100w portable solar report
Yesterday March 8 we had full sun here at Roosevelt Lake, AZ. My two Group 27 batteries read 12.52v at the start of the day, measured at the batteries with the Turnigy WattMeter. I used it to collec...
Forum Discussion
Being in the newbie research mode for the solar panel I know I will suffer a quick death around 10PM at night with all the stuff we run on trailer setup when camping off the power grid.
I will most likely start out with two 120WATT panels on my POPUP roof at first.
Our daily routine runs our 255Ah battery bank down to 12.0VDC by 8AM each morning and this is when I re-charge my batteries by running the trailer off the 2KW Generator which will recharge my batteries back up to the 90% charge state in a quick three hour generator run time. If I start out with the batteries at 90% charge state I can make it to just fine to 8AM the next morning and down to my approximate 50% charge state. If I don't start out with 90% charge state batteries then I get to the 50% charge state usually around 10-11PM at night and have to shut down things until I am allowed to run my generator again the next morning.
With this in mind I have to be able to get my batteries to 90% charge probably around 4PM each day so that I might have three hours of allowed generator run time still available to me if it doesn't happen.
Using the panels during the high sun will only give me around 14.4VDC at 10AMPS DC current which will probably not charge my batteries back by them self before 4PM each day. I'm thinking where the panels will really help me is to go ahead and run the generator for an hour or so each morning to get over the high current draw mode and then let the panel provide the 10AMPs of charge until 4PM.
I know I may be surprised how easy this may be once I start actually doing it but in my mind right now it may not work well for me with my present high current use during my day/night run off my 255Ahs battery bank.
I also won't be in the high ARIZONA SUN as well here on the East side of the US.
Glad it is working out for you. Thanks for input... Hopefully I can start playing with my planned setup this upcoming season
Roy Ken
I will most likely start out with two 120WATT panels on my POPUP roof at first.
Our daily routine runs our 255Ah battery bank down to 12.0VDC by 8AM each morning and this is when I re-charge my batteries by running the trailer off the 2KW Generator which will recharge my batteries back up to the 90% charge state in a quick three hour generator run time. If I start out with the batteries at 90% charge state I can make it to just fine to 8AM the next morning and down to my approximate 50% charge state. If I don't start out with 90% charge state batteries then I get to the 50% charge state usually around 10-11PM at night and have to shut down things until I am allowed to run my generator again the next morning.
With this in mind I have to be able to get my batteries to 90% charge probably around 4PM each day so that I might have three hours of allowed generator run time still available to me if it doesn't happen.
Using the panels during the high sun will only give me around 14.4VDC at 10AMPS DC current which will probably not charge my batteries back by them self before 4PM each day. I'm thinking where the panels will really help me is to go ahead and run the generator for an hour or so each morning to get over the high current draw mode and then let the panel provide the 10AMPs of charge until 4PM.
I know I may be surprised how easy this may be once I start actually doing it but in my mind right now it may not work well for me with my present high current use during my day/night run off my 255Ahs battery bank.
I also won't be in the high ARIZONA SUN as well here on the East side of the US.
Glad it is working out for you. Thanks for input... Hopefully I can start playing with my planned setup this upcoming season
Roy Ken
