BigT
Well-known member
After 7 months of agonizing, flip-flopping and second-guessing over what to get, I decided not to go with the 300 Watt panel I had originally planned on because the dimensions (39" wide) were too wide and would have resulted in shadowing from the kayak I plan to keep on the roof most of the time (all the time if/when I go full time).
In the spirit of "Good enough is better than taking about it forever and not getting anything at all, or shooting for perfection" : I ended up getting a Grape 190 Watt Monocrytalline panel and a 15 Amp Morningstar MPPT charge controller (SS-MPPT-15L) and a temp sensor. I also picked up 40' of 10-AWG MC4 cable. The controller is good for up to 200 Watts, which of course means that if I ever want to increase the Wattage I'll have to replace the CC (no biggie).
http://www.civicsolar.com/product/morningstar-sunsaver-ss-mppt-15l-15a-charge-controller-w-trakstar
For another $75 I can add a digital display to better monitor the battery and state of charge, but I'm not sure if I'm going to go that far just yet.
Now I just need to get my AGM battery (92Ah is my plan), a fuse-block, and what else? What else do I need??
The guy at the solar shop suggested a 15 Amp fuse/breaker to go between the panel and charge controller. Is that a good idea?
We don't get a lot of thunderstorms around here (OK, any), but I supposed it's possible the panel could be hit by lightning when traveling cross-country.
I was also told that I could use the 10 AWG MC4 wire to run between the charge controller and battery.
What about the wires that will run from the battery to the fuse-block? Can I use the MC4 there as well?
I assume I'll need to ground the battery to the van? I know the frame would be best, but could I get away with using the body of the van?
And one last question for SternWake: Is the 190W panel going to be sufficient to keep the AGM happy for a while? I still plan to get a 120V charger, or use the one at work, when I need a little extra power to the battery.
In the spirit of "Good enough is better than taking about it forever and not getting anything at all, or shooting for perfection" : I ended up getting a Grape 190 Watt Monocrytalline panel and a 15 Amp Morningstar MPPT charge controller (SS-MPPT-15L) and a temp sensor. I also picked up 40' of 10-AWG MC4 cable. The controller is good for up to 200 Watts, which of course means that if I ever want to increase the Wattage I'll have to replace the CC (no biggie).
http://www.civicsolar.com/product/morningstar-sunsaver-ss-mppt-15l-15a-charge-controller-w-trakstar
For another $75 I can add a digital display to better monitor the battery and state of charge, but I'm not sure if I'm going to go that far just yet.
Now I just need to get my AGM battery (92Ah is my plan), a fuse-block, and what else? What else do I need??
The guy at the solar shop suggested a 15 Amp fuse/breaker to go between the panel and charge controller. Is that a good idea?
We don't get a lot of thunderstorms around here (OK, any), but I supposed it's possible the panel could be hit by lightning when traveling cross-country.
I was also told that I could use the 10 AWG MC4 wire to run between the charge controller and battery.
What about the wires that will run from the battery to the fuse-block? Can I use the MC4 there as well?
I assume I'll need to ground the battery to the van? I know the frame would be best, but could I get away with using the body of the van?
And one last question for SternWake: Is the 190W panel going to be sufficient to keep the AGM happy for a while? I still plan to get a 120V charger, or use the one at work, when I need a little extra power to the battery.