Question 1

Can I use many of these on my tin roof to supply power to my house? How many would I need to generate 2,400 KW a month?

Accepted Answer

UHM Are you sure you need that much power in 1 month? I use 300kWh at most at my house. Assuming you mean average over a year and not 2,400kWh worse case, you would need around a 25kW array. This also assumes the system is facing south and not obstructed by trees. This is a large system and you would need 174 panels. Typically a residence has around a 5kW array so yours would be 5 times larger.

Question 2

does anyone know if you buy a panel now and cant install do to wheather if this will harm solar cells?

Accepted Answer

Do you mean: "will a solar panel or film get harmed by not being used?" (immediately?) Short answer is NO.Longer answer is also NO.Damage may be accrued due to the materials the panel or film is made of. And the storage time / temperature / packing conditions.So if its dry and room temp and the panel is flat / film is flat then it should last some years.But everything will age and the covering layer may be subject to changes with time etc.But any panel bought and used within a year should be no problem at all.Just store it with care.Update: Panel deterioration over time:  92% at 10 years, 84% at 20 years, 80% at 25 years (of minimum power)         According to their PDF spec sheet (pvl-144-43882.pdf)

Question 3

what do i need to power a hot tub 24hours every day all the time

Accepted Answer

Wow, big question. OK - first - everything is power in must be more than power used/out.So lets see what the solar panel can do, meaning what can it put into a battery bank (saving for later or immediate use)That is always the problem - storing power - as is common with wind or solar systems.This panel = 144W (peak and thus only 4~6 hours delivery per day and with no losses or inefficiencies included)In any case we only get 144W / h And this is either directly fed - but preferably via a battery bank.If we had 2 x 12V 100Ah batteries in series = 24V at 100Ah (max capacity thus = 2.4kW)Fed by the solar panel they would charge about 800W per dayAfter 3 days they are full (3 x 800 = 2.4kW)So if you draw 1kW (e.g a kettle) it could run for 2.4 h (2.4kW divided by 1kW)So you see the problem....with peak sunshine and 3 days charging we only have 2 hours of medium load (a kettle in this case)Wait 3 days to boil the kettle 6~12 times....hmmm)If you used the system for LED lights and mobile charging it could run for days.However a tub is likely to be at least a few kettles worth of power!!!One could double the system - but if the tub is 6kW+ (heater element with water jet pumps etc) then it makes little difference)In practice massive arrays of 12 ~ 24+ panels feeding up to 20 ~ 50+ batteries would be needed for a large houseHalf or less than that for a tubA geyser, tub and oven +- fridge are the largest appliances to be consideredForget air conditioners and underfloor heating etc!!Above is not precise nor 100% correct - it is simply meant to give an overview of the principle.Using solar (geyser) tanks feeding the tub solar heated water, augmented by solar panels that enable limited heater element use would be the solution for a tub.For any large electrical appliance it needs proper planning.This panel is for small stuff. I can charge my battery easy in a day and then the larger the battery i use (gel, 90% efficient) i can charge my radios and mobiles and LED lights all night and even for some days if need be.If i wanted a kettle - i'd need an inverter.And more batteries to save up charge.And use the kettle 3 x a day max..but after a few days i need to "rest" to recharge the batteries fully againAnd given no clouds or rain - peak sunshine only!!!So if you are seriously envisioning a solar system best is get a local expert to calculate all the power demands.Just bear in mind that simple things like insulation, thermal cover blankets and low power jets make a massive difference.Its all accumulative.In a way its like a dripping pipe filling a cup to supply water for a person (or family)More demand needs more drips - at some point its simply not viable.Hope that helped.

Question 4

I need those panels with mc3 connector. are those mc3 ?

Accepted Answer

These panels comes integrated with MC4 connectors. However one can use a converter adapter from MC4 to MC3. Available at Amazon.

UniSolar PVL-144 Laminate, Amorphous 24V Solar Panel 144 Watts - Peel & Stick

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