Hi BFL13,
If the bank is 740 amp-hours the minimum wattage needs to be about 450 watts. That's *plenty* to run loads during the day and replace the amp-hours used when the sun is down.
If the bank is 232 amp-hours for equalization the size only needs to be about 140 watts. BUT 140 watts on five perfect solar hours is only about 50 amp-hours returned to the battery bank. That is far less than what may be being used unless the owner is a total power miser. It would be a great system for storage.
Given how "power hungry" RV's are the battery bank would not be fully recharged. So for the smaller 232 amp-hour bank probably 350 watts would be better.
With your own bank you now have enough to replace the amp-hours used in a day.
BFL13 wrote:
PT--
"With a bank such as mena's at 740 amp-hours that would leave him with lots of power. If the bank is just a pair of golf cart batteries, more watts are needed to get back the amps used in a day."
Lost me there. A smaller bank would get lower in SOC but accept more of a charging rate (amps /bank size in AH) for faster charging--but need more solar for those higher amps. Big bank at higher SOC range = lower charging rate--but is that at lower amps? Might be more amps (bigger solar needed)--depends on the bank size and actual SOC and voltage. Also if lower amps more likely to run out of time to replace the AH.
