Solar

[arizonatruck]

When I get the shell for my truck finished, I want to operate a few things.<br><br>Cell Phone Charger, desktop (roughly 300 watt, plus the standard monitor that is a few years old), an HP officejet 6500A, a cisco router, radio chargers and possibly a laptop. I also wish to use some sort of either led lighting, keeping the power consumption of the lights low.<br><br>How would I go about figuring out how much solar panels to use and battery capacity?

 

[wrcsixeight]

You need to get a Kill a watt meter to see how much you desktop computer and accessories consume in your &nbsp;current and expected usage.<br><br>But safe to say that your needs will likely exceed the roof space you have available, as desktop computers can be power hogs. &nbsp;My laptop is by far my biggest consumer of battery power. &nbsp;A few hours of laptop exceeds what my fridge uses in 24 hours.<br><br>The amount of solar you can fit should dictate your battery bank size as you want the solar on a good day to be able to return it to 90%+ by 1 PM. &nbsp;This gives you a buffer for when it is not sunny.<br><br>The 5 to 13% rule is a good one. &nbsp;A hundred amp hour battery should be fed by a solar panel capable of a minimum of 5 amps at noon. &nbsp;Any solar is better than no solar but better to meet and exceed this 5% figure for battery longevity.

 

[arizonatruck]

That's why I want to go to a laptop instead of a desktop, since laptops have a battery of their own.&nbsp; <br><br>Could you further explain the 5 to 13 rule.

 

[arizonatruck]

I also plan on having the house battery bank hooked into the starting battery to charge while the engine is running, but I don't plan on moving or running the truck very much once at my destination.&nbsp; The computers and similar devices won't be running all the time only when needed.&nbsp; I plan on having a switch between the starting battery and the house battery bank so that I don't run the starting battery down.<br><br>What size wiring should be used on the batteries and running from the starting battery to the house battery bank?

 

[caseyc]

Laptops and desktop computers are huge battery hogs. &nbsp;That's why I switched over to tablets. &nbsp;I have a couple Android tablets and a couple Windows tablets. &nbsp;Tablets can easily be charged using 12 volt USB adapters from a vehicle, even though it will take some time. &nbsp;Plus tablets nowadays have long battery life between 8 to 10 hours for the better ones. &nbsp;Try to get 8 hours from a typical laptop and it would be a joke. &nbsp;I still use my full size laptops, but only when I need the extra screen size and computing power. &nbsp;

 

[arizonatruck]

I have heard of ways of making your own solar panels, is there actually a way?&nbsp; If so, how can I find out how to do it?

 

[psytechguy]

Sure. You could get a bunch of PV cells and solder them all in series, stick them between a couple sheets of tempered glass, and frame them with some nice aluminum stock. Basically you'd be putting together a low output "science fair" type project.<br><br>... but for all the expense, time, and effort involved in doing that, you'd be better off just spending $250-300 and getting a good 140 watt or so manufactured panel with a 20 year warranty.<br><br>

 

[highdesertranger]

by the time you build one you will be dollars ahead just buying one.&nbsp; just like a car you could build one but it would be much cheaper to just buy one.&nbsp;&nbsp;unless you are me and know how to and what parts to use to build your own truck and have access to low priced used&nbsp;parts.&nbsp; &nbsp;highdesertranger