I am looking at purchasing a Solar Blanket (not panel) and looking for recommendations of make. Not sure what size as yet just looking for recommendations for Make and Quality at this stage.
As everyone knows there are the good old cheap ones so thought I would save myself a lot of time by asking those who have one already.
cjt55 said
07:29 PM Sep 6, 2021
PS. Just realised I put this in the wrong section as my finger hit "Post" before my brain got into gear!!
Mike Harding said
06:37 AM Sep 7, 2021
My recommendation is not to buy one at all.
I looked long and hard at solar blankets a few months past and came to the conclusion that I did not trust any of the suppliers claimed wattages, I also discovered that some (all?) solar blankets will not tolerate rain over the longer term (months) as it corrodes their internal connections.
On top of that, they are difficult to locate except flat on the ground or on a car windscreen both of which are far from satisfactory. I'm going for two 175W panels which are a pain to carry but do everything else I require.
markf said
12:34 PM Sep 7, 2021
I reckon that if you did a search for solar blanket and read all the reviews and collated all the info youd probably come up with a firm why bother ?. I got one and for a few months it was OK, not great but OK. Now my whiz bang 250W blanket is flat out producing 75W on a bright sunny Newman day at noon. Meanwhile my ancient folding panels can produce their claimed 100W from about eleven to about two pm in good sun.
My advice would come under the heading of why bother ?
Gary and Barb said
07:05 PM Sep 8, 2021
I am interested in the comments, so thanks All. I have a 250w folding panel that weighs a ton and is a bit of job to handle. It works very well, but is unwieldy. I looked at blankets and could not convince myself that they would be any great benefit. Some comments on this post confirm that, so I will soldier on and build my upper core strength lugging the bugger into position.
cjt55 said
08:33 AM Sep 9, 2021
Thank you for the replies so far. I have already moved away from "blanket" and now researching portable folding panels. One well known company has them with attachable pegs/arms which will hold the panels at the required angle to the sun. They consist of up to 8 panels (180w) which fold up to the size of one panel and come with a carry bag. These seem to be a better option. Any thoughts from anyone who have this type would be appreciated.
Jaahn said
09:47 AM Sep 9, 2021
Gary and Barb wrote:
I am interested in the comments, so thanks All. I have a 250w folding panel that weighs a ton and is a bit of job to handle. It works very well, but is unwieldy. I looked at blankets and could not convince myself that they would be any great benefit. Some comments on this post confirm that, so I will soldier on and build my upper core strength lugging the bugger into position.
Hi Garry
My suggestion and something that I did for myself when I had folding portable panels. Remove the hinges and separate the panels and fit a cable and plug so you can handle them separately. Much easier.
I think people should look carefully at the combined weight of these panels. If you are not young and fit they become a burden putting them out regularly and then dragging them in through a small door and up steps. I ended up back then with 4x80W panels with short cables plugging into a common big cable and regulator at the battery as it should be. And I made a handy spot on the top of the gear box to store them for travel with some straps and wood spacers. What an improvement.
Jaahn
PS the wood spacers could be used as legs to set up the panels at an angle too.
-- Edited by Jaahn on Thursday 9th of September 2021 09:48:29 AM
-- Edited by Jaahn on Thursday 9th of September 2021 09:50:10 AM
Plain Truth said
10:47 AM Sep 9, 2021
We went from a heavy 100 Watt folding aluminum case type panel to a light weight 150 Watt. "kickass" panel.
So much lighter,easier to setup,and fits in to a nice sturdy bag.
My experience is to be very cautious of the claimed output wattage of *most* manufacturer's solar panels: this a post I recently made to the tech section but it got lost in the noise:
----
As ETFE flexible panels are a new thing to me I thought I'd take a deeper look at this new and expensive technology... and my initial comment is "Let the buyer beware".
Suppliers are selling ETFE panels at significantly different prices and I suspect claims as to output power should, usually, be take with a shovel of salt. Solar panel efficiency is a goal chased by all and top of the market panels are currently around 23% so we can get some idea as to the truth of a sellers claims for power output by calculating the panel area and dividing that into the claimed watts in order to arrive at a figure of watts per meter squared for that particular panel.
As a base measure I did the calculation for six Victron standard mono panels ranging from 55W to 360W and arrived at an average of 177 w/m2 - Victron are a quality supplier with a good track record and reputation so their panels are likely to be at the top end.
Next I calculated the w/m2 figure for a random selection of Googled and Ebay panels: as one may expect they all, except one, produced a figure of up to double that of Victron with one Ebay supplier claiming 311 w/m2 and a Kogan panel claiming 308 w/m2, remarkable!
who produced a figure of 154 w/m2 for their 100W panel which sounds very believable.
In consequence I suggest you calculate the w/m2 of the panel you propose to buy and if it's much above 177 look elsewhere.
----
Are We Lost said
12:57 PM Sep 9, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
In consequence I suggest you calculate the w/m2 of the panel you propose to buy and if it's much above 177 look elsewhere.
----
Agree, with a couple of variations.
My suggestion is to ignore the quoted watts, and caclulate the expected watts based on size, and use that to determine suitability and value. Also remember, a cheap quality panel is not likely to be as efficient as a quality panel. So 177 watts per square metre is probably on the optimistic side for the cheaper ones.
But maybe the difference in quality is more than just watts. They have diodes internally, and I highly doubt cheap ones are going to last like a Victron or brand name panel. If it fails after the first year or two (let alone 6 months), will you be able to claim under warranty?
Mike Harding said
01:26 PM Sep 9, 2021
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear:
My calculations lead me to believe that (give or take) the best panels on the consumer market currently are producing around 177W per square metre so if an Ebay special at half the price of a SunPower panel is claiming 250W/m2 it's lying.
Whenarewethere said
01:51 PM Sep 9, 2021
Looking at LG 330 watt panel: 192 watts per square metre.
Once one of those miracle chinese panels states more than 150 watts per square metre. I would run!
Some people don't believe what I squeeze out of my setup and its 133 watts per square metre. They are small panels, but that is the point, small panels have a high percentage of non cell real estate.
Are We Lost said
03:07 PM Sep 9, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear:
My calculations lead me to believe that (give or take) the best panels on the consumer market currently are producing around 177W per square metre so if an Ebay special at half the price of a SunPower panel is claiming 250W/m2 it's lying.
Are you referring to my comment?
I thought you did make it clear and I was agreeing with you. As you said, the calculated 177W per square metre for Victron is unlikely to be matched by a cheap quality panel. So, even a panel quoted at a calculated 200 watts per square metre is highly likely to be overstated.
Mike Harding said
04:23 PM Sep 9, 2021
Are We Lost wrote:
I thought you did make it clear and I was agreeing with you.
Ah, well... perhaps you didn't make it clear that I made it clear... but I think we're clear now... aren't we...? :)
Mamil said
07:31 PM Sep 9, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
My experience is to be very cautious of the claimed output wattage of *most* manufacturer's solar panels: this a post I recently made to the tech section but it got lost in the noise:
----
As ETFE flexible panels are a new thing to me I thought I'd take a deeper look at this new and expensive technology... and my initial comment is "Let the buyer beware".
Suppliers are selling ETFE panels at significantly different prices and I suspect claims as to output power should, usually, be take with a shovel of salt. Solar panel efficiency is a goal chased by all and top of the market panels are currently around 23% so we can get some idea as to the truth of a sellers claims for power output by calculating the panel area and dividing that into the claimed watts in order to arrive at a figure of watts per meter squared for that particular panel.
As a base measure I did the calculation for six Victron standard mono panels ranging from 55W to 360W and arrived at an average of 177 w/m2 - Victron are a quality supplier with a good track record and reputation so their panels are likely to be at the top end.
Next I calculated the w/m2 figure for a random selection of Googled and Ebay panels: as one may expect they all, except one, produced a figure of up to double that of Victron with one Ebay supplier claiming 311 w/m2 and a Kogan panel claiming 308 w/m2, remarkable!
who produced a figure of 154 w/m2 for their 100W panel which sounds very believable.
In consequence I suggest you calculate the w/m2 of the panel you propose to buy and if it's much above 177 look elsewhere.
----
Mike,
I would add Redarc and AustralianDirect to the list of suppliers of RV or 12v panels who have realistic claims for the output, but not surprisingly their panels are two or three times the price of the Ebay cheapies.
Plain Truth said
08:53 PM Sep 9, 2021
Australian Direct sell " kickass" products, some good reviews ,some bad. I have no problems with them.
Whenarewethere said
07:19 AM Sep 10, 2021
Plain Truth wrote:
Australian Direct sell " kickass" products, some good reviews ,some bad. I have no problems with them.
How many amps is the specification of your blanket?
How many amps do you get out of your blanket?
Dougwe said
08:36 PM Sep 10, 2021
G'day Col,
Everything in van life has at least two uses. If you get a blanket, it will charge ya batteries and as well even you could use it as a blanket to super charge yourself for other activities.
Keep safe mate, especially if you use it as a blanket to keep you warm. Three uses.
cjt55 said
07:49 AM Sep 12, 2021
Thanks everyone for your comments. I have made my decision on a purchase if I need to.
Whenarewethere said
08:10 AM Sep 12, 2021
When I looked at setting up my 120 watt system (120 to 160 watt I was looking at) I simply couldn't find any trueful information with solar blankets. They were all a bag of lies at best.
I needed a compact panel as we only have a car. We do not have the sheer luxury of the space of a larger vehicle, let alone a caravan.
So I looked for the best compact panel money could buy that would fit my space. It was a custom built 6 x 20 watt panel setup.
Which performed better, was cheaper & fitted the space & better quality than the crap basically that everyone flogs off.
Hi Everyone,
I am looking at purchasing a Solar Blanket (not panel) and looking for recommendations of make. Not sure what size as yet just looking for recommendations for Make and Quality at this stage.
As everyone knows there are the good old cheap ones so thought I would save myself a lot of time by asking those who have one already.
My recommendation is not to buy one at all.
I looked long and hard at solar blankets a few months past and came to the conclusion that I did not trust any of the suppliers claimed wattages, I also discovered that some (all?) solar blankets will not tolerate rain over the longer term (months) as it corrodes their internal connections.
On top of that, they are difficult to locate except flat on the ground or on a car windscreen both of which are far from satisfactory. I'm going for two 175W panels which are a pain to carry but do everything else I require.
My advice would come under the heading of why bother ?
Hi Garry
My suggestion and something that I did for myself when I had folding portable panels. Remove the hinges and separate the panels and fit a cable and plug so you can handle them separately. Much easier.
I think people should look carefully at the combined weight of these panels. If you are not young and fit they become a burden putting them out regularly and then dragging them in through a small door and up steps.
I ended up back then with 4x80W panels with short cables plugging into a common big cable and regulator at the battery as it should be. And I made a handy spot on the top of the gear box to store them for travel with some straps and wood spacers. What an improvement. 
Jaahn
PS the wood spacers could be used as legs to set up the panels at an angle too.
-- Edited by Jaahn on Thursday 9th of September 2021 09:48:29 AM
-- Edited by Jaahn on Thursday 9th of September 2021 09:50:10 AM
We went from a heavy 100 Watt folding aluminum case type panel to a light weight 150 Watt. "kickass" panel.
So much lighter,easier to setup,and fits in to a nice sturdy bag.
My experience is to be very cautious of the claimed output wattage of *most* manufacturer's solar panels: this a post I recently made to the tech section but it got lost in the noise:
----
As ETFE flexible panels are a new thing to me I thought I'd take a deeper look at this new and expensive technology... and my initial comment is "Let the buyer beware".
Suppliers are selling ETFE panels at significantly different prices and I suspect claims as to output power should, usually, be take with a shovel of salt. Solar panel efficiency is a goal chased by all and top of the market panels are currently around 23% so we can get some idea as to the truth of a sellers claims for power output by calculating the panel area and dividing that into the claimed watts in order to arrive at a figure of watts per meter squared for that particular panel.
As a base measure I did the calculation for six Victron standard mono panels ranging from 55W to 360W and arrived at an average of 177 w/m2 - Victron are a quality supplier with a good track record and reputation so their panels are likely to be at the top end.
Next I calculated the w/m2 figure for a random selection of Googled and Ebay panels: as one may expect they all, except one, produced a figure of up to double that of Victron with one Ebay supplier claiming 311 w/m2 and a Kogan panel claiming 308 w/m2, remarkable!
The one exception was:
Renogy
who produced a figure of 154 w/m2 for their 100W panel which sounds very believable.
In consequence I suggest you calculate the w/m2 of the panel you propose to buy and if it's much above 177 look elsewhere.
----
Agree, with a couple of variations.
My suggestion is to ignore the quoted watts, and caclulate the expected watts based on size, and use that to determine suitability and value. Also remember, a cheap quality panel is not likely to be as efficient as a quality panel. So 177 watts per square metre is probably on the optimistic side for the cheaper ones.
But maybe the difference in quality is more than just watts. They have diodes internally, and I highly doubt cheap ones are going to last like a Victron or brand name panel. If it fails after the first year or two (let alone 6 months), will you be able to claim under warranty?
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear:
My calculations lead me to believe that (give or take) the best panels on the consumer market currently are producing around 177W per square metre so if an Ebay special at half the price of a SunPower panel is claiming 250W/m2 it's lying.
Looking at LG 330 watt panel: 192 watts per square metre.
Once one of those miracle chinese panels states more than 150 watts per square metre. I would run!
Some people don't believe what I squeeze out of my setup and its 133 watts per square metre. They are small panels, but that is the point, small panels have a high percentage of non cell real estate.
Are you referring to my comment?
I thought you did make it clear and I was agreeing with you. As you said, the calculated 177W per square metre for Victron is unlikely to be matched by a cheap quality panel. So, even a panel quoted at a calculated 200 watts per square metre is highly likely to be overstated.
Ah, well... perhaps you didn't make it clear that I made it clear... but I think we're clear now... aren't we...? :)
Mike,
I would add Redarc and AustralianDirect to the list of suppliers of RV or 12v panels who have realistic claims for the output, but not surprisingly their panels are two or three times the price of the Ebay cheapies.
Australian Direct sell " kickass" products, some good reviews ,some bad. I have no problems with them.
How many amps is the specification of your blanket?
How many amps do you get out of your blanket?
Everything in van life has at least two uses. If you get a blanket, it will charge ya batteries and as well even you could use it as a blanket to super charge yourself for other activities.
Keep safe mate, especially if you use it as a blanket to keep you warm. Three uses.
When I looked at setting up my 120 watt system (120 to 160 watt I was looking at) I simply couldn't find any trueful information with solar blankets. They were all a bag of lies at best.
I needed a compact panel as we only have a car. We do not have the sheer luxury of the space of a larger vehicle, let alone a caravan.
So I looked for the best compact panel money could buy that would fit my space. It was a custom built 6 x 20 watt panel setup.
Which performed better, was cheaper & fitted the space & better quality than the crap basically that everyone flogs off.