Why Flexible Solar Panels Fail—and What We’re Using Instead | Step 436

How many cells are parallel and what about shading? Ridiculous price for these…

Solar panels and the sea? No way!! This won’t work with salt covering your panels constantly. And zero power at night ! Lies lies lies

Interesting idea, have you looked at Basalt fiber? Less expensive and as strong. It is also more resistant to environmental stresses that are very present on the ocean. Just asking as it would seem to be a better option that carbon fiber.

I referenced u2 in another channel's latest ep 325 video on bluewater/not boats. Put a synopsis of your videos' story there. I feel it's not good etiquette to reference other channels in comments, but as channels got mentioned in the video, I felt an exception was justified.

Your journey was relevant to the main theme in this video. Don't thank me, or reference me elsewhere. And feel free to disagree. It's not about your approval, but it may get you more traffic or subscribers – you deserve that.

Thank you for sharing.🙂🙂

Another consideration you may have missed is putting all that black surface on your cabin top is also going to heat up your interior.

Speaking frankly, if you had actually kept up with Solar Reality, you would never have even installed Flexible Solar Panels in the First place and never even considered such a thing as “all electric” after the comprehensive and extremely rapid Failure of Jimmy Cornell and his unlimited funding attempts with the best minds in the field just couldn’t make battery powered electric propulsion work in the Marine Environment, and to me, it has been really sad to witness so many people simply failing to pay attention, and in so many cases, attempt to use Unrealistic Virtue Signalling, to Bankroll their attempts to extricate themselves from what has been inevitable failure. Even in China, EV Sales have collapsed so badly, thanks to EV Fires and Explosions, that large numbers of New Unsold EV’s are being dumped on Wasteland still in their delivery finishes and Wrappings, and in much of the rest of the World, car dealers have stopped accepting EV’s as Trade ins, because they just can’t sell what they have already holding as stock. Finally, it is even sinking in that Wind and Solar Farms not only are incapable of delivering on promises, they can’t even recover the Energy used in Making, delivering, and installing them. Maths isn’t actually hard, and neither is Real Science, and when you find things are just incapable of adding up, no matter how much you try, at the end of the day, the figures still aren’t adding up are they, and the entire World is waking up to the Lies we have been told, for literally Decades now, along with Fake Science being promoted by disingenuous Retards who Fake Sincerity, Honesty, and Trustworthiness. Tilt ! Game Over. Now the Prosecutions are about to start I suppose ? 🤔 Bob.

Hey guys! Being stuck on the hard sucks! (4years and counting for me so far) However I’ve gone back thru your earlier seasons lately and found renewed inspiration from seasons 5-8 as I work towards getting my boat back on the water. Just wanted to say thank you again. 😁

Do the panels get hot?

DualSun Spring 425W panels with fluid channels to collect hot water and cool the panels. Increased efficiency and reduced need for heating with electricity.

You do a big promotion, so you have some explanation since i don't get it.
One might expect for a brand expensive like this that the impression they create to a customer is not the like the Chinese ones, of bigger numbers and false expectations.
But if i don't want to buy the 900 Euro's 130 Watt model and go cheaper for the 450 Euro's 55 Watt model, it appears to be just 53,78 Watt instead of advertised 55 Watt. That stings.

Worse, one might expect to slap this expensive panel onto your existing solar charger and 12 volt system right and for all that money have much more energy, right? Nope it won't even work it seems.
Spec state: a max power output Vmp of this panel to be just 9,6 Volt (16 cells x 0,6 Volt) That is way too low for a regular 12 Volt (13,8 or LifePo 14,2 Volt) solar charger and battery. I would need at least two in series, aka 900Euro and leads to shading issues. Or would need to boost up the voltage to at least 16 Volt with a special but inefficient 57%-70% Boost solar charger at extra cost. That Stings.
Also in the 13 Watt 4 cell model which outputs 4×0,6 volt =2,4 Volts @5,6 Amp. But one can charge a phone which needs double that voltage. So an inefficient boost converter must be build in to make it 5 volt, and amperage is lowered to 2,4 A Imp. Together that makes 12 Watt not 13. That Stings.
So what is the whole idea of this "55"watt panel?

No mention in the history of electric on UMA in the beginning of this episode about the gas generator you took to the north. Do you plan on having this potential lifesaving engine aboard in case of loss of power as you might need to power up on a dragging anchor for hours at night in a storm. Seems like good seamanship to have this option.

I glued plastic corrugated panels (24×48 inches -$50 each) from Home Depot to my flexible Sun Power 170 watt panels. I have 4 panels, so 680 watts of power, on my Bimini with a total weight including stainless steel tubing support of 30 lbs (15kg). I forget the exact cost of the solar panels, but the whole system including charge controllers, circuit breakers, wiring and bus bars, was under $3,000 dollars. Corrugated panels also offer a cooling airflow which should improve efficiency.

Missed out on your trip to Europe visiting #candela_boats which is now entering full run rate production. #Aptera world's first solar powered car running aboot apparently but as far a "flexible solar" there was a group up in Wisconsin I followed for a while who built an amazing van build #solarolla is where I would go with this project anyways my only beef with sailboats is the mainsail can't stand that thing no idea why people build a boat with that actually all that is needed with modern materials is a jib #jib_sailing huge revolution with monohull is transom mount gyros #seakeeper that's a way bigger deal for boating than any solar thing will be. Most underrated thing ever is a gasoline powered outboard for sailing as well…talk about an absolutely awesome amount of electrical output. Install the right system for that simple solution and you'll be sailing a Christmas Tree 😮😮😮😊😊

Flexible panels should be solidly mounted. They're not designed to constantly flexed.

I initially thought that the carbon fibre approach was going to be outrageously expensive, however checking prices in Australia, it isn't too bad at all. You guys are pioneers in the electrification approach. Hopefully someday it will become the norm. Meanwhile we have no solar panel recycling and old panels are mostly going to landfill.

I’ve used flexible solar panels for the last 8 years. They are light so I can put them up and take them down. They are clipped to an awning…so the frame is rigid…but tilted out they have lots of air flow and stay cool. After 8 years I have not seen a drop in my yield. Heat death is common with flexible panels mounted directly to a surface.

When did you guys get married? I see Kika wearing a Engagement ring and Wedding ring! @21:27

20:20 have you considered attaching these smaller ones to the mast?