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RE: The Surthrival Trailer has AC!
I'll bet 10 years is only for a stationary system. Driving with them is like being sandblasted. The reviews for the flexible panel's I bought where people permanently mounted them to the roof of an RV said they lost considerable conversion ability after just a season.
None mentioned the specifics, but I think those ppl weren't very experienced DIY'ers, if at all. So, reading between the lines, using my knowledge and experience, I believe it's because the coating has very little abrasion resistence.
I want to protect mine better, so I'll be researching this topic as well. If I come across anything promising, I'll let you know.
I had a solar panel mounted on my work truck for years, and just washed it when I washed the windows and lights, without noting any degradation in performance or the clarity of the glass.
Right, glass...I'm talking about other options to lighten up the panels. I have both panels framed in glass that are heavy, but won't scratch and flexible panel's set in epoxy that do scratch.
What's the best none-glass material that can be used to lighten the panels that has the same abrasion resistance as glass, but is lighter?
So, I was specifically addressing plastic coated panel's clouding over, because they cannot handle wind blown dust like glass does, because glass is the heaviest material used in framed panel's.
Glass is durable because of it's hardness, while lighter materials are less hard because they are less dense. Polycarbonate is the best option I am aware of if weight must be reduced, but it isn't as hard as glass, nor does it indefinitely remain transparent exposed to UV. I found glass to be the best compromise due to cost, durability, and availability.
Killer! There's got to be a way to create a uv stable hardened coating, or use a thinner glass with possibly some selective reinforcement.
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