solar panel installation

[sign_man]

I am interested in a solar panel system. so i dont have to run my genny constantly to charge the batteries. how? where? would i find out info in regards to doing this and does it really work? and is it really worth it?

[Hermes]

pianotuna wrote:
It is wordy, dated, opinionated and has some things dead wrong. No good for a beginner, in my opinion.

Hermes wrote:
Here is a an excellent source Read This

You are certainly right in saying it is wordy and some of it is dated, although last I check Bob did do some updates. I disagree with "it is no good for a beginner". I know many who have been well served as beginners, including myself when I was first looking into solar with the information. Not sure what is "dead wrong" in his material. There are other good sources as well and I recommend reading as many as possible.

[Redterpos3]

2oldman wrote:

Redterpos3 wrote:

2oldman wrote:
Banging my head on the table..

Or did you mean BMHOTT :B

Yeah probably.. I've never seen that one before!

Neither have I, you are now a creator of a text lingo 😉 I usually don't get those initials when people use them. Takes me a while to figure them out.

[time2roll]

Post the chosen equipment and expectations before you click and ship.

[sign_man]

Thanks for all the replies! I Got some good info out of it. Thanks for taking the time to give some of your personal feedback/advice. These forums are Great! and its people like you who care, that makes it work!

[2oldman]

Redterpos3 wrote:

2oldman wrote:
Banging my head on the table..

Or did you mean BMHOTT :B

Yeah probably.. I've never seen that one before!

[Muddydogs]

sign man wrote:
I am interested in a solar panel system. so i dont have to run my genny constantly to charge the batteries. how? where? would i find out info in regards to doing this Check out the Tech forum here, solar has been hashed and rehashed but these guys will help you. and does it really work? and is it really worth it? Yes it works, 200 watts keep my trailer alive even while running the heater in the fall. Is it worth it, well if you camp in campgrounds with hookups probably not but if you dry camp it most definitely is. I did my 200 watt kit for $360 plus some extra for heavy wire from battery to controller, I'm looking at another 200 watt so I have about $600 all in for 400 watts which is cheap for me.

[Redterpos3]

2oldman wrote:
Banging my head on the table..

Or did you mean BMHOTT :B

[pianotuna]

It is wordy, dated, opinionated and has some things dead wrong. No good for a beginner, in my opinion.

Hermes wrote:
Here is a an excellent source Read This

[pianotuna]

Here is a simple flow chart.

Budget-->Energy Audit-->Battery bank size-->number of watts-->PWM or MPPT. What ever type of controller is chosen, make sure it has adjustable set points and a temperature probe that is on the battery.

If you use solar as a battery charger, one rule of thumb is between 60 and 150 watts of panels per 100 amp-hours of storage. The smaller the battery bank the higher the wattage needed (per 100 amp-hours). Here is a link to the rather special spreadsheet which includes an energy audit, that N8GS has created to help size solar battery charging systems!
solar spreadsheet by N8GS

If you full time or use an inverter lots, then populate the entire unshaded area of the roof with panels. I'm considering replacing my awning with solar panels.

For a nice explanation of solar, try this link:
Golden rules of solar

[Hermes]

Here is a an excellent source Read This

[westend]

2oldman wrote:
Banging my head on the table..

ROFL, that painted a picture. :B

Here's a few links to get you started: Golden rules of solar

Solar power use calculator download this program and use it to calculate how much power you use/need. The first step.

Forum members' solar installations

Battery information we need to store PV power and we use batteries for that.

If you have questions, fire away in the "Tech Issues" section of the Forum. A bunch of users of solar hang out there.

I have a small solar system (235W) and it is a great upgrade. Keeps my batteries charged 24/7/365 with 2x times a year adding water to the batteries. I run a small 120V refrigerator, 120V entertainment gear, and all the 12V stuff without a generator (haven't started the generator since the solar went on line). I'm now thinking of adding more panels to power a small window A/C for a couple of hours/day.

Since the RV install, I've gotten more serious about putting solar on my S&B property.

[parkdep]

This works well for me..Solar Charger

[2oldman]

Banging my head on the table..