Purchasing your first solar panel can be a daunting experience. There are so many different kinds, styles, ratings, and brands. Conversations about solar panels tend to get real technical real quick, so I’ll keep this one simple: of all the types and brands of solar panels I own, Renogy’s Flexible solar panels are my favorite.
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JUST THE FACTS
Renogy’s 200 watt flexible solar panels can be used for temporary or permanent installations. They’re light, well-built, and perform better than any other brand currently on the market.
FULL REVIEW
After purchasing my camper trailer the first thing I wanted to do was add solar to the roof. I won’t lie, going from knowing nothing about solar to installing your own system is intimidating. It seems like every video about solar panels on YouTube is made by math nerds or electricity wizards. Like I said, this short review isn’t intended to teach you everthing there is to know about solar, but whan I can tell you is what I learned about solar panels, and why I believe Renogy’s Flexible solar panels are one of the best out there.
There are three different types of solar panels. There are big, solid ones mounted to heavy frames; foldable and portable panels often used while camping; and then there are flexible solar panels that can be used in many different applications. Those heavier, frame-mounted panels are usually used when mounting solar panels in a permanent location, like up on a roof or as part of a solar farm. Those portable, folding solar panels are often used by campers. They work okay and I own a set, but my biggest problem with them is that they’re super lightweight and here in the Midwest they blow over at even a hint of wind.
Flexible solar panels are, as the name suggests, flexible. The ads on Amazon show them bent in half and while I’m not sure I would try that, what they’re intended for is mounting to a curved surface, like the roof of a car, camper, or trailer. When it comes to mounting them, there are many options. They have eyelet openings down the side and come with Velcro straps that will allow you to mount it to any vehicle’s luggage rack. I have two of these mounted to the roof of my van and I used permanent RV tape combined with 3M vehicle mounting adhesive. I’ve had them on the roof for three years now and they’re not going anywhere. I’ve also experimented with sticking them to the side of my camper using magnetic hooks and while that worked fine while parked, I wouldn’t recommend doing that while driving.
In my experience all solar panels use what are called MC4 connectors to connect to batteries (and if daisy chained, each other). Of the two batteries I own, one uses a small bareel-style input and the other uses XT60. Before you freak out about all those letters and numbers, just know this — Renogy’s panels have the same connectors as every other panel, and the solar industry seems to be built around selling customers adapters. With enough adapters, everything will eventually connect to anything.
As you can tell by shopping around on Amazon, Renogy’s solar panels are more expensive than almost anyone else’s. Let me tell you why, and why it’s justified. The three main reasons are quality, performance, and brand name.
Renogy solar panels are built better than any of the other brands I’ve tried. The plastic mounting is a little thicker, the cables are well attached, and most importantly the actual solar cells are, without getting into a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo, “the good kind.” A lot of solar panels look similar online but when you actually have them in front of you, the differences are obvious. The knock-off Chinese one I purchased is thinner, flimsier, has thinner cables, and is physically a little smaller which means less solar cells.
What’s more important to me is the performance, and this is where Renogy shines. It’s a not-so-well hidden secret that no solar panel delivers as much power as it claims to. The only way I think you can get 100 watts from a 100 watt solar panel is to throw it into the sun. Here on earth, you’ll get less — and how much less depends on the quality of the panel. I have a cheap Chinese panel that cost about 75% what my Renogy panel cost and the most watts I’ve ever got out of it was 55 watts. Out of a 100 watt panel. I also have an AllPowers foldable/portable panel rated for 100 watts that when pointed directly at the sun in the middle of July I got 80 watts from. The highest I’ve got from my Renogy 100 watt flexible panel is 93 watts — again that’s under ideal conditions, but it’s above and beyond ant of the others I’ve tried.
Finally, there’s the Renogy name. Renogy has better support and a better warranty than any of the other panels I’ve purchased.
I currently own two 200 watt Renogy Flexible solar panels mounted to the roof of my RV. On a normal sunny day I get about 350 watts total, which is pretty impressive. If I were to angle them more directly toward the sun I could get even more. I’ve been super happy with these panels and wish I could trade in all the inferior panels I’ve purchased over the year toward buying one or two more Renogy ones.
WHAT I LIKED
ā
The Best Quality
ā
The Best Performance
ā
The Best Support and Warranty
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
āNothing. The higher price is justified
SUMMARY AND LINKS
If you’re just getting in to solar, the best thing you can go (and what worked for me) is to find people who know what they’re talking about and, if your use case is similar to theirs, buy what they’re using. I’m using Renogy Flexible solar panels and would recommend them to anyone looking to mount a solar panel on the roof of a vehicle or even for a semi-permanent installation. I appreciate the performance, build quality, and support from Renogy.
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š„WWW: BestStuffFinder.com
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I own one of these they are great. Good review.
these work good with a power station, it will keep them charged for free