Solar panels

[maingate]

Ah bit like what tuggers do, move it round the van as the sun moves and bring it in when it rains, gets dark or are going out

I can't really say to much as I dare say when I get my first panel it will be free standing for a while but I have three kids to send out in the rain to fetch it in

Hi,

I will not be having it free standing.

The idea is to open the small locker door at the rear, slide it out and support the outer end with a small folding stand attached to the panel. When it gets dark, just slide it back in and shut the door.

When it arrived, I laid it flat in the shade and plugged it in (I have a plug in connection already fitted for the wind turbine). The output was very good in the shade, so it does not need direct sunlight. It would probably pop the 7.5 amp fuse in the circuit anyway.

I have almost finished the box that will fit in the garage to house the panel. It is raised about 6" off the floor on 4 legs and I have made a 40 mm lip around the top. This is so I can store lightweight (but bulky) items on top of the box. It has actually increased my storage capacity.

 

[vwalan]

you are wishfull thinking. i wish my panels could put out the ratings you hope for.works on paper maybe but in real life not quite so good. even at the best time of day on the best day of the year. have lots fun though watching it all for awhile though. bet you get another one soon.cheers alan.

 

[Nolly]

Have used free standing 40watts panel for the past 2 years and been very pleased with results especially during winter months when the sun is very low.
Regards Nolly.

 

[maingate]

Hi vwalan,

You only get what you pay for.

Yours only cost 20 riyal in the Casbah.

Don`t expect to get much out of them.

Mine on the other hand is the real deal.

ps Have you been on your roof lately?

There is probably an inch of sand (or goat dung) covering them.

 

[vwalan]

dont be daft its peeing it down here in sunny cornwall.
20 riyal one dirham. yes you do have to clean them regulary. think mine are solarelec made in italy i think. i do use a solara 50wt panel loose in the garage for topping up car batteries saves leccy at home. not good at moment last two weeks havehad to plug my fridge back into the mains .bahhhhh british summer. have filled all the water butts up and all containers i can find. cant waste water by paying to flush the bog. i,m a cheap skate really. i catch water dripping off the van as well saves paying for it. could do with big underground tanks and a solar powered pump to fill the hot water. will do it one day.

 

[mark7]

You could have got an 80W for £185 from the ebay seller we used, comes with 20amp Regulator, Bypass Diode, Cable and MC4 Connectors. Free postage. The sikaflex and waterproof gland should only cost you up to a max of £20 on top of this.

Here:
Brand New PV 80 watts Solar Panel (80w) on eBay (end time 23-Jul-10 14:44:51 BST)

Just orderd this and it will come in a few days, will let you know how it works, cant wait....thats about £1000 spent this year on my van!!!!!!!!!

 

[paulhag]

Just orderd this and it will come in a few days, will let you know how it works, cant wait....thats about £1000 spent this year on my van!!!!!!!!!

Hi Mark7, if you require mounts for your panel I can get them for £30 a pair similair but solid alu with stainless steel screws to those sold here :-
Solar Panel Mounts
Cheap as chips.
Interesting reading about your different opinions on solar panels, I went down the same path many years ago, after researching for months I bought a few panels off ebay at a fraction of the cost compared to a leisure dealer. These solar panels work and perform perfectly (I have tested the amps being pushed) and are exactly the same as what the dealers try and sell you. I left the TV & satellite receiver on all night a few years ago (13-14hrs) went to the beach at 10 returned at 5 to find batteries fully charged, not bad but it was perfect conditions.

 

[maingate]

Why would you want a 20 amp regulator?

It is capable of handling 240 watts. Not many people will have 3 x 80 watt panels.

Whoever is selling this kit has no electrical knowledge. If you see my earlier post you will see that the company address is for a business selling medical aids. That is fine if your commode is faulty. I am not sure what redress you have on a solar panel. Buyer beware!!!!!

 

[vwalan]

even 3x 80wt panels dont put out 20 amp .but never mind lets you add on later. they are a good price . you need afew of you to club together ,very cheap then. solar as just been too expensive here for so long people think the cheap prices are too good to believe but they should have been this price 10 yr ago. uk is behind even third world countries as far as this tecnology. whole villages in africa are using solar to power every thing. its strange if you go in to an internet cafe in the desert as you know there is no real leccy yet satalights are on every house /mud brickhouse. colour tv every where. its amazing.

 

[kenandlynne]

Hi, are you the Nolly who is Bunter and Terry's mate

Have used free standing 40watts panel for the past 2 years and been very pleased with results especially during winter months when the sun is very low.
Regards Nolly.

If you are this is Ken, remember the old 7 Balls Friday drink up's ?

 

[Nolly]

If you are this is Ken, remember the old 7 Balls Friday drink up's ?

Sorry Ken.
Wrong Nolly, but we have something in common if he likes a drink or two.
Regards Nolly.

 

[Vennwood]

Hi,

I will not be having it free standing.

The idea is to open the small locker door at the rear, slide it out and support the outer end with a small folding stand attached to the panel. When it gets dark, just slide it back in and shut the door.

When it arrived, I laid it flat in the shade and plugged it in (I have a plug in connection already fitted for the wind turbine). The output was very good in the shade, so it does not need direct sunlight. It would probably pop the 7.5 amp fuse in the circuit anyway.

I have almost finished the box that will fit in the garage to house the panel. It is raised about 6" off the floor on 4 legs and I have made a 40 mm lip around the top. This is so I can store lightweight (but bulky) items on top of the box. It has actually increased my storage capacity.

I hope it works well for you but have to say I have my doubts.

1. Output from Solar happens from dawn to dusk so you will need to get up early.
2. It will be difficult to get solar energy while driving or in carparks etc.
3. Will you be happy leaving it out when you are away from the van?
4. Roof mounted panels are out of sight out of mind - so look at security
5. Anything less than 80W is virtually useless in winter unless it is used only for keeping the battery topped up for the alarm
6. Solar panels rarely produce maximum output other than on midsummers day in perfect conditions so be prepared for lower results - maybe only a couple of amps per day in winter.
7. If you use your MH in winter then solar panels will be virtually useless unless you have more than 120W

 

[biggirafe]

Here you go a couple of photos of how they are fitted to the roof of our mh

The sikaflex glue is amazing if you use it with the primer. It bonds to the shell of the MH and won't come off, don't mistake it for the window joint sealer which is a different thing altogether.

Its been said before with Solarpanels you do need to do the maths and work out how much power you personally use. For us with children it was pointless trying to get enough panels to compensate for the lighting etc in winter, the roof just is not big enough even on a Kontiki So I opted for quite a small one which does the job in summer and keeps the battery conditioned in winter.

 

[Vennwood]

Its been said before with Solarpanels you do need to do the maths and work out how much power you personally use. For us with children it was pointless trying to get enough panels to compensate for the lighting etc in winter, the roof just is not big enough even on a Kontiki So I opted for quite a small one which does the job in summer and keeps the battery conditioned in winter.

Totally agree. We have a total of 434W on our roof and still don't have enough in the winter months. (And we clean them regularly)

 

[maingate]

Thanks for the opinions on solar panels.

I believe that because we never stay anywhere for a long time, we have a workable system. We prefer coastal locations and the wind turbine works well there (clean air flow).

I do not want the solar panel on the high, flat roof as we get into some very small narrow roads and lanes. The only disadvantage of my set up is that I need to slide the panel back into the van when we leave it. We only ever do that to walk the dogs for an hour at a time.

My regulator can take the wind turbine output and also a solar panel output of up to 100 watts.

If we find ourselves still short of power, then I might fit a water wheel.

 

[NicknClair]

I hope it works well for you but have to say I have my doubts.

1. Output from Solar happens from dawn to dusk so you will need to get up early.
2. It will be difficult to get solar energy while driving or in carparks etc.
3. Will you be happy leaving it out when you are away from the van?
4. Roof mounted panels are out of sight out of mind - so look at security
5. Anything less than 80W is virtually useless in winter unless it is used only for keeping the battery topped up for the alarm
6. Solar panels rarely produce maximum output other than on midsummers day in perfect conditions so be prepared for lower results - maybe only a couple of amps per day in winter.
7. If you use your MH in winter then solar panels will be virtually useless unless you have more than 120W

Wise words!!

Couple of things that's missing;
Current battery bank sizes should be looking at more than a total of170ah in this day and age of motorhomes. Without a good battery bank, when the solar is "producing" we need plenty of storage capacity to soak it up (not including the fact that the newer the MH, the more juice it seems to use).

Back-up plan, always have one if mother nature hasn't assisted in producing enough sunshine. This can be done in many ways, my preference is a 50A B2B charger (have diesel in the tank for running the engine, it's lightweight and produces a mass amount of charge even at idle speed). Maingate seems to like the green way of Wind Generator, others pick portable generators (this in itself has another set of issues attached like extra fuel and storage, plus you are still depending on the factory mains charger's capability of recoving batteries quickly).

Monitoring the power - standard gauges just do not cut it. Look at investing in a Battery Monitor (Sterling's PMP, NASA, Alden's Ordijauge). This gives a complete overview of amp hour consumption, what is going in and out and in most cases, readings that help you judge your true battery capacity/what is left available as usable power.

I have been convinced of roof mounted panels, purely because the weather up till now has produced cracking results. Time will tell as in 2 weeks we tour France, so will be good to compare this year's use of the motorhome with last years.