October 25, 20205 yr Is it doable to join solar panels together with a sealant on thier edges so that rain does not get through to the underside? Thinking of a carport style installation where a car or other things are under the solar panels. So the solar panels become a roof. A few drips here and there is fine but would not want an actual air gap between the frames of the panels. I dont know if using a sealant to join the panels together is something that can be done or not. I know lots you here have installed PV so what are your thoughts on this? How would one achieve a carport with not too much water getting through to the underside ?
October 26, 20205 yr While this is a good idea and I’m sure someone out there has successfully done such an installation, I would be concerned about two things.. 1. There should ideally be a gap between the panels to allow for cooling. Too close together and they tend to get hot and retain that heat thus bringing down efficiency. 2. If one of the modules fails and needs to be replaced, it will be difficult to remove. Consider the marine sealer that holds a fish tank together. That stuff never lets go. You could maybe lay a “dampcourse” down on the rafters or brandering and then put the panels on top of that. However that will also retain a lot of heat and bring down efficiency. Maybe putting a dampcourse on the inside as a ceiling while leaving a generous gap for airflow would work.
October 26, 20205 yr Author My main concern was the frames expanding and contracting in the sun (heat). Would it be a different scenario re the heating up issue with bi-facials ? (that is, the panels retaining too much heat because they are joined together....not the expanding and contracting issue which I would imagine would be the same with any panel) Edited October 26, 20205 yr by Delta9 Typo's (because I am a lousy typist)
October 26, 20205 yr Not sure if it would work but this came to mind as apposed to a sealer maybe with some household silicone? Or nut and bolt?. Easy on easy off incase you need to change panels
October 27, 20205 yr 16 hours ago, Delta9 said: Would it be a different scenario re the heating up issue with bi-facials ? I tend to think the bi-facials would have the same issue with heat buildup lowering efficiency.
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