molly 2
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correct its a con ,check out mppt controllers on you tube .some have a display so you have an idea what's going on .
whitevanwoman
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I'm afraid I have to disagree again, my solar regulator was donated secondhand but apparently it only cost the previous owner about £20. I don't think it's MPPT, it has no display, just a charging light and battery full light. It's been on my van for over a year, charges my leisure battery fine, cuts out at 16.5v and my secondhand 3 year old leisure battery is just fine and dandy. In fact, I kind of wish the battery would die as I want to replace it with a bigger one but reluctant to bin something which doesn't have anything wrong with it. Anyone want a third hand battery...?
I realise I may have just been lucky with the regulator but I would say don't discount something or write something off without trying it.
Am surprised that other people don't give solar any credence at all this time of year as I'm definitely getting some input into my battery from panel, not much but enough to keep both batteries at 12.8v and to keep my mifi on permanent charge ( no signal inside the house so mifi has to stay outside on van dashboard when I'm at my house). Maybe my panel is just cleaner from all the Cumbrian rain....
whitevanwoman
Guest
I thought 16.5v was high but it's not often it gets to that, and only for a few seconds at a time and it obviously hasn't done my battery any harm. If I am concerned I can switch off my panel or just plug in my fridge and put that excess solar power to good use.
My comments simply reflect my actual experiences with my panel and regulator over the past year. Maybe I am the exception to all the rules.
whitevanwoman
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When my engine is running my voltage display for leisure battery is usually showing 14.2+ v, up to about 14.4v, depending on whether lights, fan etc is on, drops to about 13.5-14v if mobile phone, tablet etc is on charge. It rarely drops below 13.1v when running unless my leisure battery is very discharged.
There are 2 issues here, one being the efficacy of the solar panel charging system, the other being the draw from the leisure battery by appliances. My draw is limited, mainly recharging devices, led lighting and TV/ media player, with no alarm, GPS tracker, dash cam, fridge etc which take a constant draw from the battery.
If my elec consumption was more, then certainly my 85ma battery and solar recharge would not be anywhere near sufficient this time of year, and I would probably blame the panel for being useless, when in fact it's not useless but just insufficient for my needs. If I used elec kettle, microwave, large TV, satellite, hair dryer etc then there's no way my set up would be anywhere near enough.
There are 2 issues here, one being the efficacy of the solar panel charging system, the other being the draw from the leisure battery by appliances. My draw is limited, mainly recharging devices, led lighting and TV/ media player, with no alarm, GPS tracker, dash cam, fridge etc which take a constant draw from the battery.
If my elec consumption was more, then certainly my 85ma battery and solar recharge would not be anywhere near sufficient this time of year, and I would probably blame the panel for being useless, when in fact it's not useless but just insufficient for my needs. If I used elec kettle, microwave, large TV, satellite, hair dryer etc then there's no way my set up would be anywhere near enough.
whitevanwoman
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Don't even have all those in the house let alone in the van, am just a simple old fashioned country lass who uses a map and compass to navigate and a towel to dry my hair. My alarm has 8 legs and 2 tails.
hextal
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That sounds like a spider I don't ever want to meet.
trevskoda
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chernobyl hound.:scared:
HelenandJan
Guest
You paid £3 per day for EHU in Cumbria? Where?
I would charge more than that if you parked on my drive. Lol.
Deadsfo
Guest
yeh these Russian Chernoble dogs can be like that.:lol-053:
Deleted member 9849
Guest
Just to clarify my comment on solar power in winter,I said it can't be relied on to produce any meaningful current in winter.By that I meant contributing towards running TV,lights and heating which in my case is substantial as we like to watch some tele when it gets dark early.This will deplete the leisure battery and even with a substantial sized battery I will have to get an external charge every 3-4 days.I have 180 watts of solar panels on the roof and for 3 seasons of the year have a surplus of energy and here lies the disparity of solar power in the UK.
In the warmer months and long days when not so much energy is required I have a large surplus,when I need more power in the winter months I have a deficit.
I agree with previous posters about keeping the engine battery topped up in winter with a trickle charge after the leisure battery has fully charged,a useful function especially if the van is in a storage compound with no ehu available.
I remain unconvinced about the effectiveness of solar power in winter except for trickle charging the vehicle battery.I have spent a fair bit on solar panels and a 270 A/H leisure battery but even so it is still inadequate in the winter months and I wouldn't want to give anyone the impression that it was.
In the warmer months and long days when not so much energy is required I have a large surplus,when I need more power in the winter months I have a deficit.
I agree with previous posters about keeping the engine battery topped up in winter with a trickle charge after the leisure battery has fully charged,a useful function especially if the van is in a storage compound with no ehu available.
I remain unconvinced about the effectiveness of solar power in winter except for trickle charging the vehicle battery.I have spent a fair bit on solar panels and a 270 A/H leisure battery but even so it is still inadequate in the winter months and I wouldn't want to give anyone the impression that it was.
Obanboy666
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Crossfells C&CC CL site in Clifton Dykes near Penrith.
Basic facilities, no shower but toilet and chemical toilet disposal. Level hard standings approx 1/4 mile from any roads. Great for dog owners like me as its in a large grassed field. Site is run on trust with very helpful owners who are motorhome owners.
£10.00 without ehu which I use in the spring/summer and £13.00 with ehu.
for a family £13.00 a night is well worth it especially in the lakes imho.
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Johnnygm7lsi
Guest
Well done, first sensible post on solar power I have seen, I haven`t got enough space on my roof for solar panels to keep my 660 Amps of battery power charged up, and if I had it would only be in the summer, you see numerous posts saying,,, my panels keep my battery charged up enough to charge my phone, lights and MIFI, even in winter
whitevanwoman
Guest
Well, mine do. But then I only need about a tenth of your elec consumption. Not quite sure what your reference to charging mifi implies.
I have to disagree with generalisations which are different to my experiences.
I would have thought that it is sensible to get a range of experiences, as everyone has different requirements and set ups and consumption and then the OP can make an informed choice as to what best suits their needs, dependent on their anticipated consumption. We don't actually know what the OPs needs are, they may be a low elec consumer like me, or they may need much more elec like you.
I agree with the surplus in summer, deficit in winter statement, but that does not mean that solar is useless. Solar works in winter to a significantly lesser degree than in summer - I simply adjust my consumption and expectation accordingly but that doesn't mean it's useless. For some people solar doesn't adequately meet their needs in winter. For me, if I'm careful, I can manage. I'd much prefer to have my panel in winter than be without it.
If all the posts in this thread bar one are not sensible, perhaps you shouldn't bother reading it or becoming involved in it.
portiapug
Guest
Another sensible post which takes a different view on matters.
For a start, there was a post saying that despite spending money on lots of solar panels and big batteries, the power only lasts 3 to 4 days in Winter ..... Sorry, what do you expect and why is someone wildcamping for days on end in one place? Of course your batteries will be depleted because you have not driven anywhere else to top them up again. You probably used a big inverter to Microwave lunch or run your Satellite TV system. The power source is not finite and needs careful management.
Having used the van in Winter with only a 90 watt freestanding panel, I am not talking hypothetically. The 19" TV does not get used, instead we use an old 10.8" TV that uses slightly more than 1 amp, which is probably around 20% of what a 22" TV will use. Moving on to another spot puts more charge into the leisure battery/ies.
kris
Guest
I am running a split charge system +2x 115 a LB and the gauge never shows more than 12.6 when fully charged at rest.It reads 14v when van is running but settles to about 12.6 after a few hours with no load and van standing.The answers to how low a reading can be are very varied? Any final answers?
whitevanwoman
Guest
Work out your likely daily power consumption first. What appliances will you want to power?