LightLeaf Customizable Solar Panels

Hey All,

Wanted to pop in here to discuss solar options and hear a bit about what headaches folks are having. We design and manufacture carbon fibre composite panels and right now our main market is teardrop trailers, as we can form them to fit the arc of the trailer and make use out of otherwise wasted space. Our panels are structural, virtually indestructible and lightweight. They are also removable, making them deployable when you are parked in the shade. We use high-grade SunPower cells that check in at about 23%, which is significantly higher than thin-film. We are also manufactured in Canada.

Ultimately, I'm curious as to other applications. We have individual panels you can buy, with the mounting hardware that allows you to remove and deploy. We are also developing a prototype that will fit Airstreams and act to replace the rock guard for the front window.

Anyway, I would love to hear more about what headaches our customized panels could solve for the hardcore overlanders. Will be active in this thread!

Cheers,

Nathan, LightLeaf Solar
 

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john61ct

Adventurer
I'm dreaming about a high weight load bearing (flat) roof rack

where the solar panels are suspended above, but can flip back for access to the rack contents

and maybe fix in place tilted for additional efficiency.

Perhaps protective rounded edges front and sides that extend a bit higher than the panels to reduce wind shear force, help reduce obvios visibility. . .
 

1leglance

2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
Headaches?
Well the method of passing through/connecting cables with the body is always a pain. I would like more info on the method you folks use/prefer
Currently I use 69x40 residential panels on my van roof as I have not found anything price per watt that compares.
However I am always interested in more power for the square footage and/or panels that handle the brutal Arizona sun better.
 

llamalander

Well-known member
Bypass diodes! lots of them! Partial shading can kill output so quickly, if you only have a panel or two for all your power keeping it pumping out watts is pretty important.
 

Alloy

Well-known member
hood/roof of a truck......in fact anywhere.

My 330W Panasonic HIT (19%) panels are 42lbs each.

Four of the panels are portable. That's means moving & and storing 165lbs that takes up 8" x 3' x 5' against a wall. Something thin/light could be hung from the ceiling of a compartment.

When my buddy borrows 2 of my panels he runs into the same storage issue and he'll lift the 42lb panels up and down from the roof of his RV.
 

Ninelitetrip

Well-known member
Kits to place on top of pop up truck campers. Panels of 100w to 200w and the hardware to install. Looking at the hardware in the picture above, is that using an adhesive to attach to the teardrop, or does it physically intrude into the exterior panel?
 
Kits to place on top of pop up truck campers. Panels of 100w to 200w and the hardware to install. Looking at the hardware in the picture above, is that using an adhesive to attach to the teardrop, or does it physically intrude into the exterior panel?
Have had a decent amount of interest from the pop up campers. What kind of hardware would be ideal? Most manufacturers screw through to the interior, but we have a few who are using a high grade adhesive to avoid penetrating.
 

Ninelitetrip

Well-known member
I would say the preference would be for adhesive. I think overtime as panels become more efficient or dimensions change would be easier to remove if applied with adhesive and not have to repair the roof. That’s one thought. Are you familiar with OEV over in Red Deer?

https://overlandex.com/

is the hardware plastic or metal? And could the height dimension be shortened or does it have to be the same height as shown in your picture?
 
I would say the preference would be for adhesive. I think overtime as panels become more efficient or dimensions change would be easier to remove if applied with adhesive and not have to repair the roof. That’s one thought. Are you familiar with OEV over in Red Deer?

https://overlandex.com/

is the hardware plastic or metal? And could the height dimension be shortened or does it have to be the same height as shown in your picture?
Have not hear of OEV, but have reached out to them. The Hardware is predominately plastic, as we design and 3D print our own. We can adjust the dimensions/style of the hardware as needed.
 

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