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Date:         Thu, 5 Oct 2006 23:34:40 -0600
Reply-To:     David Etter <detter@MAIL.AURACOM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Etter <detter@MAIL.AURACOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Solar Panels behind Tinted Glass
In-Reply-To:  <E1GVhXD-0008LW-N5@fenris.runbox.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

With just six watts at the very best of times (in theory) you are getting 0.5 amps... just about enough to charge your flashlight batteries; maybe, (read ahead). Then again the sun would have to be directly overhead and don't forget sitting in the sun on your dash-top the temperature is going to skyrocket and any temp over 80 - 90 degrees the panel's efficiency suffers. Best to pick up a panel that puts out 3.0+ amps (approx. 50 watts) and hide it in your roof luggage carrier. With 12 volt solar Panels, watts and amps and volts are not an exact formula, there is a lot of loss here. I have a 120 watt roof mounted panel by Kyocera that maxs out at 7.0+ amps at 17 volts which is where they operate, then with a controller cutting that to 13.8 volts but you still only get the original 7.6 amps. Sorry but your six watter may actually only output about 1/4 amp, good for a set of Nimh camera batteries. david (dsl82westy) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>I just bought a Sunsei solar panel that produces 6 watts... they >have that diode so I don't have to worry about losing current at >night... anyway... I don't really have good place to put it... right >now its sitting on the passenger seat... so I'm wondering if I put >it on behind the tinted side glass... how much energy will I not be >producing.... has anyone fooled around with this??? thanks... > >And maybe I should have gotten the one that produces 18 watts...


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