Just another question on Solar

[huron52]

I have read a lot of threads on solar installs and I have a question or two.

I am thinking of adding solar to my toy hauler. Planning on about 500watts. Also planning on two 6 volt batteries to start then adding another two 6 volt batteries to the mix.

I am not interested in running my air conditioner but might want to have 120 volts to maybe watch TV or something like that.

So, correct me if my thought process is wrong here.

I plan to install solar on the roof, line down to switch then to controller and then to battery bank.
Controller not installed in with the batteries.
Then connected to the batteries, separate line off to a inverter away from batteries to get 120 volts in the cabin area.

I have dry camped for long weekends with just the batteries so 120 volts is not a biggy at this time

[mena661]

westend wrote:
FWIW, my two yr old 32" Magnavox LED screen connsumes 33W in standard mode.

You have a keeper. BTW, it's still LCD, just the backlighting is LED instead of fluorescant.

[Slownsy]

Golden HVAC you really know how to confuse the Isue, it is best to have Inwerter close to batteries and use a remote switch for on of.
Frank.

[westend]

FWIW, my two yr old 32" Magnavox LED screen connsumes 33W in standard mode.

[Golden_HVAC]

A whole lot of confusing statements on this page!

Anyway to find low cost panels, I was reading in Home Power Magazine many years ago about this website. SunElec.com

500 watts is a great plan, and will normally top off the batteries in one day with the 'average' loads. However if you want to run larger TV's and DVD's all night long, you might run short on power, and need to run the generator a little bit on the 4th or 5th day of camping.

Your RV will consume about 35 amp hours just to run the refrigerator, CO and propane detectors. That is about what one of my 120 watt solar panels will put out in one day. I have a 415 'rated watt' system, that will put out about 120 amp hours on a average winter day. In the summer, I do not do much dry camping, as it is to warm, and I would rather spend a day in a $35 campground than listen to my generator run all night, so I don't worry about power in the summer.

For a inverter, I normally use my portable inverter. You can buy a 500 watt inverter at Costco for about $40. It will plug into a cigarette lighter receptacle, and you can buy those at Radio Shack or your local auto parts store. Fuse it around 20 amps, and use #10 wire (rated at max of 30 amp fuse size) to decrease voltage drop.

While it is best to have the inverter close to the battery, and run a #16 extension cord at 120 volts to your load, you can do it the other way around. It is 'actually best' to have the inverter close to you, in the living area, and you can turn it on for the time that you need it, and shut it off while not in use, to save more power.

For running the microwave, and other heavy power things (coffee maker is about 850 - 1200 watts) you are much better off using the generator. Use the inverter for small loads in the 10 watt to 150 watt range. A laptop playing a DVD will use less than about 20 watts, less than a 120 volt DVD player would use. And the typical 20" LED TV will use about 80 - 100 watts, I find it changes all the time as the screen goes a little brighter and darker.

Good luck,

Have fun camping!

Fred.

[EsoxLucius]

Hmmm, I can watch all the TV I want to, day or night.

[huron52]

Thanks guys for all your insights! I just threw the TV in there well just in case. We have only dry camped at music concerts. So the idea of actually watching TV really will prob. never happen. All the lights are LEDs.

[time2roll]

2oldman wrote:
I can limit myself to 10 hours of nighttime TV.

Fine right now but you may run out of dark in the Summer.

[Salvo]

You may want to change your forum handle. With different handle, when you put foot in mouth people won't jump on you with such enthusiasm.

einstein2nd wrote:


You are reading out of context and no where did I say such a statement.

[jrnymn7]

lmao

[2oldman]

I can limit myself to 10 hours of nighttime TV.

[mena661]

If your "modern" TV draws 125W, get another boondocking friendly TV. Also, that spec is typically right when you turn on the TV and it will lower by a good amount while the TV is running. Unless it's a piece of cr@p then it won't. I had a 26" LCD that drew 75W ALL the time. Got rid of it and replaced with a LCD at the same size that drew only 20W.

[CA_Traveler]

einstein2nd wrote:

Example (more like a what if):

Two panel system in parallel: One panel is damage and water sets in and shorts out internal wires. The damaged panel acts like a load and draws from the other panel which will burn out if not protected.

Incorrect. The good panel cannot exceed Isc and will be just fine. A fuse would be rated for more than Isc and would not blow. 3 parallel panels means the damaged panel would receive 2xIsc and that's when you want a fuse on that panel to blow.

A diode represents a significant and unnecessary voltage drop especially on 12V and 24V panels.

[einstein2nd]

smkettner wrote:

einstein2nd wrote:

2oldman wrote:

einstein2nd wrote:
Limit TV after the sun goes down: No Sun, No Power.

What are the batteries for?

Listen, if you can't figure that out... go to school!

Read what "KJINTF" said about batteries.

KJINTF wrote:
It will easily keep two 6Vdc batteries charged up if you have the sunshine
and not too many other loads

I think KJINTF just said to limit power to get the battery charged.
Then einstein2nd says to get the tv on during the daylight and off at night.

So which is it? 😉

You are reading out of context and no where did I say such a statement.

[pianotuna]

Hi huron,

Since you plan on 4 batteries totaling 464 amp-hours I'd recommend sizing the solar system to service that size of battery bank. Ball park figure is between 280 and 700 watts. 500 will do you very nicely so you are "good to go".