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snoboy's avatar
snoboy
Explorer
Oct 28, 2013

Good solar panel brand?

I'm thinking of installing a solar panel on my Northern Lite 10.2. I'm looking for some advice on brand method of install. I have 2 grp. 24 batteries and an on board genny. I'm thinking of apx a 100 watt panel. Thanks

Mike

13 Replies

  • Here is a simple flow chart.

    Budget-->Energy Audit-->Battery bank size-->number of watts-->PWM or MPPT.

    Here is a link to the rather special spreadsheet that N8GS has created to help size solar battery charging systems!
    Solar Spread Sheet N8GS

    For a nice explanation of solar, try this link: Golden rules of solar
  • Our approach was different, I fit the panel to the space available on our large teardrop trailer and it is a 185W 66 cell high voltage panel. This dictated a MPPT controller. This combination produces usable current from sun up to sun down in shaded camp sites where a nominal 12V panel is impacted much more heavily by shade or bad weather. Our trailer however was designed with boondocking in mind, LED lights, computer case fans in place of a fantastic fan, small LED TV, Waeco 120V AC/12V DC refrigerator...
    One rule of thumb is 150W of solar for 100AH of battery.
  • I have always recommended 100 - 150 watt panels, as their size dictates their location on the roof, and larger ones will not fit between all the hardware on a motorhome roof, a camper must be much tighter.

    I would recommend this website. SunElec.com

    I would also say look for a 12 volt nominal panel (actual output is around 21 volts) that can use the much lower cost PWM solar controller. The MPPT just does not give enough boost to justify it's cost with the lower cost panels you can buy today.

    Double check the measurements in cardboard before buying the panels, you would hate to find out that one will be shaded most of the day because it is to close to the A/C unit, or under the antenna.

    For mounting brackets, I used 2" aluminum angle that I cut off at 6" long and drilled 3 holes for #10 screws into the roof, and a 5/16" hole for a bolt into the panel.

    My motorhome uses 1.8 amps per hour to run the propane and CO leak detectors as well as the refrigerator, using up about 35 amp hours daily, or about what one of my 120 watt solar panels will produce in normal sunlight, flat on the roof.

    So 100 watts will lessen the generator run time greatly, but not eliminate it. For a 3 day weekend you will be great if you are not watching TV, or running the furnace. But if cold camping, or you use a lot of lights, you might consider a pair of 80 - 120 watt panels to fill the battery each day.

    Fred.