GTIS Power and Communications Systems
The Villager-III system is sold without solar panels, so that you can choose the type that fits your needs best. Your choice will depend on how you want to trade off cost vs. weight vs. ruggedness vs. physical size. If you’re using the Villager as a portable system you won’t need a long heavy power cable or mounting brackets. However, for this discussion we’ll consider you want to permanently mount solar panels on your roof.
The Villager III Power Bank can hold just over 200 Wh of power when fully charged; it’s designed for people who need 100 Wh to 150 Wh per day to run their computer etc. In most tropical locations a solar panel rated 50 W will generate about 200 Wh on an “average” day. But you need to be able to both recharge your battery and run you equipment after a cloudy day, and not every day is “average.” We recommend you use a panel rated 60 W to 100 W for most situations.
First, consideration should be given to the Semi-Flexible 100W Panel kit we offer. This panel is very lightweight and rugged, but is rather large, and might be awkward to transport. It will provide plenty of power, even on not-so-sunny days. The “kit” includes a wiring harness.
The most inexpensive option is to use 5 Solartec 15W panels, and 
we still have a few Unisolar roll-up panels rated 68W. Also, there are a number of other commercial options available. Here are some possibilities you can purchase directly from the provided links, or GTIS Power Systems can purchase them for you.
If you’re not getting one of our “kits” you will also need to purchase a cable to run up to the roof with the right connectors to connect to your panels and the Villager; an extra expense not in the quoted prices. We can create a custom cable to meet you needs, just email us.
Comparison Matrix
(See below for a description of the various panels in the matrix.)
| Panel | Weight | Fits in Suitcase? | Durability | Cost |
| 5 each 15 W Solartec | 17lbs | Yes -medium | Fair | <$100 |
| 2 each 40 W Mono | 15lbs | Yes – large | Fair | $150 |
| Single 100 W Semi-Flex | 4lbs | no | Very Good | $203 |
| Global Solar Folding 62 W | 3lbs | Yes – small | Excellent | >$700 |
Thin & Lightweight Semi-Flexible Panels
100 W Semi-Flexible
This panel is especially small for a 100 W panel because it uses high efficiency cells. It’s lightweight and semi-flexible, but won’t roll or fold. It has grommets for easy mounting. At 21 in x 42 in it’s too large to fit in a suitcase, but could be boxed for airline travel. $203
Most Expensive are the lightweight fold-able or roll-able thin-film panels
Premium thin film panels cost over $10 per watt.
PowerFilm makes a 60-W panel that rolls down to a cylinder 26 in long and about 5 in in diameter, weighing 4 lb. Powerfilm R-60
Global Solar makes a 62 W folding panel, that folds down to the size of a notebook and weighs about 3 lb. Global Solar P3-62 PowerFilm has a similar product.