64thunderbolt wrote:
The solar is the key & are getting reasonable. I bought 2 100w panels & 30a controller for $319. Even in low light they will recharge the following day. On a rainy day they will produce about 5/6a.
5-6A from 200W array under rain is a lot. 5-6
AMP-HOURS a day is more like it. Water film on the panel is blocking most of the solar radiation. My flat 500W barely generates 1A-2A in the rain. As soon as it stops raining, amps climb up.
In low overcast with none or very little wet time, and if the only loads are lights and some electronics, 500W would charge to Full the same day. So 200W charging the next day sounds about right. Solar is a must for a snowbird. The more - the better. Microwave and coffeemaker are power hogs, without them a 200W array would suffice on most days.
My situation is easier since I don't drink coffee, and with 500W array and 300 AH AGM bank I can afford 25-30 AH daily for microwave. As soon as I convince myself to spend $200 on a big inverter for microwave. Most common MW task is reheating leftovers, and a $10 double-wall boiler on a stove top is doing it so far. Generator? What generator...
