Are Solar Panels Realy Worth Having

[Tbear]

Who is going to believe an article that puts silent (Not Quiet) and Generator in the same sentence. Then look at at their prices ??. A handful of stories over a period of years. Over that period, how many badly fitted exhaust pipes do you think they sorted. Are we meant to stop having exhaust pipes??

How many posts have you seen on here about people that have generators for years and used it once or twice, often not in a Motorhome related manner.

If you want to sit still for days on end and use lots of electricity then you need a solar system with a reasonable battery backup. We move regularly and use little electricity so manage without solar and only an 80 ah leisure battery. The only problems I have had where when my starter battery was sticking which was diagnosed after I replaced both my batteries and at the Rutland meet when on arrival the leisure battery came up as flat but in the morning by magic as the engine had not been run, was back to normal.

Richard

 

[Sharon the Cat]

Personally I find our panel gives me peace of mind. When the sun shines I can see both batteries topped up & no worries about having a shower later or watching a TV programme on the laptop. We don't use hairdryer, microwave or anything like that & are all LED except the awning lights, so our power consumption is hardly high.

Solar power technology has advanced incredibly over the last few years & the price of panels has plummeted. Hence, Phill was made redundant in June as there wasn't enough money left in the market for an established solar panel supply & fit company.

I think A and N Caravan Services grapes may have turned a little sour.

 

[Wooie1958]

Are Solar Panels Really Worth Having ?

Yes.

 

[maingate]

The most expensive way to obtain power is to use criminally expensive sites.

With hookup charges at a minimum of £3 per night (for the cheapest) and often £5 per night, Solar and Generators are a snip.

 

[Andy75]

Hmmmmm. I fitted an 80 watt panel on the roof of my Transit and wired it up to a 110A/H battery. I disconnected the whole leisure system from the engine electrics as there was a problem with the control box. So for the last 3 years I've run all the led lights, radio, computer, phone charger, shaver, etc from just that 80watt panel and it's been brilliant.
I think solar panels are great. Got them on my house too.

Same. Our two LB's are only charged from solar now, so it doesn't matter if we think about moving sites or not - the only charge they get is via the panels' charge controller. Certainly would not be without it.

 

[John H]

I know very little about the technology but there are things in that article that just don't ring true. For example, who has ever paid £900 to have a solar panel installed? Mine cost about half that. Further, our previous two motorhomes were sold after about eight years each; both had solar panels fitted on day one and both were still functioning efficiently when we traded them in. Admittedly the dealer who fitted the second one - a well-known mafia boss from Derbyshire (that is a cryptic clue for all those crossword fanatics out there!) made a mess of the fitting so that there was initially a leak at the point where the cable runs through the roof but if fitted properly (as our current one is - fitted by Edgehill Motorhomes of Mansfield Woodhouse) then they are great. If you wildcamp a lot, as we do, then they are essential in my view and if you put your van into winter storage which is not near a EHU point then they keep the batteries topped up. When we have put our van into winter storage, for three or four months at a time, it has always started first time in the spring.

 

[invalid]

We never winter store our van as we use all year, last Christmas day we were on Hay-Bluff on the Brecon Becons,6" of snow, strong winds, we were alone, how strange.

 

[wildman]

I am amazed when i read about people having 200, 300 or even 400 watts of panels on their motorhomes and wonder if wilding why they need this amount of panel unless they are parked up for days on end which goes against our wilding policy of 1 or 2 nights max.

Anyway im sure there will be posts explaining the need for this amount of solar power.

I suppose it depends how you use your van, I have 320W of solar and 4 x 100 amp/hr batteries but then my van has an electric step, electric bed, electric relay holding gas valve open 24/7, I don't walk much and use the TV 6-7 hours a day. Large portions of the year I am static on my CL using it as an office. When away I generally do 2500 miles in 3 weeks. Not had a hookup for 15 years. I could manage with a pair of batteries and one 80W panel when away but on site in the winter my batteries remain fully charged do not get over discharged and last at least 5 - 10 years. I have power if I drive or not. It works for me. Other people are able to get out more, spend more time outside or away from the van.

 

[iampatman]

About a year ago I fitted a 100w panel and controller. Been working fine but the last few days I've noticed that there doesn't seem to be much of a charge going into the batteries ( 2 x 110). Today I'm in the South of France in blistering sunshine and my BM1 battery monitor tells me I'm feeding 0.5a to the batteries. They are at 13.5v and at 89% capacity. Checked all connections. Panel is clean and not shaded. Solar charge controller is flashing slowly indicating that it is charging batteries. I'm stumped.
Pat

 

[K9d]

Cheers for the picture, does your cable run through the roof ?

Last time we went off grid at Brands Hatch for BSB, the battery only lasted a couple of days and that was just lights and water but it turned out to be a duff battery. Looking at the panels and controller mentioned previously it would come to about £100 and almost seems a no brainer, especially if it can be used to keep to vehicle battery topped up too.

 

[Fazerloz]

I know very little about the technology but there are things in that article that just don't ring true. For example, who has ever paid £900 to have a solar panel installed? Mine cost about half that. Further, our previous two motorhomes were sold after about eight years each; both had solar panels fitted on day one and both were still functioning efficiently when we traded them in. Admittedly the dealer who fitted the second one - a well-known mafia boss from Derbyshire (that is a cryptic clue for all those crossword fanatics out there!) made a mess of the fitting so that there was initially a leak at the point where the cable runs through the roof but if fitted properly (as our current one is - fitted by Edgehill Motorhomes of Mansfield Woodhouse) then they are great. If you wildcamp a lot, as we do, then they are essential in my view and if you put your van into winter storage which is not near a EHU point then they keep the batteries topped up. When we have put our van into winter storage, for three or four months at a time, it has always started first time in the spring.

You say you know little about the technology yet say the panels were working efficiently when you sold them . How do you know? Just because they were doing all you needed doesn't mean they were working efficiently. Leaving any sort of small trickle into a battery I would expect it to start .
I am sure plenty have paid £900 you have no idea what systems have been fitted.

David neon lights that's unusual.

 

[John H]

You say you know little about the technology yet say the panels were working efficiently when you sold them . How do you know? Just because they were doing all you needed doesn't mean they were working efficiently. Leaving any sort of small trickle into a battery I would expect it to start .
I am sure plenty have paid £900 you have no idea what systems have been fitted.

David neon lights that's unusual.

Just because they were doing all I needed it doesn't mean they were working efficiently???????? I may not know much about technology but I do know that I don't need anything to produce more than I need (unless it is something that can be given to others or sold!). As for the £900 - that was a figure given in the article as what people needed to spend; clearly from my experience and that of others on this thread, it isn't. And others I know (without solar panels) have had their batteries go flat after just a few weeks; my eight-year old battery started the engine first time after 4 months of a particularly cold winter.

Btw I do know how to press a button and read a dial and the solar panels kept my batteries topped up to the maximum - more efficient than that would probably cause an explosion! (and that is a joke, so don't bother to come back with "batteries can't explode" or such like).

 

[Deleted member 12539]

My goodness, £900 for a solar panel installation?
We are currently in our 4th year of using the solar panel I installed, an have moved from one m/h to another.
At the moment we are in northern Spain and our panel has been keeping my two leisure batteries and vehicle battery topped up throughout our drive through France the last two weeks.
At one point, after leaving a 12v connected cool box on for too long, my batteries were showing 12.5v, so I disconnected the cool box and my solar panel re-charged the batts back up to 13.4v in 2 days. we were static for four days in Gastes, without hook up or engine running, so I assume my solar panel is working as it should.
I paid a tad under £200 for mine and if I have to replace my panel next year, I still think I have had value for money.

In winter I still get my batteries charged via my solar panel, and during the summer we sit outside of the van using 12v lighting late at night from the leisure batteries, so far from useless.

 

[vwalan]

when you really need the solar it is winter time when heating system is on all night alongside lights from 5pm - but in winter no sun so useless bit of kit. In summer hardly any draw on current as no heating and no lights so solar is still a useless bit of kit.

many of us go away in winter and wild camp for months with no ehu. if it wasnt for the solar we couldnt use washing machines etc . or use computers ,tv , in winter they are great if traveling south .
possibly if you only stay in uk then they might not be of much use to you .
also you might not need leccy to work with heating . my catalytic doesnt need leccy.
even better use gas lights . light ,heat ,and get rid of mozzies .

 

[Fazerloz]

Just because they were doing all I needed it doesn't mean they were working efficiently???????? I may not know much about technology but I do know that I don't need anything to produce more than I need (unless it is something that can be given to others or sold!). As for the £900 - that was a figure given in the article as what people needed to spend; clearly from my experience and that of others on this thread, it isn't. And others I know (without solar panels) have had their batteries go flat after just a few weeks; my eight-year old battery started the engine first time after 4 months of a particularly cold winter.

Btw I do know how to press a button and read a dial and the solar panels kept my batteries topped up to the maximum - more efficient than that would probably cause an explosion! (and that is a joke, so don't bother to come back with "batteries can't explode" or such like).

You may have only required 20% of the panels rated output. The panel may have only been producing at 50% of rated output, due to deterioration of the panel but still plenty for your needs. But the panel is operating at 50% less than rated output so not working efficiently. Yes you do know how to push a button and it would say everything was ok but would not be a indication of panel efficiency. Oh and batteries can explode. :have fun:

 

[maingate]

You may have only required 20% of the panels rated output. The panel may have only been producing at 50% of rated output, due to deterioration of the panel but still plenty for your needs. But the panel is operating at 50% less than rated output so not working efficiently. Yes you do know how to push a button and it would say everything was ok but would not be a indication of panel efficiency. Oh and batteries can explode. :have fun:

An Ammeter and Voltmeter will tell you how efficient your panels are ..... it is not guesswork.

 

[Siimplyloco]

David's not stupid, and I've just ordered a 100w panel and a Schaudt controller, and I've been told I'm not stupid either!
John

 

[iveco4x4]

I use a compressor fridge so am quite picky about getting power into the batteries

Never used elec hookup except at home

van spent 3 months with fridge going non stop last autumn sitting on drive - an this is a big beastie fridge freezer, just on battery and solar so don't tell me it doesn't work

So another thumbs up for solar.

Fitted one to my parents small toyota van an that works great too - and didn't cost 900 quid although the panel cost a bit more as it needed to be a particular size (height/width) due to the space we had on the roof

Rich

 

[Siimplyloco]

Blast! I've got one of those in my boat toolbox.......looks like I'll be using a simple marine gland fitting for mine!
John

 

[Andrew Davies]

I spent some time installing domestic PV panels on roofs (just before 'the man' killed the only growth industry during the post banker dip we're enjoying...but I digress ).

These were fitted over November and into February and were producing higher ampage per hour than they did in the summer, the angle of the sun is better (on a sloped roof) in the winter and the radiation levels are often higher for PV generation in winter. In the summer less per hour is produced but there are longer days and clearer sky and so overall the production is higher.

Original £900 splurb is a load shog dit! :lol-061:

They are on my Transit keeping it all charged and will be fitting some to my new Hymer (when I find one!) ASAP!!!