I read somewhere that charging from solar panels is not recommended over the road due to vibrations and bumps. Has anyone tried this and how did it work for you?
I’m deciding on a van rooftop mounting strategy that would eliminate any chance of charging while driving by folding panels over each other for traveling. This adds protection to the panels as well in weather conditions producing hail or debris.
I’d like to charge while driving if that is at all possible, but if that isn’t an option I’ll give up on the idea.
Solar charging while in motion is possible, but only if the panel is solid and fixed. Then you also have drag to consider. If you put them folded, only the top panel can take in a charge. Then you must add diodes in series on each panel so the dark or covered panels will not lower the output of the uncovered panel. The last option is to fix the panels as part of the vehicle roof.
The concern I read about was for the AC unit being connected to live panels with the vibrations of the road and bumps jarring the AC200P itself and causing catastrophic damage.
I thought of folding panels under and connecting the two center panels series and both outer panels series with a diode between the series groups in parallel. Then the two exposed panels after folding the outer panels under would charge during travel. The center panels would hinge upward from their connecting spine and be mounted high enough to fit the other panel beneath, hinged along their van edge side. Hinging upward from their central spine would make it possible to hinge in and out the other panel. Then the whole apparatus would tilt both toward the front of the van or the back. The van would then park facing north or south; south to catch the sun through the windshield in the winter and north to shade it in the summer.
BUT, if charging on the road sets up the AC unit to blow a critical component and fail because of a pothole, I’ll stick with only charging while stationary which changes my need to have exposed cells after folding. Then I can simply fold the panels over each other’s face with rubber spacers and armor the backside with sheet metal overlaying thin plywood. These pieces could be made removable and used as solar concentrator as well.