof unless you have a strong roof rack. 100 watt panels are inherently strong due to their size and are the best size to mount to the roof of a vehicle.

Recommended Glass Panels

Highest rated vehicle mounted glass solar panel:
​Renogy 100 watt Solar Panel (assembled in USA) 
Click Here to buy now 
​​In recent times, a good number of glass solar panels have hit the market with the same quality and durability ratings as the renogy panel above, but are assembled overseas. But Renogy solar panels are only "assembled" in the united states (nearly all solar cells are made in south east asia). If you are on a budget, you may want to check out these panels instead:

 Flexible Solar Panels

​Pros:
  • Lightweight. Typically 4 pounds for a 100 watt solar panel
  • Easy to mount
  • Aerodynamic efficiency (they are designed to be flush mounted on your roof, which means better gas mileage for your vehicle.
Cons:
  • Longevity issues. Typical life is 5-10 years. (Glass panels can last 25 years+)
  • They can bend.. but not too much. Anything more than a 30 degree radius will cause damage of the solar cells ( you will hear a distinct crunch, and you may see cracks in the cells)
  • They like to over heat. If you are in arizona, they will die in less than a year. If you use them in a cool environment, 5-10 years is average.

Recommended Flexible Panels

I recommend buying a warranty with flexible solar panels because they like to fail so often. Here are the highest rated panels currently:
All Powers 100 watt: Click Here

Suaoki 100 watt flex panel: Click Here

Super durable ETFE (resists bending. great for harsh environments like boats) Flexible 100 watt panel: Click here
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Solar Panel Combo Packages