I recently purchased a budget-friendly solar blanket at a 4x4 accessories store, and I'm starting to have some issues with it. It's a 120W blanket connected to a 20A MPPT controller and two 105Ah AGM batteries in my camping trailer. Initially, it worked great at keeping the batteries charged, but I've noticed that during my last few outings, its performance has dropped. I tested it with a watt meter, and it only puts out about 30W at max under full sun and 0.5 amps. I'm considering buying a 160W folding solar panel as an upgrade, but I'm also thinking about dismantling the blanket to see if I can repurpose the four solar cells into a folding panel. Any advice on what I should do?
2 Answers
If the blanket isn’t working properly, I think it’s worth taking it apart just to see if there’s anything salvageable. In my experience, these solar blankets can be overpriced, inefficient, and break easily. I have a 40W one I use with a portable battery and inverter, and it’s compact for camping, but I had similar issues with efficiency and durability. If you can repurpose those cells, that might be a good route!
Yeah, those flexible mounts often crack the crystals in the cells and impact their performance. It's really frustrating when you've invested in something that doesn’t hold up! If you do dismantle it, make sure to check each cell's voltage, and look for any visible signs of damage. It might give you some clues about the overall efficiency.