Expected Solar Yield, Key West

My "battery compartment" is the front of the cargo bay and has good ventilation. Generally, you are not supposed to put other electronics in the battery compartment where a spark might explode the battery fumes and where the fumes might eat away at the electronics.

I don't need to see or be able to operate the controller from inside the rig, so having it out of sight by the batteries is no problem.

I've used the Eco-Worthy for a few years, it'll do what it says it does. I'd make sure it has good ventilation and doesn't sit in the sun.

I checked the craigslist in your area and only found a few $1 a watt listings.

This one has 245w for $220.


This one has a bunch of different panels, I'd go for one or two of the 245w polys at the top.

I've been riding along and plotting/planning since last winter. Thank you all for the education and entertainment.

Here's the https://plus.google.com/photos/100134941818677618372/albums/6043326594378795889?authkey=CPmi4N7Xlr-dUAroof.

Current plan is a 250ish watt panel on the rear. Sitting over the roof rack, centered to maximize distance from ladder, antenna, vent. The roof rack is 4" high. Plan to use 4" angle iron (aluminium) screwed to the roof and 1" angle on the panel.

Questions:
1. Any problems with the panel that high (4 & 1/2 inch)?

2. Any problems with the controller (Eco Worthy 20) in the battery compartment like BLF showed a picture of his?

3. What about 110V house light switches for panel and battery disconnect?

4. Is there a place Atlanta GA to pick up a panel & avoid the shipping cost?

Joel

Thanks Almot & all,

Well it's 29 degrees here in NW Ga, my 5er is down at three way campers getting a new grey water tank and bearing repack, my pup is at Peco waiting in line for an annual lube & fixing a few bargles. So I CAN'T go camping!

So I'm planning my solar installation for this fall.

Using the PVWATTS results I calculated the Panel Watts per ah. To replace daily usage of 100 ah/day in december, I need 500w of flat panels or 360 watts of tilted panels.

I had been thinking one flat ~250 watt panel. Start looking at 2 x 180 and tilting.

Joel

jolooote wrote:
OMG! Do U guys EVER just go campin?

Now that there is funny, I don't care who you are. :)
I worry about where to find fish bait mostly.

Almot wrote:

Yeah, we like to talk here, and sometimes people forget to answer the question :).

LMAO!! So true!

jolooote wrote:
OMG! Do U guys EVER just go campin?

Only if the solar insolation levels are sufficient to recharge the vast banks of the latest re-e-e-e-e-a-l-y deep storage batteries necessary to power our vast arrays of Scientific Equipment as well as the tv and the Danfoss Compressor Fridge that keeps our cheap beer cold.

How 'bout you? :B

joelmyer wrote:
Can anybody tell me the expected daily yield of a 250 w panel flat on the roof at 24.5 degrees N. Dec, Jan, Feb

Thanks

Joel

Yeah, we like to talk here, and sometimes people forget to answer the question :)

Key West city:

Dec = 50 AH
Jan = 55 AH
Feb = 68 AH

Source: PVWATTS

Enter Array Tilt =0, Panel DC Rating=250, and consider that it wants you to enter KW, not W. Still, enter watts, just remember that KWH in the resulting table are actually WH. Divide WH by 31 or 29 days, then divide by 12V.

Note, that the results are down-rated due to conversion of DC to AC because this is what residential solar systems do. So the above numbers for the "average" daily harvest are not overstated. The calculator actually shows the monthly harvest, so your daily output, say, for Dec, will be lower than 50 on some days and higher than 50 on other, to make the above total monthly.

Lots of sun in Key West. I'd say enough.

jolooote wrote:
OMG! Do U guys EVER just go campin?

Sure, isn't it time you go outside and stare at your battery?