How big of a battery do I need for a 160 Watt solar panel?

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maki2 said:
Sure, even a 50 watt panel can charge up a large battery given enough time.

The issue is not can the source of electrical coming in get a charge put into the battery. The issue is will you drain the battery down faster than it is getting charged? People keep telling you this in comments. You need to wrap your head around the concept. It is like a water faucet, low water pressure with a small trickle will still get a drinking glass or even a swimming pool filled but it will just take longer than if you had really high water pressure with a strong stream of water.  If you only have a small glass you will quickly use up the water if you drink faster than it is getting filled. If you have a swimming pool sized container it will last quite a while even if you are drinking faster than it is getting filled but eventually it will get empty because speed of input is less than your out take. When that happens you either have to slow down your drinking  or find a secondary water source to fill the container.

You need to remember that you must adapt your lifestyle to what you have for resources or else you have to adapt your power resources to meet your needs. There is no magic bullet here, it is just basic math. Power coming in and the storage capacity should always be able to exceed your draw on the battery bank. If you don't have the ability to have enough panels to meet that power need then you have to figure out what must change and maybe that means an alternative source of power or maybe it means changing your everyday lifestyle to reduce the need for power.
Okay, I think I get it now - I'm looking for a 100 ah battery.

Most of the power usage will be done at night, so the panel is free to suck up sun rays, unhindered, for most of the day.
 
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