100 watt Solar panel install ?

[DixonM]

I have a step van and right now I still use it for work I have a 2000 watt inverter, compressor fridge 120v, and usually I have the 12v roof fan going and a 120 volt squirrel cage fan running all day I haven't had an issue yet but I would like to not worry if the truck will start. My old box truck I had the coleman 12v cooler and it would kill the battery in that truck from time to time. I want to buy a 100 watt system that I can upgrade later as needed. I was looking at this https://richsolar.com/collections/solar-kits/products/100-watt-solar-kit-with-40a-mppt-controller 
I want to charge my truck [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]batteries[/font] with this 100 watt system and not install a house battery. Will I have any negative reactions from this? My goal is to later bump it up to 300 watts and install Lithium batteries down the road with out having to change out the whole system. Is this feasible?

 

[bullfrog]

If your anywhere near Arizona you could probably get 2 used 250 watt panels, controller and cables for the same price.

 

[PeterPiper]

Yes.  Just keep in mind that the purpose of solar panels is to recharge the batteries and/or replace energy as you use it..  You can only get about 5.5Amps from a 100watt solar panel under ideal conditions (mid day sun, clear skies, southern latitude.)

So depending on where you are, that equates to about 5.5Amps per hour for 6 hours or 33Ah.  You might get a little more or a little less.
But ballpark that's what you can replace with one 100watt solar panel.  Overcast, rainy weather cut that by 60% or more.

So do an energy audit to see what you need to replace and go from there.  Starting with two 100watt panels would give you about 10Amps.  MUCH faster recharging.  (twice as fast)

Nothing wrong with that kit imo but you could do better.

 

[jonyjoe303]

100 watts will give you about 5 amps when the sun is overhead, everything your running will easily exceed all that. The majority of your charging will be by the alternator. At least get a 240 watt panel if you got the space for it.

When it starts to get hot and you need to run your fans full time, 100 watts wont keep up. In my situation a 240 watt panel(12 amps) wasn't enough to keep my 220ah lifepo4 topped off last summer. I had my 12 volt fridge and was running my 3 amp swampcooler almost 20 hours everyday. This winter I upgraded to a 365 watt panel (payed 250 for it) , I been getting up to 27 amps of charge power from it in the summer and about 15 amps in the winter. It easily runs all my devices during the day and still have power to top off my batteries. On a sunny day I can harvest over 120 amps to charge my battery and thats while I'm running my laptop/fans/fridge.

Its alot of work installing a solar system. I started with 120 watts(6 amps), then 240 watts and now 365 watts. My advice put the largest panel that will fit on your roof. And like they mention 250 watt panels are cheap, I see them for less then 100 dollars on craiglist, 2 of them in serial will give you over 30 amps of charge power.

Also your start battery should never go under 12.1 volts unless its a deep cycle type of battery. I left my lights on 3 times on my van and after that I had cranking problems all the time. After a few months the battery was so damage I couldnt even jumpstart it. With all the device you are running I definitely get a house battery, even something in the 100ah range.


240 watt sharp panel (64x39 inches) next to 365 watt LG neon panel (77x39 inches)


output of 365 watt panel. 26 amps

 

[DixonM]

Great I will get the 200 watt kit and call it a day for now. O and I am in Florida lots of sun until the afternoon showers come in the summer.

 

[abnorm]

FLORIDA ?

Sun Electronics in Miami Lakes has Solar Panels for much less..........I bought my B-grade (cosmetic damage) 600 Watts for $300

Drive and save money !

https://sunelec.com

 

[XERTYX]

I'd be interested to know how many watts your Squirrel cage fan uses. I love those types of fans. My brother has one we use when the homemade earth/brick grill is wet inside and its gonna take burning some serious wood to dry it out for smoking meat all day.

His Squirrel cage fan stokes up the flames so well I think you could use it as a blast furnace. Hella airflow.

 

[DixonM]

Fan is pulling 133 watts and 1.1 amp according to the inline meter I have.

 

[PeterPiper]

FLORIDA ?

Sun Electronics in Miami Lakes has Solar Panels for much less..........I bought my B-grade (cosmetic damage) 600 Watts for $300

Drive and save money !

https://sunelec.com

The problem is you have to buy at least a full pallet of panels.  I didn't see where you can buy less than a full pallet at a time.

 

[highdesertranger]

Peter I don't know what you are looking at but you CAN buy single panels from them. I even added one to a cart just to make sure,

https://sunelec.com/shop/solar-panels/renesola-370-watt-solar-panels/

Not bad prices either.

Highdesertranger