 | Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Solar charging and storage |
 
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| Badger110 Member Since: 06 Feb 2018 Location: South hams Posts: 1039   
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Here's some interesting bits about solar panels on this site;
http://fuddymuckers.co.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=alfie:solar |
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25th Apr 2019 9:22pm |
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| Badger110 Member Since: 06 Feb 2018 Location: South hams Posts: 1039
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Can you clarify if you're wanting to have a solar panel that will charge a leisure battery on it's own?
If you are, then you'll end up with a flat battery fairly quickly if you're planning to plug in a fridge or anything that draws medium amounts of power. Solar panels help in keeping batteries topped up but can not keep up with the draw from a fridge. A 120w panel will provide 12w of power to a battery per hour in perfect conditions during sunlight ( 10-12 hours a day atm) An expensive compressor 12v fridge uses around 40w per hour...cheaper firdges will use alot more. A simple VSR and secondary leisure battery will serve you much better than a solar panel as well be cheaper to do and be a fit and forget set up. |
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26th Apr 2019 5:18pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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Look very carefully at the power consumption of the leisure items that will be plugged in.
The ARB 47 litre fridge has an average current of 0.89 amps/hr. So in round figures that is 24 amp/hr per day.. So a 100 amp hour battery will last in theory about 4 days. So assuming 10 hours a day power output from a solar panel to power that fridge you would require a current output of 2.4 volts at 12 volts or a 30 watt panel panel working at 100% efficiency. A 60 watt panel and a decent storage battery will readily power a decent compressor fridge such as an ARB 47 litre fridge Now a Pelter type cool box is much more power hungry up to 10 amps/hr. Or about 240 amp/hr per day. So our 10 hour solar panel with storage battery would need to be at least a 300 watt panel. Then we would need to add some more as a safety factor. So moral of the story consider carefully the power consumption of the items to be powered by the solar panel/storage battery combination Brendan |
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26th Apr 2019 10:05pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3757
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Badger110 and Brendan
Thanks for help. My idea was to have a leisure battery charged up before we go camping, an 85 or 110 amp? Then use a 100w or 120w solar suitcase panel to keep this topped up. Hopefully then use this to charge up mobiles / watches and if possble keep a fridge cold (its not a fancy one) it runs off 12v or mains. Would this work? We will be in Devon / Cornwall over August so hopefully plenty of sun. Will I need more power? |
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27th Apr 2019 5:20pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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Mobiles and phones will have very small battery capacity so no real impact on storage battery.
What fridge are you running.? Pelter/absorption type or a proper compressor fridge. Have a look at either instruction manual or specification plate on fridge for the current or power rating as that is the main bit of information required. Brendan |
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27th Apr 2019 6:23pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3757
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Our fridge is not fancy its this... runs off 12v or mains
https://www.worldofcamping.co.uk/outwell-e...x-12v-230v All I can see is it says power consumption 24w although there is an eco button? I cannot find any other information. Would a 100w / 120w panel and leisure battery keep this going? along with charging phones etc? Thanks Scott |
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27th Apr 2019 6:46pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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Reading the Des ription it sounds like a Pelter fridge.
24 watts is 2 amps at 12 volts. So a 100 amp hour battery will keep it going for a maximum of 50 hours in theory. A 120 watt solar panel with a 100 amp hour battery should be more then adequate for your purpose.. HTH Brendan |
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27th Apr 2019 9:23pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3757
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Hello
Update on this.... I have the folding solar panel and a 110v leisure battery, In order to easily charge the fridge, and usb devices (watches, ipad, phones) I will need an inverter attached to leisure battery. Questions... Can I leave the inverter attached to the leisure battery all the time? as I'm thinking I will place both together in a sort of movable box (with air vents) I understand a Pure Sin Wave inverter is best, but what wattages as the price varies greatly? what I would like is something like this... this isn't pure sin wave> does it matter... For powering a fridge and my other devices. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073S5V5WT/?co..._lig_dp_it Thanks  |
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3rd Jun 2019 10:44am |
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| Greadh Member Since: 17 Feb 2016 Location: North West Posts: 97 
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Hi Scott.
For those small items your best off cutting out the inverter. Just get some USB sockets and/12v sockets - inverter will just add power loss (heat, sound etc) and additional cost. Try and use an inverter where there is no other way than to obtain the needed voltage. USB is 5v, using an inverter you wil go from 12v up to 240v and the reduce back down to 5v using the phone charger. Also, dependant on the type of leisure battery you don't want to run it past half depleted. So 110ah, only calculate using 55ah - better for battery life expectancy. Newer battery technology deals better with being depleted more. Cheers |
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3rd Jun 2019 11:45am |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3757
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Hi Greadh
Good to hear from you 
I have a camping fridge to plug in also though 
The solar panel unit I have changed the controller to have two USB chargers that will charge directly from the solar panel and not the battery. That should help keep phones and stuff topped up. As regard the fridge I guess an inverter is the only way? unless I use a cigarette lighter to battery, and then plug the fridge into this. Thanks Scott |
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3rd Jun 2019 1:39pm |
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| Greadh Member Since: 17 Feb 2016 Location: North West Posts: 97
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If the fridge has an option for 12v input it would be best to use that (in my opinion) if you're going to build a stand alone battery box, maybe add a small fuse board and then attach a range of connectors off that? or just a standard 12v cigarette socket (with an inline fuse) for the fridge? an inverter will always be useful mind.
Charging phones and watches etc. will be minimal on a 110ah battery, so may as well have the ability to charge them without the solar setup. Cheers gareth |
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3rd Jun 2019 2:08pm |
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| Bluericky Member Since: 26 Jun 2014 Location: Cornwall Posts: 647 
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We have a Glamping business in Cornwall and they’re all off grid . We’ve tried several different solar power systems . At the moment we have some of the Goal Zero Yeti 150’s which have been absolutely superb for what our guests need, which is to charge their mobiles and for some LED lighting (chain of three). They’ve never had to be topped up from the mains in three years of almost continuous use .
On the farm I also have a Yeti 400 with the twin DC plugs. It’s also been great , I run a small angle grinder off it for cutting jobs in the fields and machinery , again it’s never been charged from the mains , only solar They’re well made and highly portable , I’d recommend them ! https://www.instagram.com/hustynminepark/ |
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3rd Jun 2019 9:24pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3757
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Hi Bluericky
I'm in Devon & Cornwall for summer but could not get any pitches with electric hence going for a solar set up |
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4th Jun 2019 8:30am |
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| yobbie Member Since: 15 Nov 2010 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 713 
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 Click image to enlarge I'm using 2 x 120w panels, remember that you will never get the panel to work at full power. Solar panels are designed to work at certain temperatures and face the sun directly (also assuming there is bright sunlight) so you would have to move them constantly. Also use an Mppt charger as these are more efficient. I'm using an Australian made Intervolt DCC Pro and run a fridge, water pump, charge phones etc with no problem. Recently been away and even on an overcast day I'm getting around 40w of power so I'm able to keep the auxiliary battery full Click image to enlarge Quoted current draw in my opinion is not realistic, the fridge is full with chilled material not opened and in 26c outside temps, your car is likely to be higher temperatures than that in the sunshine, opening,not being full and unchilled items will have a massive impact on the working cycle of the fridge |
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9th Jun 2019 12:22pm |
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