Please help place my panel order

[KatBalouE350]

Taking the plunge and want to go with 200 watts worth of solar. Renogy seems to be the most popular among this forum. My son will be installing on some sort of rack on my roof. Which is the best Renogy to get without breaking my small bank? Also, any added tips, tricks or helpful input from our gurus would be deeply appreciated.

 

[highdesertranger]

first off how much do you need,

1. figure out your approximant daily use.
2. size your battery bank according to number 1.
3. size your panels according to number 2.

highdesertranger

 

[KatBalouE350]

I just ordered a maxx air deluxe vent and am looking for a efficient freezer then some small Led lights, cell phone and laptop charging. Would 100ah battery do for these things with 200 watts solar?

 

[PattySprinter]

I just ordered a maxx air deluxe vent and am looking for a efficient freezer then some small Led lights, cell phone and laptop charging. Would 100ah battery do for these things with 200 watts solar?

What inverter and charge controller did you chose?

 

[user 37446]

I just ordered a maxx air deluxe vent and am looking for a efficient freezer then some small Led lights, cell phone and laptop charging. Would 100ah battery do for these things with 200 watts solar?

Depending on your battery type, yes, 100 amp hour capacity would be reasonable, AGM's can go lower than 50% (read SternWake's posts) but don't take your marine hybrid battery below 50% if possible. 

Remember that you could have 400 watts of solar but if its bad weather for a week, your battery will go flat, solar or not. You'll want an alternate charging source, the alternator to continuous duty solenoid method is probably the best option, not many vandwellers carry portable generators (cost, gas, theft etc).

Just like in a sticks n' bricks house, conservation is the key as opposed to increasing insulation (or in this case, solar wattage). Oh, and get a 12v adapter power source for your laptop, not an inverter to run it. Much less power draw that way. You can find them on Amazon and EBay.

 

[Almost There]

If you're using a 12V compressor unit as a fridge then 100 amp is adequate.

If you're going to use that same unit as a deep freezer, I'd say it's not!

I use a pair of 65 qt Whynter units, one as a fridge, one a freezer.

The freezer uses somewhere around 4 to 5 times the power that the fridge uses. Keeping the fridge at 40F is fairly easy, keeping the same unit at 0F is another story.

I use 4 6V Trojan T105REs and make sure that they are recharged daily by any one of my three methods of charging the battery (solar, gennie/shore power or solenoid/alternator).

 

[KatBalouE350]

What inverter and charge controller did you chose?

I was thinking on one of the Renogy kits which have a controller. Not sure what size inverter to get. I was thinking about a 400 watt?

 

[KatBalouE350]

Almost There, i was considering just a freezer for ice for an ice chest in hot months. So with that in mind do you still think I should have more than 100ah battery for it and the Maxxfan and other things I listed in first post? As far as a solenoid I drive about 5 minutes a day. Gens are probably not an option for me, at least not going solo (to hard to maneuver). What about a car jump portable system? Is that a possible charging option?

 

[frater secessus]

I use a pair of 65 qt Whynter units, one as a fridge, one a freezer.
The freezer uses somewhere around 4 to 5 times the power that the fridge uses. Keeping the fridge at 40F is fairly easy, keeping the same unit at 0F is another story.

That's really useful information; thanks!

 

[KatBalouE350]

I think i will go with 2 Costco's gc2 batteries. I think they are 208 ah. But will 200 watts of solar be enough to keep them charged and can I use a car battery charger unit of some sort to help them?

 

[GotSmart]

I think i will go with 2 Costco's gc2 batteries. I think they are 208 ah. But will 200 watts of solar be enough to keep them charged and can I use a car battery charger unit of some sort to help them?

That depends on location, elevation, and access to other types of power.  

Seattle gets 1/2 the solar capability as the high Arizona desert in winter. 

There are different grades of solar panels.

It is a matter of just how much are you willing to spend to get the best designed system.  Renogy has people on the phones that can answer any question.  Always ask for a better price.  

 

[Almost There]

Almost There, i was considering just a freezer for ice for an ice chest in hot months. So with that in mind do you still think I  should have more than 100ah battery for it and the Maxxfan and other things I listed in first post? As far as a solenoid I drive about 5 minutes a day. Gens are probably not an option for me, at least not going solo (to hard to maneuver). What about a car jump portable system? Is that a possible charging option?

Using any size of an freezer unit solely for the purpose of freezing ice to put in a cooler is, IMO, the absolute worst way to think about a system.

First, using ice to keep food cold allows temperatures to vary which is not good for your food handling safety. You're also taking a risk of drowning food in the melting water although that can be handled somewhat by using plastic containers to hold the ice.

Keeping things frozen and getting water to the freezing point are two entirely separate power usages. The harder the freezer has to work, the more power it consumes.

If all you're doing is trying to keep food cold then just set the 12v compressor unit at 40F and be done with it....no need to freeze ice to then use in a cooler.

A 100 ah battery only gives you 50 ah to use before you bring it down to 50% (critical level if you want the battery to last). Personally, I wouldn't try to run anything more than light use of the fan and charging laptop/cell phone off of 100 ah unless you have an absolutely certain way of recharging the battery to full each and every day - enough solar (and light), a generator, shore power hookup or several hours of driving.

Generators don't have to be heavy. Each of my two only weigh in at 27 lbs each (Honda 1000s. I use two because I have a large system to power and am unable to lift the 2000 watt version that weighs around 45 lbs. For a smaller system to just run your stuff and a fridge, one generator would suffice.

5 minutes a day of driving barely keeps your engine battery charged (if it even does that) and won't come close to recharging a house system of any size.

A car jump portable system is nothing more than a small battery in a plastic container with some fancy outlets built in and a pair of jumper cables. It is not a source of power in and of itself. You still have to charge it somewhere any time you take power from it.

 

[KatBalouE350]

Almost There, I agree that using ice chest isn't all that safe, but Also need ice to keep cool in 3 digit temps. I was thinking of buying a smaller fan and keeping a bowl of ice in it. I'm hoping this along with my MaxxAir

 

[KatBalouE350]

Sorry can't get edit to work. I hope the combination of both above will give me relief.

 

[jonyjoe303]

If you can just get one large panel in the 240 watt or bigger range. It be easier to install. Using a ecoworthy mppt (about 100 dollars) it will give you about 15 amps of charging current. You want a solar panel that will quickly charge your battery when the sun comes out. By 10 am I already see 9 amps out of the panel. I only paid 200 dollars for my 240 watt panel and it was a great investment. You might pay a little more upfront but you won't regret it. If your budget is limited, you can buy the large panel first and get a cheap 20 dollar pwm controller (it will work with the large panel) buy the expensive mppt controller later. Since you wont be driving too much a large panel makes more sense in your situation. 

Some of the solar kits they sell might not have an mppt controller, they usually come with pwm controllers, that won't give you all the available amps that the panels can produce.

For those hot days, think about getting a swampcooler. That is easily better than any fan. Even when the humidity is higher than normal I rather have the swampcooler blowing on me than my fantastic fan. When hot air goes through a wet evaporator pad, your going to get some cooling effect. You won't need any ice with the swampcooler. With the swampcooler I can keep all my doors/windows/vents closed and still be cool parked in the sun all day long, uses less than 3 amps of power.

 

[KatBalouE350]

I read Handyman's Blog and really want to do like he does and pay a little more for a mppt I can program. I didn't see this option in the description on the mppt you suggested. I think Blue Solar did allow adjusting, if I recall right. I think they are about $200. Of you have any suggestion of one I can program? 

Also I took your suggestion on getting a larger panel and all google gave was a Renogy 150w. What is the brand you have and where can I get one?

I would live a swamp cooler, can you tell me more on yours?

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Hubby will be getting two Solar Cynergy 180 watt solar panels from Solar Blvd. $149 each with $40 shipping for the two. I bought two Solar Cynergy 140 watt panels from them and am very happy.
Ted

 

[KatBalouE350]

Walkabout, I didn't spend a lot of time searching reviews for this panel and company but the first site I found the reviewer wrote after a few days while sitting in his driveway 2 cells burned out and the company was not responsive. The reviewer put out a beware on customer service. 

However you seem content with your panels so can I ask how long have you had the first set and what is your experience with the company?

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I've had my panels on the van roof for about six months.  I don't know about another's review of bad customer service, but when I got mine, as an absolute newbie, I called solar Blvd, spoke to an American customer service rep who immediately transferred me to tech support. I emailed him a photo of my question and he called me back within 5 minutes. Then he offered, without prompting that, if I still had difficulty with the wiring, that he could shoot a video on the spot and send it to me.  The panels arrived, in about three days, the two panels in separate boxes. They were extremely well packed.  

When I called Solarblvd two days ago, they answered my call in two rings.  This time, the person to whom I spoke about the 160watt panels, told me "Well, you know that we have new panels that are 180 watts and the same size at the 140 watt panels that you ordered last". He had, while talking, looked up my old order and had my data right there.  I said that I had to talk to my husband before placing my order. When I called back, I spoke to someone in the warehouse and when I said I'd like to place an order, he literally walked my call to the office and then took my order.

He told me that if I should have any problems with the panels that I should call them.  I don't know what would happen if I needed to make a return, but I suspect that, with the excellent service that I've already received, that I would continue to do so.  

If the above is poor customer service, then I'm a carrot.  But then again, I have extraordinary good luck with most companies with whom I do business.  I suspect that kindness and politeness have a lot to do with it.  My momma always told me that "You get more bees with honey than with vinegar".  I always remember that the person on the other end of the line has most of the power with the customers, even if they don't have much as an employee.

I used to work for a major health insurance company that was known for their frequent denial of claims.  They even gave the telephonic nurses a class on how to deal with unhappy customers.  It was an eye-opener.  So if you get on the phone pissed off and take it out on an employee "who just works here", don't be surprised if your service is lacking.

That my 2 cents.
Ted

I don't know why the size of the fonts above changed mid post.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I just checked my email and found the notice from FedEx that the panels went out this morning, less than 48 hours after ordering. Two 180 watt panels for $298 with $40 shipping. They weigh 60 pounds between the two of them.
Ted