You've helped me before, so..

[Lioncrunch]

Thanks to merl & trevskoda, great members on here I needed a small inverter and got a reply sharpish.

I'm now in the market for a portable/ fold up? 100 watt solar panel, or should I go for a flexible one to hang on 'ta' side of 'ta' van, T5.
I have a 80 watt 'on ta roof' already.
Advise would be great.
Sorry if I'm slow to respond,
BUT I WILL...

 

[trevskoda]

Thanks to merl & trevskoda, great members on here I needed a small inverter and got a reply sharpish.

I'm now in the market for a portable/ fold up? 100 watt solar panel, or should I go for a flexible one to hang on 'ta' side of 'ta' van, T5.
I have a 80 watt 'on ta roof' already.
Advise would be great.
Sorry if I'm slow to respond,
BUT I WILL...

A foldable one is handy if it can be connected to the regulator or has one inside it, then you can charge through a live cigy plug.
How much battery amps are you running and what is the regulators max input, rule of thumb is 100w solar for every 100ah of battery but not manditory.
Im running 2 100w panels through a votronic duo mppt which sends 1 ah to the starter battery and the bulk to my 2 90ah les batteries, hope this helps.

 

[merl]

Foldable I'd say, hanging vertically would only work well in the winter. Ignore the often ridiculous claims of available wattage of some panels and just go on size. As for coupling into your current system it's probably best if you can post details of the current controller, if it has spare capacity to accept another panel then you could add a plug and socket and plug the additional panel into it through a window, If not then you'll need to either buy a panel with another controller combined or add a second controller or change the existing controller for a larger one.
It's unlikely you'd get any charge to the leisure battery by utilizing the ciggy socket in the dash unless you're van is equipped with a suitable VSR.
The second panel really needs to match or be close WRT voltage, your existing panel is very likely to give it's maximum power at around 18V so the new panel should be similar.

 

[Lioncrunch]

A foldable one is handy if it can be connected to the regulator or has one inside it, then you can charge through a live cigy plug.
How much battery amps are you running and what is the regulators max input, rule of thumb is 100w solar for every 100ah of battery but not manditory.
Im running 2 100w panels through a votronic duo mppt which sends 1 ah to the starter battery and the bulk to my 2 90ah les batteries, hope this helps.

Many thanks trevskoda,.
I've got 2 x 50 Amp Lipo4 under seat and a 300 watt solar generator.
As stated earlier I've got a 80 watt on the roof, it performs very well.
Going through a victron 75 x 10 (can't remember what the 75 is classified as) so 10 amp controller.
I've also got a Renogy b2b again 10 amp because originally I only had a 50 amp battery.
I need to keep the solar generator topped up.

I need to keep fridge going for as long as possible, I left it running all last night through SG connected to leisure battery by it's charging lead through a designated cigarette socket, not van CS.
The fridge pulls 60 watt at start then 17 watts, presumably up/ down to keep cool, 0 degrees this morning, bearing in mind it was very cold last night, I am 900 foot above sea.
At 9.00 this morning with full sun, SG was full and battery was showing 12.9..
However as we know cloudy sky are no good for solar, hence need/ want extra panel so as to position it for best advantage.
Chris..

 

[Lioncrunch]

Many thanks trevskoda,.
I've got 2 x 50 Amp Lipo4 under seat and a 300 watt solar generator.
As stated earlier I've got a 80 watt on the roof, it performs very well.
Going through a victron 75 x 10 (can't remember what the 75 is classified as) so 10 amp controller.
I've also got a Renogy b2b again 10 amp because originally I only had a 50 amp battery.
I need to keep the solar generator topped up.

I need to keep fridge going for as long as possible, I left it running all last night through SG connected to leisure battery by it's charging lead through a designated cigarette socket, not van CS.
The fridge pulls 60 watt at start then 17 watts, presumably up/ down to keep cool, 0 degrees this morning, bearing in mind it was very cold last night, I am 900 foot above sea.
At 9.00 this morning with full sun, SG was full and battery was showing 12.9..
However as we know cloudy sky are no good for solar, hence need/ want extra panel so as to position it for best advantage.
Chris..

Sorry merl our posts X over, good morning all..

 

[merl]

Sorry merl our posts X over, good morning all..

You need to explain whatever you mean by a solar generator.

 

[trevskoda]

Many thanks trevskoda,.
I've got 2 x 50 Amp Lipo4 under seat and a 300 watt solar generator.
As stated earlier I've got a 80 watt on the roof, it performs very well.
Going through a victron 75 x 10 (can't remember what the 75 is classified as) so 10 amp controller.
I've also got a Renogy b2b again 10 amp because originally I only had a 50 amp battery.
I need to keep the solar generator topped up.

I need to keep fridge going for as long as possible, I left it running all last night through SG connected to leisure battery by it's charging lead through a designated cigarette socket, not van CS.
The fridge pulls 60 watt at start then 17 watts, presumably up/ down to keep cool, 0 degrees this morning, bearing in mind it was very cold last night, I am 900 foot above sea.
At 9.00 this morning with full sun, SG was full and battery was showing 12.9..
However as we know cloudy sky are no good for solar, hence need/ want extra panel so as to position it for best advantage.
Chris..

100% good job, fridge temp should be 2c and a freezer min 20c, i would up battery to 200ah as this will sort you out better.

 

[Lioncrunch]

You need to explain whatever you mean by a solar generator.

Yes,, terminology is everything.
Solar generator, sounds like I can generate Solar, I wish.
Try solar power station. Same as ecoflow, bluetti, etc

 

[Lioncrunch]

100% good job, fridge temp should be 2c and a freezer min 20c, i would up battery to 200ah as this will sort you out better.

Yes but Cost, and I'd still after charge it whilst stationary.

 

[trevskoda]

Yes,, terminology is everything.
Solar generator, sounds like I can generate Solar, I wish.
Try solar power station. Same as ecoflow, bluetti, etc

I never seen the point in them, much more handy to fit a extra battery, less junk to carry around.

 

[merl]

Yes,, terminology is everything.
Solar generator, sounds like I can generate Solar, I wish.
Try solar power station. Same as ecoflow, bluetti, etc

Personally if possible I'd fit an additional plug and socket to the input to the Victron solar controller. Ideally this socket should be the same as the solar input socket on your power station, by doing this you'll be able to plug the additional panel either into your main system OR your power station depending on which battery you'd like to charge.
Technically 180W (100w+80W combined panel wattages) COULD give you a theoretical maximum of around 12-13A charge current into your lifepo4's. The Victron SCC is a 10A unit so under very good-ideal conditions you'll still only get the 10A maximum and effectively lose a couple of potential amps charge current because the controller 'clips' and throttles back to maintain it's 10A maximum output rating. Seems a little wasteful but for the majority of the time you'll be harvesting at considerably less than the theoretical maximum anyway and suffer little or no loss.

 

[Lioncrunch]

Personally if possible I'd fit an additional plug and socket to the input to the Victron solar controller. Ideally this socket should be the same as the solar input socket on your power station, by doing this you'll be able to plug the additional panel either into your main system OR your power station depending on which battery you'd like to charge.
Technically 180W (100w+80W combined panel wattages) COULD give you a theoretical maximum of around 12-13A charge current into your lifepo4's. The Victron SCC is a 10A unit so under very good-ideal conditions you'll still only get the 10A maximum and effectively lose a couple of potential amps charge current because the controller 'clips' and throttles back to maintain it's 10A maximum output rating. Seems a little wasteful but for the majority of the time you'll be harvesting at considerably less than the theoretical maximum anyway and suffer little or no loss.

Thanks merl, how doing this is advantages, against what I have now, that is a dedicated cigarette socket connected to leisure batteries, I then plug my power station into this, with the supplied lead, the advantage I THOUGHT was I've now got 1300 watts available not just the 300 watts in the power station, this seems on low discharge to keep the PS ot 100% charge to use wherever I need it.
I'm happy to be corrected, every day is a school day..
I will connect the additional SP when bought to the victron controller.

 

[merl]

Thanks merl, how doing this is advantages, against what I have now, that is a dedicated cigarette socket connected to leisure batteries, I then plug my power station into this, with the supplied lead, the advantage I THOUGHT was I've now got 1300 watts available not just the 300 watts in the power station, this seems on low discharge to keep the PS ot 100% charge to use wherever I need it.
I'm happy to be corrected, every day is a school day..
I will connect the additional SP when bought to the victron controller.

Obviously without digging much deeper into your setup Its difficult to say with 100%accuaracy but It sounds like you're charging/maintaining the internal battery in the power station via the ciggy plug from your lifepo4s and if that's the case then there'd be no advantage in plugging the solar panel/panels into the power station, you indeed may as well stick with what you're doing and simply add the extra panel to the Victron SCC input.

 

[trevskoda]

Dont go over 10amps through a ciggy socket as it will overheat and melt the wires behind it.

 

[Lioncrunch]

Dont go over 10amps through a ciggy socket as it will overheat and melt the wires behind it.

Thanks both, all info logged into brain cell..

 

[Boris7]

There’s no one simple answer here.

I run 450watts of solar on the roof, 400ah lithium and then an EcoFlow with extra batteries connected to a 120w panel on the roof and a 220w fold out panel.

But, this weekend I’ll be stationary for 5 nights, no EHU and not only using the van as an office, but also cooking on electric and with a woman who thinks it’s a hotel room.

If I’m driving more then the EcoFlow stays home as it’s just not needed.

So you need to work out your own usage profile. If you’re travelling most days then the alternator will give you what you need. If your in a Transporter then roof space is limited, but roof solar isn’t greatly efficient anyway, portable fold out panes have the great advantage of being positionable but I’d be weary of putting my portable 220w portable panels out and going for a walk.

A mate has a Transporter and no solar, no lithium, no portable battery (that’s what these solar chargers actually are) and he, his wife and 2 kids spend weeks off grid with no issues whatsoever, but that wouldn’t suit my needs.