Solar power/battery charging system
- Thread starter ColoradoLC
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Mace's Ebay one is Poly. The oz ebay and the US linked one are mono.
Oz pricing (as I've mentioned before) is quite a bit cheaper than US pricing for large capacity monocrystaline panels - esp given the current AUD$ value.
I have a mono panel in oz and it certainly works AMAZINGLY well even with fairly clouded over sky.
cheers,
george.
Propane fridge runs a 12 volt circuit board as well.
160 watt is not that much more expensive..
http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Pane...oldable-12-Volt-Solar-Panel/product_info.html
I'd MUCH rather have more solar panels than I need. running the batteries down at night due to the furnace running quite a bit to stay warm (estimated 4 amp draw).
160 watt is not that much more expensive..
http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Pane...oldable-12-Volt-Solar-Panel/product_info.html
I'd MUCH rather have more solar panels than I need. running the batteries down at night due to the furnace running quite a bit to stay warm (estimated 4 amp draw).
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- Joined
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- 4,592
- Location
- Sunnyvale, CA
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- www.george4wd.taskled.com
Propane fridges (certainly the one that was in my parent's van) drew a heck of a lot of current when on battery - so was only used while the engine was running. Have you measured the 12V draw?
How big is that furnace fan? 4A seems a heck of a lot for some air flow.
Yes, more solar is always better...
cheers,
george.
How big is that furnace fan? 4A seems a heck of a lot for some air flow.
Yes, more solar is always better...
cheers,
george.
that solarblvd is a decent price for a mono that size in the US. It does have a built-in PWM, though, which would be a bit of a waste and likely create the need for minor surgery if one would upgrade to MPPT at some point, though.
About sizing, sure it's nice to have it bigger than one needs right now. Then again it'll also be BIGGER than needed and so will the controller. Maybe having some smaller ones that one can add to (not very hard to do) is not a bad way to go. (But then of course, the controller should be big enough to start with if you don't want to have to upgrade it...)
About sizing, sure it's nice to have it bigger than one needs right now. Then again it'll also be BIGGER than needed and so will the controller. Maybe having some smaller ones that one can add to (not very hard to do) is not a bad way to go. (But then of course, the controller should be big enough to start with if you don't want to have to upgrade it...)
I've posted this link before, but I'll do it again. I think it ought to be required reading for anyone considering solar. Partly because I want them to go thru the same pain that I did, 
, but also because I think what he has to say is important to know or at least consider.
http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/
It is a repetitive and long read, and I do not agree with all that he has to say, but I find his arguments compelling. I get two things out of it, voltage drop is the biggest hidden enemy of low voltage solar, and 10ga. wire is only barely big enough some of the time. The rest of the time it is woefully under-sized.
It is my opinion that a system built to be highly efficient with what the panels do produce is more important than if the panels are mono or poly. An inefficient mono system will be less useful than an efficient poly system. Obviously an efficient mono system would be the best, but I'll bias my expenditures toward efficient first.
, but also because I think what he has to say is important to know or at least consider.http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/
It is a repetitive and long read, and I do not agree with all that he has to say, but I find his arguments compelling. I get two things out of it, voltage drop is the biggest hidden enemy of low voltage solar, and 10ga. wire is only barely big enough some of the time. The rest of the time it is woefully under-sized.
It is my opinion that a system built to be highly efficient with what the panels do produce is more important than if the panels are mono or poly. An inefficient mono system will be less useful than an efficient poly system. Obviously an efficient mono system would be the best, but I'll bias my expenditures toward efficient first.
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George,
I just pulled the trigger and purchased this guy: http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Pane...60-Watt-12-Volt-Solar-Panel/product_info.html
Looked like too good of a deal to pass up. I'm just running an Engel fridge on setting 2 and that's pretty much it. I might charge up a laptop or a go pro battery, but i don't use a lot of electric draw.
What charge controller would you recommend?
I just pulled the trigger and purchased this guy: http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Pane...60-Watt-12-Volt-Solar-Panel/product_info.html
Looked like too good of a deal to pass up. I'm just running an Engel fridge on setting 2 and that's pretty much it. I might charge up a laptop or a go pro battery, but i don't use a lot of electric draw.
What charge controller would you recommend?