Solar To Car Batteries?
- Thread starter Woltz
- Start date
Help Support Van Living Forum:
MrAlvinDude
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2017
- Messages
- 340
- Reaction score
- 6
Woltz said:
Yes, that is possible.
Trebor English
Well-known member
In my experience, often discharging a car battery 5% and occasionally 10% shortens the battery life a little bit, not horribly. I think using the 50% recommendation for deep cycle batteries on a regular basis would be bad for a car battery.
Car batteries have a reserve capacity rating in minutes at 23 amps. It used to be 25 amps, some still are 25 amps. To get an amp hour rating divide the minutes by 60 then multiply by 23. For example, my Ford Windstar battery was rated at 100 minutes. That's 1.66 hours, times 23 it's 38 amp hours. 10% is 3.8 amp hours, 5% is 1.9 amp hours.
With driving 2 or 3 times per week I found that enough to keep a phone charged and run my electric shaver 3 minutes per day. This is a small amount of electricity.
Car batteries have a reserve capacity rating in minutes at 23 amps. It used to be 25 amps, some still are 25 amps. To get an amp hour rating divide the minutes by 60 then multiply by 23. For example, my Ford Windstar battery was rated at 100 minutes. That's 1.66 hours, times 23 it's 38 amp hours. 10% is 3.8 amp hours, 5% is 1.9 amp hours.
With driving 2 or 3 times per week I found that enough to keep a phone charged and run my electric shaver 3 minutes per day. This is a small amount of electricity.
frater secessus
Well-known member
Lots of folks do it. The car batts don't last long under heavy cycling.
Do you already have the batteries, or were you going to buy them from wally world or similar? If the latter, I'd pick out one that allows you to water the battery. You can run it pretty hard and top off as needed.
Do you already have the batteries, or were you going to buy them from wally world or similar? If the latter, I'd pick out one that allows you to water the battery. You can run it pretty hard and top off as needed.
Minivanmotoman
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2017
- Messages
- 1,027
- Reaction score
- 11
There's a guy selling refurbished car batteries on Craig's in Phoenix for $25.
At that cheap a price, worthwhile return on a battery or two for a solar bank?
Suppose it depends on heavy vs light use.
At that cheap a price, worthwhile return on a battery or two for a solar bank?
Suppose it depends on heavy vs light use.
AreWeLostYet
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 30, 2018
- Messages
- 174
- Reaction score
- 0
Provided you do not increase your energy consumption a solar panel would only help to keep your battery from over discharging.
That is true for low-wattage panels only.
If you're poor, any old batt will do in a pinch or if cheap enough, but may only last you a few months.
But doing it right is possible for under $600, and
$200 of that will give you a 200+ AH brand new quality bank designed for years of deep cycling.
If you're poor, any old batt will do in a pinch or if cheap enough, but may only last you a few months.
But doing it right is possible for under $600, and
$200 of that will give you a 200+ AH brand new quality bank designed for years of deep cycling.
