Broken Solar Panel Glass Repair (Simple)

Hey Guys, just a quick and easy tutorial today! So recently I picked up these two 100W solar panels for under $100 because one of the panels glass was shattered. At first i believed I could just remove the smashed glass and replace it however after more research I discovered the solar cells and attached to the glass so removal is not an option.

There are a lot of videos and tutorials with different fixes but this was the simplest most effective and longest lasting fix, with no loss is quality of the panels.

Step 1: What You Need

All you need is

1. Polyurethane, any type should do just ensure its water and weatherproof. I used Norglass, it was cheap and properties suited my needs. Also many resins will work too, but double check they are waterproof and wont fade in direct sunlight!
2. Something to mix in
3. Something to push the resin around the panel, I just used a scrapper from an old builders bog container.

Step 2: Applying the Resin

This process is super simple but here are the steps to follow.

1. Level out the panel using a level (so the resin doesn't flow to one spot)
2. Clean off the panel, just make sure its nice and clean for best results.
3. Mix your resin following instructions on the can (three quarters of a margarine container covered my whole panel easily)
4. Pour most of the resin around the panel but save a small amount.
5. Push the resin around the panel to ensure the whole panel is covered evenly.
6. Wait a few minutes for the resin to make its way into the cracks then using the leftover resin top up and low spots
7. Leave to dry.
8. Add more resin if needed.

Step 3: Results

So in the first image is the specifications of each panel, the next two are the the measured results of the panel after the repair. As you can see there is almost zero loss from the repair.

Step 4: Wrap Up

Hopefully this helps some of you guys out and is less complicated than some other explanations out there! As always leave any questions you may have and I'll try answer them to the best of my ability!

Also please chuck me a follow to stay informed on my instructables, I have a few exciting projects in the works at the moment not far away!

Comments

[earthrealm]

Great write up, had to register to comment, so what volume of polyurethane did you use?am thinking of buying this from amazon, i have a shattered 250w mono panel

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044FFL06/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

[FlawedDesign]

Hey thanks a lot this I have a great passion for this and appreciate the support!
I used about one margarine container worth (about 500ml).
Its important to get it to spread across evenly, I did this by applying most of the 500ml and then watching for low spots to fill with the remainder
Thanks again and good luck!

[earthrealm]

Got the polyurerhane from the amazom link as î said.....its not clear clear as i tought.it had a honey kind of tinge.repair went ok. Will observe and report after a couple of months

[reijoloik]

How have the panels been? Are they still working?
Have you had to recoat them?

[Ibrahim_95511]

Hello
Thanks for valuable info.
Did you use polyurethane with another material or only it ?

[BruceB138]

Do you need to do the whole panel or just an area around the cracks?

[wpc]

Isn't the polyurethane going to eventually yellow and your entire panel will be cloudy like old car headlights?

[FlawedDesign]

This type of polyurethane is not ment to, I have used it a few times and not noticed any type of cloudiness. These panels are portable and not constantly left in direct sun maybe if they were a more expensive resin would be a good option!

[earthrealm]

Mine yellowed and flaked. See attached picture.
. Maybe i would try the automative clear coat as another user suggested

[efoster6]

After buying and throwing away many resin panels I have found that if you spray them with automotive clear coat they will last for years instead of the usual 1-2 years in full sun

[RajeshY13]

can it clear like orignal glass after long time in sunlight.
plz cler it my solar panels brocken.

[FlawedDesign]

It probably won't be as clear as the original glass depends on the quality of epoxy. However in my tests the effectiveness of the panel was not effected

[Steinzel]

Nice! I have one panel with shattered glass. I'm going to try this out! Might be just the thing I need!
Thanks!

[jtechian]

Glad you were able to salvage your panels. Was your glass all still intact, or was bits missing? Why I ask is epoxy type resin does not expand and contract well without cracking and these panels get quite hot when working in full sunlight. How long have you had them in operation since repair and have you noticed any new cracks ? I have also learned that you cant use had setting resin to mount solar cells embedded in, as they will crack due to heat expansion, which is why they use soft flexible silicone resin that will allow expansion with the cells. I think its called Cell Guard which may work to seal the glass also.Thanks

[FlawedDesign]

Hey, so firstly the glass was fairly crack but no large bits of glass missing so the expanding and contracting will never be a but issue but if glass was missing in large sections I agree!

The polyurethane I used drys almost like a silcon however, another great quality of it so hopefully this kind of issue shouldn't occur.

Have used these panels in the heat multiple times with no signs of failure yet. Thanks for the question hopefully it helps people out!

[kmpres]

So this is some kind of two-part polyurethane is it? The stuff available in the country where I live is simply called urethane, is one-part, has no odor and looks like skim milk though it is a tad thicker. It works well, though. I just finished a new lab table with four coats of the stuff. Each coat dried in ten minutes and left a beautiful shine with minimal sanding between coats. I love it - will throw out all my old cans of varnish and use this from now on. Is that the same stuff as yours or is yours something more like epoxy?

[XTL]

The skim milk looking stuff is probbaly a water based polyurethane. It might not be as good as non-water based ones because it might not be as clear. However make sure the poly is UV resistant and will dry clear and not yellow. Then it should be OK.

[FlawedDesign]

The one I have used is more of an epoxy however like you say lots come in the varnish like form. I've not tried this on panels or really ever used it but as long as its weather resistant and fills the cracks I cannot see why that wouldn't be a viable option!

[djohnson0922]

What were your voltage and current readings before repair?

[FlawedDesign]

Exactly the same roughly! Me being silly I forgot to take picture before, ughh dumb. But they read almost identical before and after.

However after the resin was on the panel I was reading the full 200w of the panels so there was no loss!