Author Topic: Curved solar panel  (Read 3514 times)

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Harold in CR

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Curved solar panel
« on: November 17, 2016, 08:38:52 AM »

 Abandoned farm next to us has a curved truck windshield on top of a shed roof. I have some solar cells.

 Just for experimenting purposes, if I can cut the winged ends off the piece, which side of the glass should I fasten the cells to ?

 Yeah, I get strange ideas,  ::)

 I want to try using the cells and vacuum forming them to the EVA ? that I bought a couple of years ago.

 This would be for experience so I can make up 3 panels of flat glass.

 Why do I want to do this ? Well, remember the lightning strike my wife suffered last month ? Sometime just before that happened, we had a severe thunder storm and the solar water heater I made, that worked very well for over a year, somehow had the 5-6 mm glass panel break and allow the rain to get inside and make a mess. The glass was plate, thicker than normal glass and was tinted.

 Yes, living in the jungle makes for strange materials to use. I can't get tempered glass here, but, that windshield has the plastic layer between the sheets of glass, sooo, maybe that would work for a solar panel either cells or water heater ??

 What say yee backyard tinkerers. Besides me being nutz, how about some serious input ??

Bruce S

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2016, 10:03:31 AM »
Your ideas are NOT so nutz! I've done this one,,,sorta  8).

I used a VW solar panel I've "borrowed" from GHURD  :o.

I tested the panels output both inside my window and outside of it. I get x2 the output outside the windshield.
I would say to use that windshield to build a solar water heater. The combo of the plastic and glass [I think] caused the panel to get too hot while inside my car. Heat and solar panels aren't a good mix.

JMHO

Bruce S
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Harold in CR

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2016, 11:50:09 AM »

 I'm talking about sticking the cells TO either the outside curve or the inside curve, after I cut off the very curved wings on each end of the glass.

tanner0441

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2016, 02:13:52 PM »
Hi

Sounds like your windscreen is laminated it will cut if you have a well balanced diamond blade in your grinder, and lots of water.... If either of the glass layers are toughened then your screen will instantly turn into loads of pretty little glass fragments. I won't elaborate how I know apart from saying it was a shower panel..

Brian


Harold in CR

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2016, 03:36:45 PM »
 Years ago, a friend worked at a glass company and I watched him cut a new window for my pickup truck. I have also been watching several youtube's about cutting windshields. I stink at cutting glass, but, since this is free, why not ? There are 2 side glass panels that were smashed by horses walking on them, and they have the plastic membrane, so, the windshield should also.

 I'm thinking lay the EVA on the table, lay the soldered up cells on that, then the glass, then lay another layer of EVA over the glass and tape it slightly in a few places to the first layer, to hold things in place.  Lay a backing layer of tyvek or some other tough material over that and tape it slightly in place.

 Work it all inside a plastic bag and seal it up with a tube sticking out for the vacuum line. Then, do the heat and vacuum thing.

 I need to get the glass down off the shed roof and over to my shop and clean it. It's filthy from algae from our humid environment.

 I plan on following the DIY plans on this forum, by oztules. Then, maybe I can find aluminum channel that I can form to fit the curve.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2016, 03:40:49 PM by Harold in CR »

SparWeb

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2016, 04:28:03 PM »
I have no doubt you'll succeed, but I'll add one note: I don't think the panels will produce as much energy as they should.
I expect there will be enough tint in an auto windshield to reduce the amount getting through to the silicon.
Also consider how well you can see through plate glass at an angle versus through windshield at an angle, and that may also be reduced when the sun is not shining directly.

I believe windshields have the lamination on the inside only.  Judging by the miniscule chips that I can pick out of the divot when my car's WS gets hit by a rock... far too often... I don't think the laminate is on the outside.

Test your adhesive on a cut-off piece of WS before doing the whole job.
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Harold in CR

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2016, 08:01:32 AM »

 Sparweb
   
 I have to retrieve the glass before I can do anything. I also do not have a glass cutter.

 The EVA is old, about 3 years old. I have read that over 1 year old EVA will probably not work as well as fresh, but, what determines fresh ?

 I have thought about tinting, but, down here, it is most always an add-on. I'm also not sure that this glass is from a Toyota small size pickup or a larger Isuzu 2 ton truck.

 As far as I can see, the laminate is between the 2 layers of glass. This is why front and rear glass doesn't explode into small bits when breaking. Once the glass is scored and cracked on both sides, alcohol is squirted on the cut line and set afire. Then, the discard part of the glass is gently pulled away and the membrane is cut with a razor blade or a "breakoff" type knife blade.

 We will see IF I get the glass and cut off a curved end wing.

 Thanks for responding. I was fearing I was going to be transferred to a new thread for psychiatric evaluation.   ::) ;D

tanner0441

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2016, 02:00:13 PM »
Hi

If it is just laminated with no toughened layer then apparently you score one side then the other immediately opposite it, snap the glass and cut the laminate with a craft knife. I just think the curved glass will never present a total area to the sun...

As for psycho analysis then you will not suffer from loneliness there are plenty of us in there already.

Brian.

Harold in CR

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2016, 06:53:58 PM »
  ;D ;D ;D ;D

 I am assuming on the laminate. Y'all know how assuming goes around here.

 IF it ever quits raining, I will see about getting the glass. It's pretty well covered in green algae/slime, so, I want to have a firm grip on it, before I slide it off the roof. It has one end hanging off the edge of the roof, and, that is throwing a bit of curve in it. I don't believe it has a lot of curve  ::)

XeonPony

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2016, 08:28:21 AM »
I'd put them on the concave side to collect during the elliptical of the sun.
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Harold in CR

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Re: Curved solar panel
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2016, 11:39:10 AM »

 Since my last post to this thread, I have been thinking the same thing. Only real worry I have, is, not getting enough cells on the glass to maintain the 5A rating of the cells.