So today’s. Video we’re gonna be testing flexible, solar panels and typically I do not recommend anybody buying any of them on the market because they do not last very long, and so this test will be very interesting because I have an older panel with The same exact cells as a newer panel that I just bought – and these are rebranded some power, solar cells and I think they’re the best on the market, because every single other flexible solar panel, I’ve, tested and reviewed in The past they would fail after six months to around a year or the output would significantly decrease, but with the Sun power solar cells, I’ve noticed that they last a lot longer and they can take a lot more damage.
I actually flexed one and it cracked, but it still produced a lot of power, and this is because, as a copper backplate, they are harder to damage. Because of this, I also have a traditional, flexible solar panel that we’re, going to test the output of that one.
But I must stress, though, that whether you buy a cheap one or an expensive, flexible, solar panel, the output right when you buy it, will be very high and you’ll, be excited and happy because you thought you saved a lot of money.
But after a year or two, the cheap ones will have a significantly decreased output if you instead bought SunPower, solar cell ones, and today I have a rich solar one because they sent it out to me for free, but you can buy it from some power.
They’re. All rebranded solar cells are practically the same thing, but the big difference with flexible solar panels is not the solar cell itself, but the things around the solar cell, so typically with the diode boxes.
They’re very, very cheap, and I’ve seen them fall apart, also the material that they use on the front. Some of the stuff they use is not UV resistant and after, like six months, the panel start looking disgusting.
So you have to look out for that too. They give you a close-up. This is an old used one and you can see how much this thing has aged in only a year and a half. We can compare it to this one that’s. Shiny and beautiful and really nice, actually, I think they’re a little bit different.
I think this one’s encapsulated by ETF II, because you can see the small little dots on the front, so this one actually might be a bit different than the other one. I think it flexes less than the other one.
It feels a bit thicker, but yeah. This is rebranded. I mean this is the same thing as the Sun power one. They just stick their own label on there by the way this is like semi sponsored because rich solar sent these out to me.
I’m, not getting paid for the video, and I usually get paid only with affiliate Commission’s. If these videos actually help people and that’s. How I like to do it because it incentivizes honesty, because I don’t want to be spewing out a bunch of crap on YouTube.
So I hope this video helps let’s check out what happens before. We test the flexible solar panels. We’re gonna test, a glass one that we’ve tested numerous occasions before, so we have a baseline with this amount of sunshine right now it’s, pulling 99 watts continuous.
So first, we’re gonna test this panel and right now, this solar panel is producing 95 watts the highest we’re. Getting is 96 watts for the next test. We’re gonna use, one that has the same exact solar cells, but it’s a year and a half old yeah.
This one’s, thinner than the other one though so it has the same solar cells, but the other one might degrade differently because it has a different material. One’s, ninety degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s, producing 81 watts.
So after a year and a half, we have a decreased output by whatever that calculates. Out to now, we’re gonna leave these two in the Sun and heat them up and then test them a second time and while those solar panels heat up, we’re gonna test this one, which is pretty interesting.
It has two little diode box connectors. It’s, interesting to see the quality of materials changes. People complain more and more about them, so this one does not have some power solar cells, so typically these ones degrade faster.
In my experience, these might be different. I’m, not sure right now it’s 88 degrees and it’s. Producing 104 watts that’s, incredible yeah. It’s, a solid 103 to 104 watts. This has a very impressive output, but I wonder how fast it will degrade.
So I’m gonna hold on to this for the next six months to a year and see if the decreases output at all. Now the solar panel is at 116 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s, producing 90 watts, yeah 90 watts. Not nothing more all right now.
This solar panel is at 128 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s producing 75 watts. The pretty similar results temperature coefficient was between these two panels. I actually like the materials better in this panel.
They’re thicker and it’s harder to bend. So this one’s, 113 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s. Producing 99.9 watts, 100 watts, 99.9. God this thing’s, really good. Actually, this panel 1, the output test, but I’m, not sure how long it will.
Last every time I get one with traditional busbars. They always fail after six months to a year, no matter how much money I spend on them. So the some power ones, I know, will work for a long time but yeah.
I’m gonna keep this for the next six months to a year and see how it degrades. I’ve, actually been talking to rich solar and they get their cells from all over the world. So this one is made in India, but the other one is actually made in Indonesia, and a lot of people complained about their packaging, so they’ve, been changing the packaging that they’re using, and so this one’S encapsulated by cardboard that’s very thick, so this will not Bend at all.
Oh, look at that wow that’s, so cool looking, I don’t know what they use, but the texture of this stuff is really cool check it out guys. This is really neat, and this is pretty big for a 100 watt. Flexible solar panel bowl probably produce what’s rave for usually when they’re too small.
They don’t produce nearly as much power so yeah. So far it looks pretty darn good. There’s, nothing to really a remark and they have a hole right here and a hole right here for mounting. But I kind of wish there was one right here in the middle and this solar panel kind of reminds me of Rena G’s, new monocrystalline flexible panel with how the diode boxes are placed right here.
That looks pretty good. So far, let’s. Look at the other panel now! Oh! This is bizarre. Oh this is the Sun Power Cells. So this is a rebranded SunPower solar panel. This is pretty much exactly like the Sun power solar panel, which is two hundred and seventy-five dollars, but this one is only one hundred and seventy five dollars, but yeah you cannot flex this too much.
You just can feel it wanting to crack the other one. I think is less flexible, so which flexible solar panel should you actually buy. I cannot recommend any of these solar panels because they have their own pros and cons, and even though I know the Sun power, solar cells are better in the long term.
They’re, pretty bad, the degradation after like a year and a half was pretty pitiful. I’m also, it seems promising with the output of this traditional cell monocrystalline by rich solar, but I’m, not sure how long it will last for us.
But what I can say is if you are looking for a flexible solar panel, you should buy one that has ETFE one, that’s. White with the outside rails. Do not buy the black ones, because those ones fail. A lot faster buy one with some power, solar cells, and if you want to buy the traditional ones, it might produce more power right when you get it but, like I said many times before, it might not last as long and also buy a more expensive one, Because, even though the output will be good, the quality of the materials around it are better on the more expensive ones.
Some people could argue that you should buy $ 1,000 for 100 watt, sole being or some of the military-grade ones, and they do work. Those ones are rated for like 20 years and they do work as advertised, but I have never ever have wanted to spend that much money for a 100 watt panel.
So I don’t, see it as being cost-effective, and I really wanted to recommend this rich solar one, but the packaging was so bad, but the price is very low. So if you’re looking for a SunPower solar cell solar panel, then that one has a good price, but I can’t, really necessarily recommend it mainly because the packaging was so bad, so yeah.
I wish I had a more definitive answer, but that’s. What I’m gonna have to say I always put a disclaimer under all of my flexible solar panel recommendations on my website, and I say: hey look all of the panel’s.
I’ve tested, have failed, so be careful when you buy these. Another thing to think about is the warranty. These will probably fail in the next couple of years, and if I have a good warranty, I’ll, just swap them out and with my ml solar one.
I know those guys in Campbell California, and I can swap it out real quick if the output has decreased any more than what it is. Currently it’s, just what I’m, probably gonna. Do I’m just gonna keep swapping them out.
So if you’re trying to permanently install flexible solar panels, that’s kind of a bad idea, because you want to be able to swap them out and use that warranty if you can so yeah. I hope this video helps so yeah.
I’ll. Talk to you guys later see it
