Sunflex Solar Panels

[pfox10]

Hi
has anybody had any experience with Sunflex solar panels. These are particularly attractive because of their light weight and 3mm thickness.
The website is here --> http://www.sunflexsolar.com/
They are also available throught various selleres on ebay.
I am after some information from someone who has used them, e.g. reliability and performance.

Thanks
Peter

[dylanear]

Hi
has anybody had any experience with Sunflex solar panels. These are particularly attractive because of their light weight and 3mm thickness.
The website is here --> http://www.sunflexsolar.com/
They are also available throught various selleres on ebay.
I am after some information from someone who has used them, e.g. reliability and performance.

Thanks
Peter

I have no first hand experience with them, but I'm very curious about them myself. I do have an acquaintance who claims to have had a good experience putting two 40 watt panels on his trailer. So much so that he's putting a 70 watt on his son's trailer.

I'm very curious about the "monocrystaline cells" in a flexible form factor. They don't seem to be the same as thin film cells/panels, but they don't seem to be traditional hard silicon cells either.

[inetdog]

Flexible monocrystalline panels?

\
I'm very curious about the "monocrystaline cells" in a flexible form factor. They don't seem to be the same as thin film cells/panels, but they don't seem to be traditional hard silicon cells either.

The website also has a menu link for "polycrystalline cells" which just shows a list of their "monocrystalline" cells and other products. Confusing. And flexible and monocrystalline just do not go together well. Commonly seen flexible thin-film cells are usually described as "amorphous" rather than crystalline at all.
When a website's description does not match standard terminology and yet does not say they are using a new technology, either the website was written by someone who does not understand what he is talking about or it is intended to mislead. Either way, not reassuring.

[Sunking]

They are thin film technology. Stay away from them.

[dylanear]

They claim to be monocrystalline, not thin film.

http://www.sunflexsolarhk.com/product/sunflex-40w-flexible-solar-panel-40-watts-free-shipping

They seem to be a newer technology. I'm not seeing much info on it, but there's more and more examples of "flexible monocrystalline" panels. I'm very curious to know more about how they are made.

This company sells much more expensive monocrystalline flexible panels, they claim very high efficiency. Expensive to be sure, and they won't last 20 years like glass/metal panels, but if you need light weight and flexibility they seem like a possibility.

[inetdog]

They claim to be monocrystalline, not thin film.

http://www.sunflexsolarhk.com/product/sunflex-40w-flexible-solar-panel-40-watts-free-shipping

They seem to be a newer technology. I'm not seeing much info on it, but there's more and more examples of "flexible monocrystalline" panels. I'm very curious to know more about how they are made.

This site claims that they are using "the latest" technology, not a "new" technology specifically. And they do not describe it even by references. The two legitimate approaches I have seen from other references are silk-screen printed monocrsytalline on flexible substrate (not commercial yet) and smaller rigid cells in flexible panels (maximum bend 25%.) The illustrations of the sunflex panels being bent appear to show more than 25%.

[dylanear]

The website is not great, I suspect non native english speaking web developer. But they do look like solid monocrystalline cells, the rounded edges.

I can ask my friend who has used these panels what the cell material looks like to him. Long term quality is certainly unknown, but he's very happy with his. He recommended Sunflex with no reservations. Granted people tend to recommend whatever it is they bought or what their familiar with unless there's been an undeniable disaster.

Oh, sorry, seems I didn't put the link in my last post to this reference:
"This company sells much more expensive monocrystalline flexible panels, they claim very high efficiency. Expensive to be sure, and they won't last 20 years like glass/metal panels, but if you need light weight and flexibility they seem like a possibility."

http://www.solbian.eu/index.php/en/products.html

Soliban claims to use technology from these guys, who claim some of the highest efficiency available. Seems like actual monocrystalline cells, just very thin ones, in a flexible sheet.

http://us.sunpowercorp.com/homes/sunpower-advantage/smallest-footprint/