Ok, ready to order a Solar panel but have a question

[Night Sailor]

Warning power is addictive! Plan for expansion. I would use 10 Gauge wire and a larger controller than you think you need...that is what I did and I'm at the limit of what charge controller can handle. If I tilted my panels I'd probably pop a fuse.

What is really wonderful is the cost of these panels is so low now compared with past prices.

I am thinking about putting panels in the roof of the house. I would love to loose the electric bill completely.

[deryk]

Yeah Conrad, I can see how it could be addictive lol. I want to go with a 30 amp controller, I could possible see me adding a permanent panel on the roof one day and a moveable 100 watt panel. I still will be carrying my generator for air conditioning useage but don't want to need to run it when in the colder times of the year to top the batteries off from that energy hog of a furnace lol.

10 gauge wire is my plan for the wires coming from the panel, will have to see if I can use 8 gauge for direct to the battery since its going to only be at the most 3' long from the controller to my 2 batteries.

[mrprez]

When I order my Oliver 22, it will have 2 100 watt solar panels on the roof, 6 gauge wire from panel to controller and 6 gauge from controller to 4 T105 batteries. They buy their parts from AMSolar. The controller is a 25amp, but I may go higher with plans to add a third panel at some point. Cheaper to add it in the beginning rather than later.


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[deryk]

2 100 watt panels is more then I need at this stage of the game. I carry a generator for air conditioning or extra power for microwave or stuff like that....when I retire in hopefully 14 years I'm hoping for a little bigger trailer for full timing in...then I will cover the roof in panels lol

[mrprez]

We are already retired. Working on selling the house and going full time in Sept. We will also have a generator,, a Yamaha 2400 iHSC for the hair dryer, microwave and maybe the AC occasionally.


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[accrete]

Best wishes on your solar project deryk!

The more i read up on solar options and think about how we camp/live in the pacific northwest the more i believe that a portable setup in the ~100 to ~120 watt range should meet our needs. I haven't got the design nailed down yet and i'll keep researching over the next year-ish.

[deryk]

Thanks Thom, yeah I don't want to have to depend on running the generator during the colder months when I camp(Same one as you John), so solar does make some sense...won't solve all the problems but will not have to worry about leaving the MaxxAir fan running on a warm/muggy day to keep it comfortable inside when I'm in and out.

100 watt's is fine for now, maybe at some future point I might add a 2nd panel but rooftop mounted, but I prefer camping under the tree's so a moveable solar panel makes the most sense. Not going to be the Renology folding unit because the charge controller they use isn't water proof...unless they will remove it so I can add a waterproof one.

Anyone have a good link to a DIY folding solar panel?

[mrprez]

Some people have been reporting success with some portable being sold on eBay.


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[deryk]

Ok after a lot of debating and thinking about it, I placed my order today
12 Volt 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit Solarblvd

Dont laugh but a reason I ordered it from here was the size of the panel. I have 47" inches fron the front of my ParkLiner to the escape hatch on the roof by about 36" width... this panel is 40" long, most are 47.something long and I really don't want it visible from the street.

I am going to rooftop mount it and run a 10gauge battery wire to the front battery box. If I add a 2nd panel for mobility I can run it in through the little hatch for the power cord and plug it in that way.

If I'm lucky I can get it and install it before next weekend... if not well will make do lol

[accrete]

Originally Posted by deryk

Ok after a lot of debating and thinking about it, I placed my order today
12 Volt 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit Solarblvd...

THX for the link deryk. I have added it to my bookmarks and am anxious to your product review

Thom

[deryk]

Hey Thom! I'm going to have to drill into the vent pipe from the water tank to run the cables to the roof....then caulk it to seal it. I'm getting excited to do it. I decided I gonna use burly tape and bolt the panel down. I'm going to have to pick up some kind of decorative caps to cover bolts.(

[accrete]

Originally Posted by deryk

...I'm going to have to drill into the vent pipe from the water tank to run the cables to the roof...(

Hi again deryk (still wan't to capitalize that 'd' !
OK so i hear what you are saying... and my 2 cents worth.
Do you need to run the cables into that pipe vent? The way Chandler set mine up (i ordered it solar-ready) is he has the wires set to go out the side of the reverse-trolley roof just in front of the front edge of the forward escape hatch. I will utilize a thru-hull marine fitting like this one: _link at amazon as an example_.
I can tell you that there is no way i could run wires along side the "pipe" in that square side-frame member that runs on the streetside inner wall from sofa to upper cabinets as there is no room, in fact i don't know how he even ran the 10g wires but they are laying in a coil inside the upper cabinets ready for use (other end coiled up in battery bay).

Since you would be routing the wires to the front battery exterior box might this work?...
1) drill a hole in the vertical wall inside the reverse trolley area on street side near the solar panel,
2) run your wires inside the upper cabinets toward front most wall in common with bathroom upper closet and forward most street side upper cabinet.
3) drill hole and run wires down the corner at front of side sofa/shower (area that is for the most part hidden from view)
4) route wires into lower porta potty closet
5) exit below and to battery box

Might work??
Best wishes,
Thom

[deryk]

Thom, I never even thought of that....could also run it into the closet and right out through the floor right to the battery box.....hmmmm

Well tomorrow I'm heading to the Pocono mountains in Pa for 5 days so I'm going to have to take a look....I figured using the vent pipe to have one less new hole in the room but the fitting would eliminate my leak fears lol.

Thanks

[accrete]

Originally Posted by deryk

Thom, I never even thought of that....could also run it into the closet and right out through the floor right to the battery box.....hmmmm

Now that is thinking outside the battery box I actually like the sound of that better, as it calls for a few less holes and fiddlin'.
Enjoy your adventure.

Thom

[stev]

On that Seachoice thru the hull fitting at Amazon.
What is the largest 2 wires you can run thru it?
I see the hole size drilled is 3/4 inch.
Thanks.

[deryk]

I'm gonna head over to the 3 marine stores near me when the panel arrives with the wire to make sure it will e sized right...might be a few dollars more but gives peace of mind that when I drill that hole it will all fit.

[accrete]

on the thru hull fitting i linked to? I don't know as i did that just as an example. Like deryk i would buy local from my marine shop to make sure i had a size that would suit the project. Sorry i don't have more info.

Cheers,
Thom

[Night Sailor]

I got my wire from Amazon pre-terminated with MC4 connectors which saves a bit if time.

I used West Marine for the cable glands to bring the wire inside, and that was all I used from the chandlery.

[frankcfx]

Night Sailor is an EE I believe so he should be able to give a good solution to this:

The solar panels put out up to and sometimes over 30VDC. There is a drop in voltage and current in any run of wire. No the question; is the IR drop more significant on the output of the panel wires to the controller than the IR drop on the out put of the controller to the battery?

If the current drop on the output (12VDC) of the controller is a greater percentage than the solar panel output ( up to 30 volts or more) then you would want to put the controller close to the battery not on the solar panel like mine!
Frank

[deryk]

Well the cable from the solar panel to the charge controller is 10 gauge, with a run of about 8 feet I'm guessing....the charge controller to the battery will be about 4 feet. If I can use 8 gauge I will. I'm planning on adding an exterior 12 volt socket near the batteries(why not since I'm running wire) I think at a later date I will be adding a good inverter.