Change off solar panel

[big al]

Hi bigAl here about to change my solar panel I have at the moment 140 watt which was fitted to to the van 18 years ago when van was new was advised to fit new panel so got new one a185 watt as my old panel only brings in 0.32 Watts off power also a new controller off 15 Watts I paid just under £200 for all the part's so when the van was new it cost me £700 to have the lot fitted so for just under £200 and a nice bottle of whisky it's a know brained I will give you the results when fitted cheers Big Al

 

[trevskoda]

Hi bigAl here about to change my solar panel I have at the moment 140 watt which was fitted to to the van 18 years ago when van was new was advised to fit new panel so got new one a185 watt as my old panel only brings in 0.32 Watts off power also a new controller off 15 Watts I paid just under £200 for all the part's so when the van was new it cost me £700 to have the lot fitted so for just under £200 and a nice bottle of whisky it's a know brained I will give you the results when fitted cheers Big Al

Did you fit a mppt regulator or a old school pwm which is useless bit of cr-p.

 

[big al]

It's not fitted yet and yes I'm putting on a new 15watt controller and it's what you said thanks for that.

 

[Robmac]

Did you fit a mppt regulator or a old school pwm which is useless bit of cr-p.

Whilst PWM's are certainly not as efficient as an MPPT Trev they certainly aren't useless crap and many people have had good results from them on budget systems.

 

[clarkpeacock]

Whilst PWM's are certainly not as efficient as an MPPT Trev they certainly aren't useless crap and many people have had good results from them on budget systems.

Agreed. PWM still has a place to play in many budget systems. One of many good internet opinions expressed here;

Understanding Solar Controllers: MPPT vs. PWM for Your Solar System

Learn about solar controllers, their types, and how to choose between MPPT and PWM controllers for your solar system. Optimize your setup for efficiency and cost-effectiveness with our comprehensive guide.

uk.eco-worthy.com

 

[WeLuvFreedom]

Hi Al.
I.m just about to replace my 6yr old 100w Solar Panel on my Swift 684 MH & after studying the new technology have opted for a Renogy 200w Shadowflux panel which is to be delivered tomorrow as the reviews are all positive

 

[barge1914]

It looks like an increase in insurance due to more medical conditions and me being 80 next year is soon likely to sabotage plans for more of our extensive European travels. So longer off season stays on UK THSs, cheap CLs without electricity and suchlike is in the offing. So probably need to think about an upgrade to our solar system.
Currently we have 100w panel charging leisure batteries only, PWM, Nord battery management system, and 2x95ah agm leisure batteries. And gas fridge and heating. This has all been fine so far as we move regularly most days, but is limited for long stops late Autumn to early Spring.

We will need to add at least charging from solar to engine battery. Additional solar, (room for at least one more panel on roof), mppt charger are probably required. Sytem capable of switching later to lithium when the agms get tired.

I’m sure plenty of Wildcampers have been down this route. Any recommendations welcome, particularly what it may cost. Probably beyond me to do it now, so would need to pay someone to do it.

 

[number14]

It looks like an increase in insurance due to more medical conditions and me being 80 next year is soon likely to sabotage plans for more of our extensive European travels. So longer off season stays on UK THSs, cheap CLs without electricity and suchlike is in the offing. So probably need to think about an upgrade to our solar system.
Currently we have 100w panel charging leisure batteries only, PWM, Nord battery management system, and 2x95ah agm leisure batteries. And gas fridge and heating. This has all been fine so far as we move regularly most days, but is limited for long stops late Autumn to early Spring.

We will need to add at least charging from solar to engine battery. Additional solar, (room for at least one more panel on roof), mppt charger are probably required. Sytem capable of switching later to lithium when the agms get tired.

I’m sure plenty of Wildcampers have been down this route. Any recommendations welcome, particularly what it may cost. Probably beyond me to do it now, so would need to pay someone to do it.

I have not long done something similar to what you propose:-
120W upped to 200W (I chose Renogy mainly because it's the best fit in the space available)
Victron controller (MPPT)
Victron Smart shunt
Ablemail trickle charge for starter battery.

I kept the 2x 100AH AGMs which are still in good nick and the 3way fridge will stay until it becomes BER (beyond economic repair).

I'm not one for making recommendations but, so far, this arrangement works well for me.

 

[barge1914]

I have not long done something similar to what you propose:-
120W upped to 200W (I chose Renogy mainly because it's the best fit in the space available)
Victron controller (MPPT)
Victron Smart shunt
Ablemail trickle charge for starter battery.

I kept the 2x 100AH AGMs which are still in good nick and the 3way fridge will stay until it becomes BER (beyond economic repair).

I'm not one for making recommendations but, so far, this arrangement works well for me.

Can you remember what it cost to do that?

 

[Robmac]

Can you remember what it cost to do that?

It's easy enough to price up the boxes, it's the hidden costs that bump things up such as cables which are expensive now as are fuses (I used Mega fuses which can be up to a fiver each) I reckon my system came to about £2-2.5k altogether and that was with free fitting. (I did get 2 x Fogstar 300A Lithiums though which is £1400 to start with! and £200ish for a Renogy 2000w inverter).

Lithium conversion - Tis done!

Just got back from the Midlands where fellow member @merl has been helping me with my new electrical system, well when I say 'helping' what I mean to say is that Merl did the job with me as his 'Gopher', I played a sort of Debby McGee to Merl's Paul Daniels if you will. Anyhoo, the job is now...

wildcamping.co.uk

Shopping around though you could do it far cheaper than this by looking at Eco-Worthy who seem to do good stuff far cheaper and they do kits, here's one as an example which would give you loads of solar and 280AH of Lithium.

12V Off Grid Solar Kit 120W/240W | Efficient & Reliable

Power your adventures with our 120W/240W solar kit. Reliable off-grid energy with 0.48-0.96kWh daily output. Ideal for RVs, boats, and cabins.

uk.eco-worthy.com

Or a smaller powered kit;

12V Off Grid Solar Kit 120W/240W | Efficient & Reliable

Power your adventures with our 120W/240W solar kit. Reliable off-grid energy with 0.48-0.96kWh daily output. Ideal for RVs, boats, and cabins.

uk.eco-worthy.com

 

[trevskoda]

Whilst PWM's are certainly not as efficient as an MPPT Trev they certainly aren't useless crap and many people have had good results from them on budget systems.

Bet you dont drive a old ford 100e, they did get you from a to b LOL, point is they are well outdated and in no way do the best job for a battery by a long shot.

 

[Robmac]

Bet you dont drive a old ford 100e, they did get you from a to b LOL, point is they are well outdated and in no way do the best job for a battery by a long shot.

I wish I did Trev!

PWM's do a job at a small cost. Depends where and when you do your travelling.

 

[trevskoda]

I wish I did Trev!

PWM's do a job at a small cost. Depends where and when you do your travelling.

True they will charge but no battery maintenance cycle and they only capture about 2/3 of generated panel output, mind you they are about £3 on temu

 

[Fisherman]

You can buy a PWM 20a mp controller for around £10 the equivalent Victron with Bluetooth will cost around £65. But the Victron will increase efficiency by around 30%. In lower light conditions this figure can be even higher. Thus for £55 you have not only increased efficiency, but bought a piece of equipment which will also extend the life of your batteries, and offer better control. Yes PWM controllers may initially be cheaper to buy, but I would argue that the Victron is more cost effective. But PWM controllers are not a piece of crap, just cheaper to buy for seversl reasons, more false economy.

One other point, cleaning your panels regularly is important. I clean mine every couple of months.

 

[trevskoda]

You can buy a PWM 20a mp controller for around £10 the equivalent Victron with Bluetooth will cost around £65. But the Victron will increase efficiency by around 30%. In lower light conditions this figure can be even higher. Thus for £55 you have not only increased efficiency, but bought a piece of equipment which will also extend the life of your batteries, and offer better control. Yes PWM controllers may initially be cheaper to buy, but I would argue that the Victron is more cost effective. But PWM controllers are not a piece of crap, just cheaper to buy for seversl reasons, more false economy.

One other point, cleaning your panels regularly is important. I clean mine every couple of months.

 

[barryd]

It looks like an increase in insurance due to more medical conditions and me being 80 next year is soon likely to sabotage plans for more of our extensive European travels. So longer off season stays on UK THSs, cheap CLs without electricity and suchlike is in the offing. So probably need to think about an upgrade to our solar system.
Currently we have 100w panel charging leisure batteries only, PWM, Nord battery management system, and 2x95ah agm leisure batteries. And gas fridge and heating. This has all been fine so far as we move regularly most days, but is limited for long stops late Autumn to early Spring.

We will need to add at least charging from solar to engine battery. Additional solar, (room for at least one more panel on roof), mppt charger are probably required. Sytem capable of switching later to lithium when the agms get tired.

I’m sure plenty of Wildcampers have been down this route. Any recommendations welcome, particularly what it may cost. Probably beyond me to do it now, so would need to pay someone to do it.

I Don't know if you followed my year long epic battery woes thread but your usage and situation sounds very similar to mine. My single panel and single 120ah lead acid and cheap PWM controller just wasn't quite enough. I was going to go lithium but was persuaded that I maybe didn't need to (yet). In the end I got an extra battery the same (you already have two), an extra panel (now aprox 220w to 240w) and an MPPT Smartsolar controller from Victron. Extra 100w panel was about £70, Controller about £65, all the cabling and bits and pieces about £80 and that was it. The most important thing was getting the extra thick cabling from the controller to the batteries. Apparently this is key and especially if the distance from the controller to the batteries is more than a couple of feet.

Its early days but so far its made a huge difference and on a recent off grid trip to Arran we had more power than we knew what to do with. In the UK we almost exclusively use off grid CLs or wild camp. This might be all you need.