80W Walkable Solar Panel Marine & RV OEM Semi-rigid Lightweight

An 80W walkable semi-rigid solar panel measuring 990 × 407 × 4 mm — a narrow strip built for sidedecks, coachroofs and the gaps between roof vents, where a framed glass module simply will not fit. Back-contact cells, ETFE front sheet, structural backing plate. Size, power, voltage and mounting are all configurable through Couleenergy’s OEM/ODM program. MOQ 100 pieces.

The CLM-080ME is an 80W walkable semi-rigid solar panel for marine, RV, balcony and OEM applications. It measures 990 × 407 × 4 mm and weighs about 2.4 kg — roughly a sixth the thickness of a framed glass module and around half the weight per square meter.

The format exists to solve one problem. On a boat or a van, usable surface is rarely a clean rectangle. It is a strip between a hatch and a handrail, a run of sidedeck, a band of roof left over after the vents and the rack. A framed panel rated higher than this one still produces nothing there, because it does not fit.

What 990 × 407 mm Buys You

Forty quarter-cut back-contact cells sit in two columns inside the laminate. That works out to about 198 watts per square meter — the same power density as walkable panels two or three times its size, in a footprint that clears the obstacles.

Cutting each cell into four also lowers the current every piece carries. Resistive loss rises with the square of current, so quartering removes most of the wiring loss a narrow module would otherwise pay for.

Rated power	80 W
Power density	~198 W/m² (module efficiency ~19.9%)
Footprint	990 × 407 mm (0.403 m²)
Espesor	4 mm, frameless
Peso	~2.4 kg (~6 kg/m², vs 10–12.5 kg/m² for framed glass)

How the Panel Is Built

A glass module does two jobs at once: it generates power and it protects the cells. Separate those jobs and the panel gets lighter without getting weaker.

• Lámina frontal de ETFE — a textured fluoropolymer film with high light transmission, strong UV resistance and a surface that sheds salt film and dirt. The texture also adds grip underfoot.
• Encapsulante — seals and cushions the cell plane.
• Células de contacto posterior — HPBC or ABC, above 25.2% cell efficiency, with no front busbars to shade the wafer.
• Structural backing plate — the layer that makes the panel walkable. It spreads a point load across the laminate so no single cell takes the pressure.

Without that plate, an ETFE panel is a flexible panel with a firmer front sheet, and it will still crack underfoot. The plate is the difference. You can choose the material:

compuesto de fibra de vidrio	Balanced stiffness and weight. The default for curved decks and general marine or RV work.
fibra de carbono	Highest stiffness per kilogram. For weight-critical decks and performance craft.
Aluminium sheet	Very stiff, heavier, spreads heat well. Suits flat mounting.
Composite core	Light and moderately stiff. Suits cost-sensitive volume programs.

Can You Walk On It?

Yes — with a condition worth stating plainly, because no international standard defines the word “walkable.”

Supported evenly on a solid substrate, the backing plate distributes your weight across many cells and normal foot traffic in soft-soled shoes is fine. Span the same panel across a gap and that footstep becomes a bending load instead, which is a different and much harsher case.

So the load a walkable configuration will carry depends on the backing plate and the surface underneath it. Tell us the substrate when you inquire and we will confirm the figure for your build rather than quote a headline number that may not apply to it.

Charge Controller: Use MPPT, Not PWM

At 25.2 V maximum-power voltage, this panel is not a PWM panel. A PWM controller pulls the array down to battery voltage, which here means roughly 3.4 A at about 13.6 V — near 46 W collected from an 80 W module.

An MPPT controller converts the surplus voltage into extra charging current instead. Use one.

12 V battery bank	One panel into an MPPT controller. Good headroom even when hot.
24 V battery bank	Two panels in series (~50 V at maximum power).
48 V battery bank	Four panels in series. Check the cold-weather Voc against your controller’s input limit.
PWM 12 V required	We reconfigure the series count to a Vmp near 18 V. Flag it in your inquiry.

One panel on its own will not charge a 24 V bank. Heat pulls Vmp down to around 22 V on a bonded deck, below the voltage a 24 V bank absorbs at, and buck-type MPPT controllers step voltage down rather than up.

Opciones de montaje

Corner grommets are standard. Mounting method affects both installation effort and operating temperature, since a bonded panel loses rear airflow.

Adhesive bonded	Lowest profile and the usual choice for walking surfaces. Runs hottest; removal is difficult.
Bracket or rail	Keeps an air gap, runs cooler, easy to service. Adds height.
Grommets with standoffs	Middle path: some airflow, modest height, simple to remove.

Back-contact cells lose about 2.6% of output for every 10 °C rise, which is better than mainstream cell types but not immune. Where you can leave an air gap, leave one.

Performance in Partial Shade

Back-contact cells break down softly under reverse bias, so a shaded cell keeps passing current instead of choking the string. That helps against the thin, moving shadows typical of a rigged deck — a halyard, a stay, an antenna whip, a guardrail wire.

The advantage has a measured limit. Independent testing places it at around three shaded cells; beyond that, back-contact and conventional cells behave similarly. A boom lying across the panel is a bypass-diode and layout problem, not a cell-technology one. Our guide to rendimiento de sombreado en diferentes tipos de celdas covers the evidence.

Aplicaciones típicas

• Marina — sailboat coachroofs, sidedecks, catamaran hardtops, cabin tops, tenders and dock equipment.
• RV, campervan and van conversion — roof strips between vents, air conditioners and racks; supplementary charging alongside larger arrays.
• Balcony and facade — railing-mounted panels and narrow ledges where glass weight is a structural problem.
• Specialty vehicles — service bodies, trailers, refrigerated units and mobile equipment with curved or crowded roofs.
• OEM products — outdoor cabinets, telemetry and sensor stations, portable power units, solar-integrated equipment.

What We Can Customize

The configuration above is a reference build. Almost nothing about it is fixed.

Dimensiones y forma	Sized to your clear installation area. Non-rectangular outlines and corner radii available.
Fuerza	Configurado según la disposición de las celdas y la cobertura dentro de su área de influencia.
Voltaje	Series count matched to your controller or battery bank.
Placa de soporte	Fiberglass, carbon fiber, aluminium or composite core.
Características de montaje	Grommet positions, bonded edges, bracket or rail provisions.
Caja de conexiones y cables	Exit position, cable length, connector type, box profile.
Diodos de derivación	1–2, set by your shading pattern and layout.
Apariencia	Black, white or transparent backsheet. Branded or unbranded.

Ordering, Sampling and Support

Send us four things and we can start: the mounting surface and its clear dimensions, the target voltage, the controller model, and the power goal.

You receive a dimensioned drawing and a predicted electrical specification before anything is manufactured. Samples follow the approved drawing and are validated the way the product will actually be used — mounted, loaded, weathered, and salt-tested for marine builds. Only then does the project move to a pilot run.

MOQ	100 piezas
Sampling	Available before pilot production; turnaround confirmed at inquiry
Private label	Custom serial numbering, printed logos and branded packaging from pilot volume
Garantía del producto	3 years
Garantía de rendimiento	10 años
Markets served	North America and Europe, plus OEM programs worldwide

For Distributors and Resellers

Two points matter if you are sourcing to resell rather than to install.

No glass, no breakage claims. Cracked panels are among the most common damage claims in solar freight, and they usually surface after the container has been signed for. A glass-free ETFE laminate removes that failure mode.

A different buyer, and different margin. Framed glass competes almost entirely on price. Walkable semi-rigid panels serve marine, RV, van-life and off-grid customers who need a format a standard panel cannot provide, which supports a healthier margin and a catalog that is not tracking commodity pricing.

Preguntas frecuentes

Can you walk on the CLM-080ME?
Yes, in walkable configurations, when the panel is supported evenly on a solid substrate. The backing plate spreads your weight across many cells. Span it across a gap and the same footstep becomes a bending load, so tell us the substrate and we will confirm the rating for your build.

¿Puede cargar directamente una batería de 12 V?
Only through an MPPT controller. At 25.2 V it sits well above 12 V, so a PWM controller would waste roughly 40% of the output. An MPPT controller turns that surplus voltage into extra charging current.

Can one panel charge a 24 V bank?
No. Heat drops Vmp to around 22 V on a bonded deck, below the absorption voltage of a 24 V bank, and buck-type MPPT controllers cannot step voltage up. Wire two panels in series instead.

How much lighter is it than a glass panel?
About 6 kg/m² against 10 to 12.5 kg/m² for a framed glass module, at 4 mm thick instead of roughly 30 mm. For this panel that is around 2.4 kg.

Can you make it a different size or power?
Yes, and it is the most common request we receive. Send the clear dimensions of your installation area and we design the cell layout to fill it. Power follows from layout and coverage.

How is it attached?
Corner grommets are standard, and adhesive bonding, brackets or rails are all supported. Bonding gives the lowest profile but runs hottest; a bracket or standoff mount keeps an air gap and stays cooler.

Does it work in partial shade?
Better than conventional cells against narrow shadows such as rigging or an antenna, because back-contact cells self-bypass under soft breakdown. The advantage fades once roughly three or more cells are shaded, where layout and diode count matter more than cell type.

¿Cuál es la cantidad mínima de pedido?
100 pieces, with samples available beforehand. Private label options begin at pilot volume.

Is ETFE as durable as glass?
Differently durable. ETFE resists UV and impact well and will not shatter, but a glass-free laminate has no true moisture barrier, so long-term life depends on the encapsulant, edge margin and lamination quality rather than on the front film alone.

Related Products and Guides

• 150W Walkable Lightweight Semi-Rigid Solar Panel (CLM-150ME) — the larger sibling, 1120 × 680 mm.
• 290W Walkable Semi-Rigid Solar Panel — for larger deck and roof areas.
• Paneles solares semirrígidos para barcos, furgonetas y muelles. — how the layer stack works.