Any good solar articles
Hello everyone. So to get started with a solar project... any good articles I should read? I have 2010 crossroads cruiser fiver. Like to be able to boondock and also plug into a generator left in the...
Forum Discussion
First step is an energy audit.
- List out every device you will use.
- Find the continuous draw for each device
- Estimate the percentage of the day that the device will be drawing power.
- Multiply by the number of days you want the battery bank to cover those loads without charging (say on cloudy days, the solar output is way down).
- Add in a fudge factor to account for missed items or items added later.
Now you know how much you need to generate per day and how much you need to be able to store.
- Size the solar panels based on around 4 hours at the rated output (this is typically what it works out to over a day).
- Size the batteries based on the amp-hrs used per day times the number of days you want the batteries to cover without charging. Keep in mind, you have to discount the rated amp-hrs particularly for lead-acid as they don't like to drop below 50% charge and many people assume they won't get above 80%...so people typically assume 30-50% of the rated amp-hrs are usable.
If you want to run the air/con expect to run the generator (assuming it's big enough to start the compressor).
You can under size the solar system and do a short bulk charge in the mornings with the generator. You want to do it in the morning because lead-acid batteries accept charge more slowly the closer they are to full. By doing it in the morning, they can accept everything the generator can throw at them and then the slower solar charge matches better to topping up the remainder.
- List out every device you will use.
- Find the continuous draw for each device
- Estimate the percentage of the day that the device will be drawing power.
- Multiply by the number of days you want the battery bank to cover those loads without charging (say on cloudy days, the solar output is way down).
- Add in a fudge factor to account for missed items or items added later.
Now you know how much you need to generate per day and how much you need to be able to store.
- Size the solar panels based on around 4 hours at the rated output (this is typically what it works out to over a day).
- Size the batteries based on the amp-hrs used per day times the number of days you want the batteries to cover without charging. Keep in mind, you have to discount the rated amp-hrs particularly for lead-acid as they don't like to drop below 50% charge and many people assume they won't get above 80%...so people typically assume 30-50% of the rated amp-hrs are usable.
If you want to run the air/con expect to run the generator (assuming it's big enough to start the compressor).
You can under size the solar system and do a short bulk charge in the mornings with the generator. You want to do it in the morning because lead-acid batteries accept charge more slowly the closer they are to full. By doing it in the morning, they can accept everything the generator can throw at them and then the slower solar charge matches better to topping up the remainder.
