Foldable solar panel for E-bike charging

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BiggKidd

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So living way out in the country finding places to charge while taking a break can be tough. I'm looking at getting one or two of these 200W folding solar panels to carry with me.


Does anyone have any working knowledge of them? Robot or human is a walmart link to the panel
 
You will need the panels and have them wired into an MPPT controller, that is set for the target voltage of your battery. So if you have a 48v battery, you'd set your MPPT controller to feed say a max of 3a and 54v.

Unfortunately, you can't just plug in the panels with the XT60 plug the ones you linked to come with. The good news is an MPPT controller is not that tough to get or to get set up.
 
Also, look at the specs on those panels. Open circuit voltage (VoC) is only 23.6v, which is an ideal number you will seldom get up to. So you'd want to set up your two panels in series, which will give you a peak voltage input of 47.2v in ideal conditions... which is only a 53% charge on a 48v system. 3 sets of those panels in series with an MPPT to step down the output so it doesn't fry your battery would be needed to do a 48v or 52v system enough to matter. And with three sets of those panels, now, aren't you up to enough weight where you may as well just carry another battery instead?

When I did my own solar setup, I used three sets of folding 200w panels whose main purpose was to recharge my sogen that powered everything at my campsite. So I actually plug in a charger to that solar generator. You won't be doing that part, but bottom line is I had to use three sets of panels.
 
I've been living off grid with a home brew solar power system for 17 years I got that angle well covered! I even have a step up MPPT charge controller or three. lol I like spare parts! lol

Two of those 200 watt panels should about give me what I need. One on each side in a pannier will keep things balanced. I figure the two 200w panels if they are of fair quality they will generally put out about 280-330 watts combined. Like I said I've lived with solar for power a long time.
 
BiggKidd said:
So living way out in the country finding places to charge while taking a break can be tough. I'm looking at getting one or two of these 200W folding solar panels to carry with me.


Does anyone have any working knowledge of them? Robot or human is a walmart link to the panel
Click to expand...
I have one, 200w 'in good sun'. Mine was quite pricy before the glut. Seen 'em online now for a 1/3 what I paid.$700.
It did not come with the dimensions listed, but one cool thing, the surface consists of tiny half domes that double the
surface area receiving light from all directions. It folds into a 12" x 9" x 3" satchel, plug & play simple with a variety
of connectors. Quiet Kat. they are being sold by a number of sites now
 
Rawly Old said:
I have one, 200w 'in good sun'. Mine was quite pricy before the glut. Seen 'em online now for a 1/3 what I paid.$700.
It did not come with the dimensions listed, but one cool thing, the surface consists of tiny half domes that double the
surface area receiving light from all directions. It folds into a 12" x 9" x 3" satchel, plug & play simple with a variety
of connectors. Quiet Kat. they are being sold by a number of sites now
Click to expand...
I looked at those as well, pretty sure I got the link from you, but pricewise these appear to be a better deal.
 
BiggKidd said:
Two of those 200 watt panels should about give me what I need. One on each side in a pannier will keep things balanced. I figure the two 200w panels if they are of fair quality they will generally put out about 280-330 watts combined.
Click to expand...
Does an MPPT controller allow for stepping up voltage over what the panels do? I've got one, and I set it up once, but generally I don't go direct like that as I never have any need for an in-the-field solar bump. Is it just, then, about watts input and the voltage can be less?
 
m@Robertson said:
Does an MPPT controller allow for stepping up voltage over what the panels do? I've got one, and I set it up once, but generally I don't go direct like that as I never have any need for an in-the-field solar bump. Is it just, then, about watts input and the voltage can be less?
Click to expand...
Far as I know standard controllers do not but boost controllers do. Here are a couple boost controllers.

www.renogy.com

36V/48V Rover Boost 10A MPPT Solar Charge Controller

The 10A Rover Increase fee controller permits you to charge 36V or 48V battery financial institutions with 12V or 24V low voltage solar panels.
www.renogy.com www.renogy.com


Robot or Human is a walmart link to another controller
 
I got a wild hair late last night or early this morning and put a real low ball offer in on Ebay for the folding panel listed above. I never expected them to accept the offer but they did. Problem is this morning I got an email from Rockbro's saying they lost my panniers and now they are trying to exchange them for some ugly color which I said no to. So now I have the solar panel coming but no panniers large enough to carry it in. Fun fun fun!!!
 
BiggKidd said:
I got a wild hair late last night or early this morning and put a real low ball offer in on Ebay for the folding panel listed above. I never expected them to accept the offer but they did. Problem is this morning I got an email from Rockbro's saying they lost my panniers and now they are trying to exchange them for some ugly color which I said no to. So now I have the solar panel coming but no panniers large enough to carry it in. Fun fun fun!!!
Click to expand...
Check your pannier thread. I gave you a link to a set of the 32L packs I have been watching and that are still available :-)
 
Panel came in today, haven't bothered to open it yet. Probably won't until well in to spring when it's warmer and I need it. At least the box was intact and appears undamaged unlike the kickstand box that was mutilated in shipping and lost all the hardware!
 

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