Portable Solar Panels
Hi! We are new to RVing and have a lot to learn! We have a 13 foot KZ Sportsman and we are interested in getting a portable solar panel so we can go places where electricity is not available. Anyon...
Forum Discussion
Go thru and estimate how long each electrical device will be expected to run. Then look on the label and find how many watts it draws while running (make sure to dig around and find everything that will be running).
Multiply watts by duration and total up to get watt-hours.
A solar panel that isn't shaded will generally produce 4-5 times it's rated wattage in watt-hours (ie: 100w panel will generate around 400w-hr).
Assuming you will be boondocking mulitple days in a row, you will need sufficient panels to replace your daily usage.
You also need a battery bank of sufficient size. If you will be using 600w-hr over the night and your battery bank only holds 300w-hr, doesn't matter what size solar array you have.
PS: Lead-Acid batteries shouldn't be drawn below 50%, so start assuming only have the rating is available for use.
Multiply watts by duration and total up to get watt-hours.
A solar panel that isn't shaded will generally produce 4-5 times it's rated wattage in watt-hours (ie: 100w panel will generate around 400w-hr).
Assuming you will be boondocking mulitple days in a row, you will need sufficient panels to replace your daily usage.
You also need a battery bank of sufficient size. If you will be using 600w-hr over the night and your battery bank only holds 300w-hr, doesn't matter what size solar array you have.
PS: Lead-Acid batteries shouldn't be drawn below 50%, so start assuming only have the rating is available for use.
