Could this be the answer for PV Solar camping systems.

[Fluffy]

This has some very real posibilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKhszB4E1_M

Now you can go camping with just one Solar Panel.

[ChrisH]

interesting video
I did notice the panel on the left of the video is semi shaded making the comparison inaccurate

Wonder if one can test this with this material?
https://leroymerlin.co.za/mirror-sil...0aAnkxEALw_wcB

[Fluffy]

interesting video
I did notice the panel on the left of the video is semi shaded making the comparison inaccurate

Wonder if one can test this with this material?
https://leroymerlin.co.za/mirror-sil...0aAnkxEALw_wcB

Looks like an excellent choice to me.

He didnt need to show the results for the normal panel, the results for the modified one stand up on their own.

[Dungbeetle]

This has some very real posibilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKhszB4E1_M

Now you can go camping with just one Solar Panel.

Really interesting, pity he had that shadow on the left panel

[Shade]

Cnn see these mirror panels being automatted to track the sun...next version.

[Fluffy]

I think this is a great idea for camping, but also for people who live on plots or farms where they are not strictly controlled by munics, bunny huggers and fuddy duddies.

[Fluffy]

Cnn see these mirror panels being automatted to track the sun...next version.

Should be real easy to do. You don't have to track to the n'th degree.

Just a simple geared motor with linkages.

[ChrisH]

Pityrhe actuators not that cheap
https://www.communica.co.za/products...actuator-500mm
But wil try the mirrors on my camping solar panels as clip ons.

[Fluffy]

You don't need a linear actuator to do that.

Design and print a little mechanism in 3D printer, Arduino, Cheap stepper motor. Eureka.

[Grise]

I know less than nothing about solar panels, but am considering getting some, so this is a genuine question.

What about the comments re that this application works in northern hemisphere winter were sun is low and you really need to 'boost' it, but that summer / strong sun applications will cause the panel 'components' to over heat and either shorten their life, or worst case scenario destroy them?

Thanks!

[Fluffy]

I know less than nothing about solar panels, but am considering getting some, so this is a genuine question.

What about the comments re that this application works in northern hemisphere winter were sun is low and you really need to 'boost' it, but that summer / strong sun applications will cause the panel 'components' to over heat and either shorten their life, or worst case scenario destroy them?

Thanks!

I also saw those comments.

My reply is hogwash. The extra light wont heat the panels that much. In sunny SA the surfaces are going to be at 70deg C anyhow. The extra energy is absorbed and converted into electricity.

And realistically if the extra heat reduces your panels life from 15 years to 14 years - so what, we are probably going to upgrade it to the latest technology in 5 years anyway.

Sun in the Northern Hemisphere is no different to the Southern Hemisphere, it only depends on how far you are away from the equator.

[Lofty]

I have a 100W solar panel flat on the roof of my Brakhah caravan.After watching the video will I be right or wrong saying if you add these reflectors to your panel it's a win win situation because what negative can there be even if it is flat mounted or even a bit shady.

[Fluffy]

I have a 100W solar panel flat on the roof of my Brakhah caravan.After watching the video will I be right or wrong saying if you add these reflectors to your panel it's a win win situation because what negative can there be even if it is flat mounted or even a bit shady.

If you can arrange it so that the light reflected off the mirror lands up on your panel it is a big win.

[hbannink]

Really interesting, pity he had that shadow on the left panel

Big white lettering stating that the shadow was corrected on 2nd test

[Fluffy]

Big white lettering stating that the shadow was corrected on 2nd test

Besides that, forget about the other panel.

150W out of a 100W panel in those conditions is fantastic. I would guess any most conditions at our latitudes and sun, we could easily expect peaks in the 200-250W range from a 100W panel.

This effectively gives somebody a system with the size and ease of packing a 100W system the performance of a 200W system with just a tweak of the mirrors say 3 or 4 time a day if you really need to.

[Gungets Tuft]

This is cool (well, warm to hot, but cool) and something I can play around with at home. I've got two identical 100w panels, willing to invest in two of those reflective panels and mess around in my back garden. If I can replace one of the 8kg panels with two light mirrors then I do not need to look for lighter flexible panels at around R8k.

[ChrisH]

Have looked at a few articles on the web where similar tests were done, most get a 20-30% improvement, this guy got 5 times improvement, something does not add up.

As a side note, one has to be careful that you done overload your charge controller with these additional mirrors, especially if you running say 150w panels on a 150 charge controller.

With my home solar system I have seen my solar generation jump (5.4kw panels) to almost 6kw for short periods due to the cloud edge effect, almost the same effect as what the mirrors do.

I would make my mirrors so I can hook them onto the side of the panels if needed in overcast weather.

[Fluffy]

Have looked at a few articles on the web where similar tests were done, most get a 20-30% improvement, this guy got 5 times improvement, something does not add up. (err they are not the same test, not by a LONG shot)

As a side note, one has to be careful that you done overload your charge controller with these additional mirrors, especially if you running say 150w panels on a 150 charge controller. (if you modify your system to produce more power, get a controller tha can except the extra power ....)

With my home solar system I have seen my solar generation jump (5.4kw panels) to almost 6kw for short periods due to the cloud edge effect, almost the same effect as what the mirrors do. (5.4kw to 6 kw is nothing like 5.4 kw to 10 or 15 kw)

I would make my mirrors so I can hook them onto the side of the panels if needed in overcast weather.

Oh Dear me.

Chris , those are a very specific example of one FIXED system type performance. You can get a ten time performance increase if you use a different and more intense solar concentration system. So we absolutely are not talking about the same thing.

Overloading your charge controller is a red herring the size of a Jumbo Jet. You size your charge controller to the expected power delivery, end of story, doesn't matter what you are using as the source.

Pretty much like saying don't add a second Solar panel to your system because it will damage your controller. If you are going to upgrade a system do it properly.