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Old 02-11-2017, 10:08 PM   #1
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Solar Panels that are not Susceptible to Shade Shut Down

Does anyone have any experience with the Sunpower solar panels sold by Overland Solar? I just had a chat with one of the guys from Overland at the Seattle RV show. He claims that the Sunpower panels they sell will not shut down if some of the cells are shaded. Only the shaded cell will shut down. The rest of the panel keeps producing.

Overland sells a 200 Watt kit for $800. Seems like a reasonable deal for panels that are immune to the shade effect.

Does anyone know anything about this?
https://overlandsolar.com/collection...ppt-controller


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Old 02-11-2017, 10:18 PM   #2
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We have one of their portable 150 watts systems. Not sure it uses the same panel. Am very sastified with it. All my dealings with the company were handled efficiently. Would definately buy from them again.
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Old 02-12-2017, 01:35 AM   #3
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I also have an Overland Solar portable system, 90 watt portable unit. I am very pleased with it and I also believe he know what he is talking about. The Overland Solar guy also lives in a solar powered off the grid home.
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Old 02-12-2017, 08:54 AM   #4
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I haven't really noticed this effect affecting much.. I've got 3 100W panels, about $110 each, and they definitely don't 'shut down' in partial sun. They just produce less power.
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Old 02-12-2017, 10:42 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glider View Post
... He claims that the Sunpower panels they sell will not shut down if some of the cells are shaded. Only the shaded cell will shut down. The rest of the panel keeps producing.

Overland sells a 200 Watt kit for $800. Seems like a reasonable deal for panels that are immune to the shade effect....
Seems like a reasonable price if you're buying an all encompassing kit.

As far as the statements above, take those with a grain of salt. I'm not sure you'll find many panels that will "shut down" when partially shaded. The MPPT controller will definitely help in that regard.

I've referenced this thread before because it's eye-opening.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...anel-6853.html


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Old 02-12-2017, 11:47 AM   #6
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A little less output but hard to beat $620 for this kit. Kyocera 145 watt polycrystalline panel with the SunSaver 15 MPPT controller.
https://www.solar-electric.com/rv-ki...atts-mppt.html

Not sure whether mono or poly is better for partial shading. Intuitively my guess would be mono because it's one big crystal of sorts. I know on a grid-tie system on a roof with multiple panels the primary way to minimize shading is for each panel to have it's own controller.
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Old 02-12-2017, 03:18 PM   #7
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I would love to see this proven. I'm not doubting, just unfamiliar. The best value, in my opinion, is to find a happy medium between price and perfomance given the panels keep getting better. That said, you could put together a kit with the same stuff off Amazon for about half that price (Renogy or equal panels and a respectable Blue Sky MPPT controller). The extras in the kit are peanuts (cable, brackets, bulkhead, etc.)

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Old 02-12-2017, 04:07 PM   #8
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Sunpower solar's web site is pretty heavily weighted that their panels are superior in performance and durability than others. It might be difficult to prove durability but a side by side comparison of output would be nice before spending more for their panels. As far as shading, again I'd want to see it proven. I wouldn't make my decision to buy their panels solely on that claim. Every solar panel I've been around has behaved the same as in the video BrocoHauler referenced. Here is another video of panel performance and shading.

https://youtu.be/1qD3mN8VotQ

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Old 02-12-2017, 05:08 PM   #9
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Somehow I've missed Jage's video until today, but I think the main thing is yes, you will lose a bunch of power if one portion of the panel is 100% blocked from the sun, but when does that ever happen? You'll get ambient light to all panels if any of them are getting sun, unless you happened to be parked literally in a tree where something is that close to the panels.

I've actually been pretty amazed at how well my panels due in cloudy and shady conditions.. if it's daylight, I'll generally still be pulling in a few amps...
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Old 02-12-2017, 06:42 PM   #10
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I think terminology is key when addressing technical components. When I hear shut down I'm thinking the entire panel turns off because of no sun, or shaded. If a solar panel maker had a panel on the market that would shut down when faced with these two scenarios, I doubt they'd be in business long. If metered correctly you can see how much a single leaf affects the output of a panel.

True when shaded or low sun most panels will have decreased output to the charge controller and batteries. Now I'm assuming their using an MTTP charge controller and in this case if their comparing it to a PWM controller, then yes their panel will out perform. For what it's worth I only use Renogy because their systems are the only ones that have been problem free, and I've had excellent service time and time again from them. I also like that their products are their own and not a bunch of re-branded charge controllers and panels that a lot of companies try to pass off as theirs.

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