Started Solar Array
I have to few lose ends to tie up but overall it came together good. The system will eventually have up to 5 panels totaling 800 watts and 4 EGC2 batteries. I have not yet decided if that will include...
Forum Discussion
Crabbypatty wrote:
While I only head out for a week at a time, I chose not to tilt the panels and use fixed mounts. 4 panels = 428 watts into two trojan t-125's. Ive found that when extreme ie, 3 college kids laptops, phones tv, water pumps etc, the batts fully charged up in the late afternoon. I might add two more panels.While tilting or trackers are the most efficient, my choice was to have it be autonomously and not have a another thing to add to my list when camping. However I have seen others add a portable panel, one or two and leave them on the ground tilted.
3 laptops probably account for most of your energy use. Pumps don't draw much since they don't run much. TV - very little, if a recent model. Phone is nothing. For one or two people with similar loads, i.e. one laptop/TV/pumps, the biggest draw would be LP fridge - could draw 10-12 AH a day, and then 300W flat panel would keep batteries full. It's 110V items that need 1000W+ inverter that drain batteries fast. MW, coffee maker, hair drier.
Portable panel really shines when it comes to tilting - no roof climbing there. But, with them being 100W max (for practical reasons), the appeal is lost on me. 120-140W flat panel will harvest that much in summer, when not shaded.
