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What to use as backing for Sylgard solar panels?

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  • azdave
    replied
    Originally posted by Diana View Post
    I just came by some panels recovered from a solar farm, 285w 30v. However they are damaged (glass front is burst) however they still give good output.
    Not worth the trouble. Yes, output may seem fine at first but water vapor is going to get through your repairs and begin doing damage. I would not invest anything into reusing a cracked or shattered panel unless your time and money are both free. If that is the case then you've got a great learning experience ahead.

    Leave a comment:


  • littleharbor
    replied
    60 cell grid tie solar panels are so cheap these days you would likely spend more on whatever resin encapsulant and other backing materials to repair it than buying a new panel. With a new panel you get a warrantee. With a repaired panel it's just a matter of time till it fails.

    Leave a comment:


  • bcroe
    replied
    Semiconductor devices do not tolerate moisture. If you break the seal on a transistor or an
    integrated circuit or a solar panel, it will still work at first. But expect it to fade away or quit in
    something like a few months. Bruce Roe

    Leave a comment:


  • Diana
    replied
    Hi sorry to bump this thread, total newbie. I have been looking to start a solar project for my camper, I just came by some panels recovered from a solar farm, 285w 30v. However they are damaged (glass front is burst) however they still give good output. Problem is as I understand it the glass is what gives the glass its structural integrity therefore I was proposing bonding some thin ply to the rear to put some strength back into it, then apply a silicone, resin to reseal the front. I would appreciate some advice on this, but please don't hang me for a schoolboy error as I am a novice eager to learn the black art, (without setting light to my camper)

    Leave a comment:


  • Naptown
    replied
    Originally posted by Solar-dude View Post
    this is from dow, the maker of slygard and their testing. Notice the panel has NO backer:

    And then they closed the Maryland plant and moved to China

    Leave a comment:


  • carnini
    replied
    Originally posted by Solar-dude View Post
    this is from dow, the maker of slygard and their testing. Notice the panel has NO backer:
    Wow that is pretty amazing, good info to know it will last a long long time.

    Leave a comment:


  • Solar-dude
    replied
    none needed according to dow and bp

    this is from dow, the maker of slygard and their testing. Notice the panel has NO backer:

    With more than 30 years of experience, and installations in over 160 countries, BP Solar is one of the world’s leading
    solar companies. It has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Spain, India and China.

    Dr. Jean Posbic, director of Technology Projects, BP Solar, tells the story: “In 1982, the array started at a 200kW
    nominal power and consisted of 52 parallel strings. Each string contained 60 modules, of 55Wto 65W, connected in series. The
    unframed modules used a silicone resin encapsulation.

    The whole system was stand-alone using a storage battery until 1987 when the systemwas converted to an uninterruptable
    power supply, then in 2000 to a pure grid-tied system.”

    FAST FORWARD 25 YEARS
    After 15 years of service, exposed to all types of weather in Maryland, USA, followed by 10 years in storage, BP Solar ran testing to determine how well the modules still performed.

    “Some of the modules removed a few years back were brought in and retested and showed little or no electrical
    degradation,” Posbic says. “The array is now being looked at for in-depth makeover in order to ensure many more
    years of operation.”

    Specifically, testing showed the panel’s power rating performance had only declined by 5 percent over a quarter century.
    “We understand that durability is one of the critical factors PV producers and other solar manufacturers are looking for,” says
    Allison Ashbrook, Americas commercial manager, Dow Corning Solar Solutions. “It’s worth noting that after such a long time, this panel is in outstanding shape. It’s completelyconstructed out of silicone encapsulation; noback sheet was used. There has been no degradation in the silicone and the panelis still operating as if it were new. This isthe kind of durability and sustained
    performance PV producers require.”
    Last edited by russ; 07-11-2011, 12:38 AM. Reason: formatted

    Leave a comment:


  • electricsuperduty
    replied
    Originally posted by landslide03 View Post
    I was thinking about the same thing. Some people use that thin white plastic backing. I was thinking about the 1/4 hardibacker board. The main reason is so that if there is a fire it would spread any further than the cells inside. Let me know what you guys think
    I would not use wood of any type, you should figure how you want to laminate your cells first. Sylgard does not require a backer, unless something is going to poke, prod, rip, tear or scrape against the back of your panel.

    Leave a comment:


  • longwolf
    replied
    I used heavy duty Reynolds Wrap and spray on contact adhesive to attach it.
    I would advise covering the solder points with electrical tape or clear vinal(?) electrical tape first.

    The foil is a great water blocker. And you could always add some kind of board afterward for physical protection.

    Leave a comment:


  • landslide03
    replied
    I was thinking about the same thing. Some people use that thin white plastic backing. I was thinking about the 1/4 hardibacker board. The main reason is so that if there is a fire it would spread any further than the cells inside. Let me know what you guys think

    Leave a comment:


  • glock15
    replied
    I

    Leave a comment:


  • solarnoobie
    started a topic What to use as backing for Sylgard solar panels?

    What to use as backing for Sylgard solar panels?

    So we all know the layering for EVA based encapsulation is -

    Glass / EVA / Solar Cell / EVA / Tedlar.

    But what about for Sylgard?

    Glass / Sylgard soaked Solar Cell / ??? (Another glass? Tedlar? fiberglass?)

    Let me know what you think..


    Thanks in advance.
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