Calling on Solar Techies
I have been thinking of going solar for some time and decided to pull the plug. My wants are a 400 to 500 watt system. I have four 12 volt batteries with 340ah. I am not planning on changing b...
Forum Discussion
It is far cheaper to simply run a gen for the high wattage draws than to build a high power solar panel system with all the supporting costs, for small stuff like TV/entertainment is is pretty low cost to run that from solar.. 200W worth of panels and maybe at the most a pair of GC2s will give the OP a long weekend..
Small systems can be had for small money, you can buy 100W panels now days for $70 and a 30A PWM controller for $20. So for 200W of solar you will only spend $160 PLUS OVERSIZED SHIPPING ($200 perhaps for shipping)..
OP already has PSW inveter for TV so zero dollars there..
OP already has a gen so zero Dollars there..
OP has no need for 2,000W inverter so zero dollars there..
^^^ THIS!
Install a simple 200-300w system you can buy online for ~$250-400, install it yourself, and then relax and go camping! Use it for a year (several camping trips) and then you will know if it is sufficient or if you want to start adding more. The important thing is.... There is probably a 75% chance this will be enough and you are done. If not, after several camping trips you will know, for example, that you need 1 more battery and another 100W of solar to satisfy your needs.
Good luck!
-Chris
