# solar at the campsite



## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

I am finally going to put a small (read cheap) solar system at my summer campsite. This is on an off grid piece of land where I set up my camper. In the past I have brought the marine deep cycle battery home with me for a charge. It lasts about 6 days under the light load of a few lights and a couple hours a day of my DC TV. 

The system I propose is a 100 watt panel and a 30 amp charge controller. Do you think this will keep the battery topped off, assuming it's sunny half the time? If you had an extra $100 to spend, would you add another battery or another panel?


----------



## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Have you checked out the Goal Zero power stations?

http://www.goalzero.com/power-packs

I picked up the 400 around the holidays on sale. I like that it's all self-contained and you can easily connect the solar panel of your choosing to it. I have yet to get a panel but plan to later this year.

Check out some of the accessories too. The only one I bought was the LED light but I will probably get more.


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

If your battery is lasting 6 days, you have enough battery. If you can't keep it topped up each day, add another panel. Especially if you find yourself adding usage. Add battery if your battery gets low in off generation periods (night or too many cloudy days)....James


----------



## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Well, 100 may or may not be enough. Without knowing your requirements power needs its hard to say. a couple of lights and TV could be 500watts or 50 watts.

Also your 100watt panels do they have good view of the sky? if so how much of the sun do they have a view of and for how long.

Also you didnt say what kind of charger. Those cheap 30amp units will work but will rob you of 30% of your power so your really only 70watts.. Consider a MMPT charger (A REAL ONE, not the lying ebay units claiming to be one).


----------



## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

The TV draws 25 watts and I usually watch an hour show and the news every day. Lights about 12 watts but only turn them on if I get up in the dark.

The charge controller is a Renogy Wanderer, 30 amp, PWM. It is sized big so I can add panels as money permits. MPPT charge controller is out of my budget and so are the 60 cell panels. Thanks for the advice but you guys keep trying to spend money I don't have.

If I can put the panel where I want, it will get full sun from sunrise to about 2 hours before sunset. This distance seems to require #4 wire. Why is the wire on the back of the panel only #10? Doesn't this provide a choke point between the panel and the charge controller?


----------



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

LA batteries like being charged between the C/12 to C/8 range with C/10 being ideal. So with using a PWM controller you should have between 8.3 and 12.5 amps of solar for every 100AH of battery. That would be 150 to 225 watts of panels at 18VMP.

If you use an MPPT controller you only need 120 to 175 watts of panels per 100AH of battery.

WWW


----------



## Wellbuilt (Dec 25, 2020)

There is nothing cheep about solar, to get a reliable system you need to spend some money . 
Sams club 6 volt battery’s cost 90 bucks each and you need 2 for a 12 volt system and they give good service . 
A 300 watt solar panel cost 160 bucks or so from a electric supply 2 panels would be better . 
A 200 dollar mppt controller works much better and allows you to use cheep grid tie solar panels . 
A morning star 300 watt power inverter really maximizes ac power from battery’s. 
Sorry for spending money you don’t have but you power usage will go up and your battery’s will die every year . 
I’ve had this system running in my trailer for 5 years I just check the water in the batterys and my charge controller eq the battery’s ever 30 days .


----------



## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

Don't buy a 12V panel. You pay a price premium for the ability to attach the panel to your car. You'll get far better bang for your buck with grid-tie panels, especially the ones you can find on Craigslist. The break-even point appears to be around 200W now. Get a 100W 12V panel and a cheapo PMW controller and you might spend 150$. Get a 250W grid-tie and a more expensive MPPT controller and you'll spend about 180$. So, do you want 100W for 150$ or 250W for 180$.


----------

