Newbie question about solar charging
Every time I think I have somewhat of an idea of what is going on, I seem to get completely puzzled again! We have 1 AGM battery in our trailer. While boondocking in full sun, our 100W solar panel...
Forum Discussion
Nothing wrong. Those are the sort of numbers to be expected from the hardware at hand.
A 100 watt solar panel will deliver AT MOST 100 watts but only at high noon on a bright sunny summer day, and then only if oriented perfectly at the sun. Any sub-optimal conditions will yield less power, and 40 Watts is an expected output in normal use. Meanwhile, your laptop charger is pulling 195 watts, so yes, that will draw down the battery to the tune of 155 watts.
To fully power the laptop charger, under those conditions, you would need another 400 watts of solar panels. The truth of the matter is that 100 watts of solar is almost enough to keep your battery topped off if you use minimal power, a few lights and refer control board. 200 watts would be better and 400 better still. 400 is also probably too much for a single battery to handle with regard to maximum charging rate under optimal solar conditions.
A 100 watt solar panel will deliver AT MOST 100 watts but only at high noon on a bright sunny summer day, and then only if oriented perfectly at the sun. Any sub-optimal conditions will yield less power, and 40 Watts is an expected output in normal use. Meanwhile, your laptop charger is pulling 195 watts, so yes, that will draw down the battery to the tune of 155 watts.
To fully power the laptop charger, under those conditions, you would need another 400 watts of solar panels. The truth of the matter is that 100 watts of solar is almost enough to keep your battery topped off if you use minimal power, a few lights and refer control board. 200 watts would be better and 400 better still. 400 is also probably too much for a single battery to handle with regard to maximum charging rate under optimal solar conditions.
