How many solar watts should I get?
Thinking of investing in some portable solar panels but once again, I'm confused by the amount of product diversity out there. And my knowledge on the topic is minimal. :h So to understand what I'...
Forum Discussion
A 50 watt panel will not do much more than keep your batteries up when you are not using them. While a 95 watt panel in full sun will keep up with my usage in a small 17' trailer with LED lighting & the usual loads (including making a pot of drip coffee each morning), most systems start out at a couple of hundred watts.
To determine how much solar you need, you should do a usage survey. Keep track of how many 12V amp/hours you use over a typical day for a week or so. The average daily usage is what you are going to have to replace if you want to depend solely on solar. Since the panel(s) will rarely put out their rated wattage, and you will have cloudy days, and of course, dark nights, you will need more solar wattage than your average use. You will also need enough battery to cover the times your solar system is not meeting your demand.
To determine how much solar you need, you should do a usage survey. Keep track of how many 12V amp/hours you use over a typical day for a week or so. The average daily usage is what you are going to have to replace if you want to depend solely on solar. Since the panel(s) will rarely put out their rated wattage, and you will have cloudy days, and of course, dark nights, you will need more solar wattage than your average use. You will also need enough battery to cover the times your solar system is not meeting your demand.
