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
Thank you everyone for the input. But.....dont misunderstand my intentions or goals. Its not to NEVER start the generator as there are some things I'll need that will only run when the generator is on, like A/C. I'm OK with that too but would rather only run it on necessary occasions if possible.
And its not like I'm running out of power but that I'd like to help the batteries.....as long as its affordable. Sure $500 would get me lots of watts but I can also run my gen for a long time on $500 of fuel. Crude analogy.....but just simple fact. If I can get away with a smaller portable solar unit that supplies "X" amount of electricity for whatever I'd like to offset, then thats the most convenient route for me. Permanently mounting is not going to work since parking in the sun is NOT an option unless there simple is no other place to park. And at that, I'd be looking somewhere else since dry camping in the direct summer heat of the sun is no fun. Who wants to run their gen all day just to stay cool. Even plugged in to shore power, depending on how hot it is, that can still sometimes be unbearable.
So back to the point, I guess I need to know how much usage I'm currently using to understand what size panel I need. So in saying that you guys made me think and I Googled RV calculators and came up with one calculator said that with the minimal usage we use, I could get away with 100 watts panel. With the few articles I've seen about easy lightweight 50 watt panels being a benefit, I just thought I'd ask you professionals.
And its not like I'm running out of power but that I'd like to help the batteries.....as long as its affordable. Sure $500 would get me lots of watts but I can also run my gen for a long time on $500 of fuel. Crude analogy.....but just simple fact. If I can get away with a smaller portable solar unit that supplies "X" amount of electricity for whatever I'd like to offset, then thats the most convenient route for me. Permanently mounting is not going to work since parking in the sun is NOT an option unless there simple is no other place to park. And at that, I'd be looking somewhere else since dry camping in the direct summer heat of the sun is no fun. Who wants to run their gen all day just to stay cool. Even plugged in to shore power, depending on how hot it is, that can still sometimes be unbearable.
So back to the point, I guess I need to know how much usage I'm currently using to understand what size panel I need. So in saying that you guys made me think and I Googled RV calculators and came up with one calculator said that with the minimal usage we use, I could get away with 100 watts panel. With the few articles I've seen about easy lightweight 50 watt panels being a benefit, I just thought I'd ask you professionals.
