Solar Panel Controller Advise
A friend of a friend has a new never used Grape Solar 280 watt polcrystalline solar panel and a 2210RN solar charge julator 12/24 controller for sale. He bought them and decided not to install them. ...
Forum Discussion
1L243 wrote:
It just seems counterproductive to me. Parking in the sun to charge the batteries then having to run the generator to operate the AC.
How effective or practical would it be to make a panel of this size portable? That way I could put it where ever I want. I might even be able to make a platform for the panel where I could track the sun better.
I put a older/larger 230w panel on 25 ft cords out every time we camp. It not only lets me take advantage of shade, it lets me track the sun all day for maximum results. I point it east the night before and by the time the sun clears the horizon it is producing 10a. Most of the day it will do 16a and the sun will be down before the system goes to sleep. It really made a difference when the weather went cold and cloudy. I got less but it was enough to keep us off the generator. I do this with two pine slates and a pair of C clamps.
When I do get around to mounting a panel, I'll still keep a portable. It can be a hassle but so is dealing with the generator not to mention having to listen to it.
I wanted to ask what your power needs are. 280w is a considerable amount of power if you are just running basic rig functions with limited inverter use. With 230w we pretty much dropped the concept of conserving power at all. We had a lot of cool days and freezing nights but had no problem at keeping the stat at 74 f. We run tv, dvd, music sometimes all day, light the rig from end to end at night. Power is just not a issue with out a extended cloudy period. if you are on the lower end of the power requirement, a less expensive, folding portable system may be better suited for you.
