My first solar installation, looking for direction
We have a 27 foot Komfort trailer, so far I've ditched the WFCO converter and mounted a PD9280 under the front sofa and use it to charge the 2 - Crown CR-235 golf cart batteries I just put in, I also installed a Xantrex SW-600 inverter which is wired to an Iota transfer switch to all out AC outlets in the trailer. We use that to watch the 26" LCD TV and the satellite receiver, I like to watch the news and (unfortunately) my wife watches a couple soaps every day so in total I'd say we watch a max of 5 hours TV a day. We might watch the odd football or Canucks game as well. We shut down the inverter when the TV's not on.
The inverter and converter are wired to fuses in a weatherproof box on the trailer tongue with 7 ft of 4ga and from there I have a short piece of 2 ga to the batteries. I also have a Trimetric I use to monitor things and a Honda 2000 watt generator to charge the batteries, the shunt is in another weatherproof box on the tongue, we're in BC, we camp May to Sept right now, normally a 3 week trip in June and 3 weeks in Sept, but that will change next year when we'll be retired; we pretty much only dry camp, no hook ups. We make coffee on the stove in a percolator and make toast on the stove as well.
I'd like to install solar panels on the roof, the trailer was pre-wired with 8ga conductors from the fridge vent to the batteries, unfortunately the route they picked means means it's about a 40 ft run to the batteries. I'd like to be able to use this 8ga if possible, if not I could run heavier gauge down the fridge vent and under the trailer to come up again under the sofa at the front of the trailer where I'd like to mount the controller. Someone suggested I could tap into the existing 4 ga from the inverter to the batteries (through the fuse)
A few months ago I got a quote from NAWS for the following:
2-140 watt Kyocera panels, a Midnight Solar Kid 30 amp MPPT controller, Midnight solar combiner with breakers, Z mount brackets, and misc items totalling $1,025 US including shipping.
I'm not thrilled about Z brackets, have been of people making their own L brackets out of alum angle, I like that idea. I was told to wire the panels in series so I could get away with the 8ga I have pre-wired but I've also heard in series my output would really go down if part of 1 panel is shaded, is that true? Being in series means I need the MPPT.
I'm curios about the Solar Cynergy 120 watt panels, I can get 2 of them for the price of 1 Kyocera, they're made in India though, is anyone familiar with them? They're cheap enough maybe I can put 3 of them up there?
https://www.solarblvd.com/product_in...oducts_id=2714
Some have told me the MPPT controllers are a waste of money, that a person is better off with a PWM controller? Either way I'd like to be able to add a 3rd panel later if I need to.
My fishing partner installed a system similar to the one I got the quote for but he was sold a Morningstar Tristar 30 MPPT controller, he also has 4-Trojan 105's. His system worked great on our last trip, his wife watched a lotta TV while we were fishing and he never needed to run his generator once on the 3 week trip, we had a lotta sun that trip, it was hot and not cold enough at night he needed to run his furnace. I like the sound of that, no generator at all!
I can get a 315 panel for $320 US, it's basically 80" x 40", only place it would fit is on the rear left of the trailer, I figure the back is most likely to be in the shade?
I'd ship to Blaine and go pick it up, do that all the time.
I'm sure the system I was quoted would work well for me buy I'm just wondering if I could get away with something a little cheaper, specially with the lousy exchange rate for the Canadian dollar. I wonder why some panels cost twice as much as others, what controller should I use etc, do I need heavier wiring from the panels to the controller etc etc. Any advice for the first timer?
Thanks in advance
Will
The inverter and converter are wired to fuses in a weatherproof box on the trailer tongue with 7 ft of 4ga and from there I have a short piece of 2 ga to the batteries. I also have a Trimetric I use to monitor things and a Honda 2000 watt generator to charge the batteries, the shunt is in another weatherproof box on the tongue, we're in BC, we camp May to Sept right now, normally a 3 week trip in June and 3 weeks in Sept, but that will change next year when we'll be retired; we pretty much only dry camp, no hook ups. We make coffee on the stove in a percolator and make toast on the stove as well.
I'd like to install solar panels on the roof, the trailer was pre-wired with 8ga conductors from the fridge vent to the batteries, unfortunately the route they picked means means it's about a 40 ft run to the batteries. I'd like to be able to use this 8ga if possible, if not I could run heavier gauge down the fridge vent and under the trailer to come up again under the sofa at the front of the trailer where I'd like to mount the controller. Someone suggested I could tap into the existing 4 ga from the inverter to the batteries (through the fuse)
A few months ago I got a quote from NAWS for the following:
2-140 watt Kyocera panels, a Midnight Solar Kid 30 amp MPPT controller, Midnight solar combiner with breakers, Z mount brackets, and misc items totalling $1,025 US including shipping.
I'm not thrilled about Z brackets, have been of people making their own L brackets out of alum angle, I like that idea. I was told to wire the panels in series so I could get away with the 8ga I have pre-wired but I've also heard in series my output would really go down if part of 1 panel is shaded, is that true? Being in series means I need the MPPT.
I'm curios about the Solar Cynergy 120 watt panels, I can get 2 of them for the price of 1 Kyocera, they're made in India though, is anyone familiar with them? They're cheap enough maybe I can put 3 of them up there?
https://www.solarblvd.com/product_in...oducts_id=2714
Some have told me the MPPT controllers are a waste of money, that a person is better off with a PWM controller? Either way I'd like to be able to add a 3rd panel later if I need to.
My fishing partner installed a system similar to the one I got the quote for but he was sold a Morningstar Tristar 30 MPPT controller, he also has 4-Trojan 105's. His system worked great on our last trip, his wife watched a lotta TV while we were fishing and he never needed to run his generator once on the 3 week trip, we had a lotta sun that trip, it was hot and not cold enough at night he needed to run his furnace. I like the sound of that, no generator at all!
I can get a 315 panel for $320 US, it's basically 80" x 40", only place it would fit is on the rear left of the trailer, I figure the back is most likely to be in the shade?
I'd ship to Blaine and go pick it up, do that all the time.
I'm sure the system I was quoted would work well for me buy I'm just wondering if I could get away with something a little cheaper, specially with the lousy exchange rate for the Canadian dollar. I wonder why some panels cost twice as much as others, what controller should I use etc, do I need heavier wiring from the panels to the controller etc etc. Any advice for the first timer?
Thanks in advance
Will
