Amp Hour question
As most of you are aware I just received my Renogy 100w Suitcase Solar and have a question relating to the Viewstar VS1024BN controller. When setting proper battery size and type the controller has...
Forum Discussion
Group 24 battery is typically about 75 amp hours.
If this will be hooked up to the RV and you have more than one battery, then you add up the sum, and set it for that.
They might have suggested 45 amp hours so that it will allow charging at 5 amps or so. Should you have set it for say a 20 amp hour scooter battery size, it might limit charge rate to say 4 amp to keep from overheating the battery.
Really 100 watts is nothing in a RV. Sure it will attempt to charge the battery, but your CO meter, propane detector and refrigerator will combined use about 35 amp hours daily, while the 100 watt solar panel can at best produce about 30 amp hours per day. It is better than nothing, but still after 3 days you will need to crank up a generator - even if using no lights or anything else on 12 VDC.
I have a pair of 120 watt panels, pair of 45 watt panels and a 75W panel. That way I can watch as much TV as I want, and never need to run the generator just to recharge the battery.
SunElec.com THey sell solar panels for about $1 - $2 per rated watt. Controllers are extra, but a low cost 20 amp PWM controller is good for about 300 rated watts, and only run about $20 these days.
Select 12 volt 'nominal' panels, with a 20 - 22 volt 'open circuit' voltage rating. These will quickly charge the battery, no matter how large your battery bank ends up being.
I have 4 golf cart batteries rated at 440 amp hours at 12 volts, and each is 67 pounds! That is to much weight for the typical RV, and a larger solar system can make up for a smaller and lighter weight battery, because you will be generating power all day long, and only need to store 1/2 as much for nighttime use only.
If you can add water to the battery that you have now, I would say keep it until it dies. Deep cycle battery is one that you can add water to it. If it is sealed, then still keep it until it dies, perhaps next spring replace it with something better. It will not last more than 3 years, regardless. I have never had a 12 volt battery last 4 years, but my Trojan 6 volt battery lasted 13 years!
Good luck,
Fred.
If this will be hooked up to the RV and you have more than one battery, then you add up the sum, and set it for that.
They might have suggested 45 amp hours so that it will allow charging at 5 amps or so. Should you have set it for say a 20 amp hour scooter battery size, it might limit charge rate to say 4 amp to keep from overheating the battery.
Really 100 watts is nothing in a RV. Sure it will attempt to charge the battery, but your CO meter, propane detector and refrigerator will combined use about 35 amp hours daily, while the 100 watt solar panel can at best produce about 30 amp hours per day. It is better than nothing, but still after 3 days you will need to crank up a generator - even if using no lights or anything else on 12 VDC.
I have a pair of 120 watt panels, pair of 45 watt panels and a 75W panel. That way I can watch as much TV as I want, and never need to run the generator just to recharge the battery.
SunElec.com THey sell solar panels for about $1 - $2 per rated watt. Controllers are extra, but a low cost 20 amp PWM controller is good for about 300 rated watts, and only run about $20 these days.
Select 12 volt 'nominal' panels, with a 20 - 22 volt 'open circuit' voltage rating. These will quickly charge the battery, no matter how large your battery bank ends up being.
I have 4 golf cart batteries rated at 440 amp hours at 12 volts, and each is 67 pounds! That is to much weight for the typical RV, and a larger solar system can make up for a smaller and lighter weight battery, because you will be generating power all day long, and only need to store 1/2 as much for nighttime use only.
If you can add water to the battery that you have now, I would say keep it until it dies. Deep cycle battery is one that you can add water to it. If it is sealed, then still keep it until it dies, perhaps next spring replace it with something better. It will not last more than 3 years, regardless. I have never had a 12 volt battery last 4 years, but my Trojan 6 volt battery lasted 13 years!
Good luck,
Fred.
