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Using Solar Panels???
https://carriage-lifestyle-owners.com/viewtopic.php?f=101&t=288
Page 4 of 4Posted: 9:56 AM – May 01, 2016I just had a professional solar company install the following on my rig– (6) 160 watt Grape panels: 960 watts total
– (4) Fullriver DC400-6 Group L16 Sealed AGM 415 amp hour 6 volt batts; 830 amp hours total @ 12 volts
– Magnum MSH 3012 3,000 watt hybrid inverter with 125 amp charger
– Magnum ME-BMK Battery monitor kit (displayed through inverter RC 50 display)
– 2 BZ 150/50 MPPT 50 amp controllers (100 amp total)Based on my particular use expectations, my solar consultant John Palmer and I decided on (2) 3 panel systems (480 watts per array). Each 3 panel array is wired in series to allow the MPPT controller to function optimally with higher voltage. Each array brings about 55 volts and 8.65 amps down to each 50 amp MPPT controller. I requested excess capacity for future panel additions, so a total of 100 amps of controllers accommodates this. Also, I did not want my controllers to operate near their capacity, because I wanted less stress and heat for several reasons. I wanted a system that functioned with minimal input from me. I am not a solar/IT geek that enjoys watching the numerical displays as a form of entertainment, which is fine, but not for me. Accordingly, I used Magnum’s meter add on that allows a battery meter to function through Magnum’s wall display and I have no separate solar controller display. But, I can easily back into the amps coming down from the arrays by using the Magnum display or go down and look at the controller if I want. For me, KISS – keep it simple stupid is best. The panels are installed using corner mounts and tilt kits, but I’m likely too lazy (and risk adverse in terms of falling) to get on my roof regularly to tilt. I’d rather just add panels to achieve wattage and keep the array flat than believe that I’d be climbing on my roof all the time to tilt them. Tilting is great for long desert boondocks or Alaska, but I estimated that it would get old and I’d rather not climb up there.
John Palmer of Palmer Energy Systems in Florida 941-928-4573 did my work and I highly recommend John to anyone. John has installed over 3,500 systems over many, many years and is honest, reliable and takes the time to explain everything. I actually worked along with John/ his team and learned a great deal. His business model does not drive high overhead costs, so he passes this through to his customers.
Posted: 10:31 AM – May 01, 2016830 amp hours will give you a good amount of battery time for sure. Don’t forget that if you tilt one you tilt them all or that is the consensus because the flats panels drag the tilted panel power down. The Hy-brid inverter is pretty sweet also.We just had Starlight do ours a few weeks ago. It’s fantastic not to listen to a generator any more or at least ours. Having the ability to put the fridge on the batteries, hit the button for the coffee pot, use the microwave, charge the laptops and phones, watch tv/dvd.
Posted: 11:18 AM – May 01, 2016Itinerant1 wrote:830 amp hours will give you a good amount of battery time for sure. Don’t forget that if you tilt one you tilt them all or that is the consensus because the flats panels drag the tilted panel power down. The Hy-brid inverter is pretty sweet also.We just had Starlight do ours a few weeks ago. It’s fantastic not to listen to a generator any more or at least ours. Having the ability to put the fridge on the batteries, hit the button for the coffee pot, charge the laptops and phones, watch tv/dvd.
I’ve been fulltiming in this trailer for a year now and haven’t boondocked yet, but I know that’s the path I’m following, so I got solar. I’ve never used the Honda 2000 I bought, but that’s plenty of back up power for my expected use. I’m prewired for a generator and may get an Onan down the road only if AC becomes an issue, but that’s not expected. However, I do still travel for work sometimes and may find myself in climates not of my choosing, so we’ll see. I choose not to install my solar system in the most forward compartment, so I’ve got plenty of room for an generator later if needed.
I haven’t used my solar system yet in the field, but I’m hoping to produce about 200 – 250 amp hours on an average day of sun without tilting the panels. That’s about 80% of the panel’s label output in amps. I’ve stayed away from electric where possible, so I’ve got an LP cooktop and AC/LP variable refer and water heater. I think the residential refers burn about 150 amp hours per day, which I wasn’t willing to allocate, but AC refers area nice for sure.
Starlight is a good company from what I’ve researched.
Posted: 12:31 PM – May 01, 2016By no means I’m I an expert just a new user to the solar world but been reading and trying to learn. I’ve been full timing for 4+ years and part time 2 years before that and like you I still work for a living (along way from 60+). The benefit I have is I just need to get to an airport on occasion if it’s to far to drive with my other truck.. We go where want depending on weather conditions. We where doing the campgrounds the entire time and that has gotten old being trapped to just that.The system I had installed was not cheap but figured I could afford it and built it to suit our needs off grid. We do think at times maybe should have went with the 600AH lithium instead of the 500 AH lithium but that still gives us 400ah usable. We tested the system by having the fridge on all night on batteries using the microwave, watching the tv, charging the laptops, phones, other misc phantom draws and coffee pot in the morning. When the sun went down the batteries where at 98% by morning they were at 35%. As soon as the sun started 0730 the charging started by 1400 the batteries where fully charged while still using misc. things. Now if bad weather was coming we defiantly would throttle our use of things till we learn more of the system/recovery time.
I’ll use last night as another example 98% (batteries seem to stop there) laptops plugged in, phones, tv/ booster, coffee pot and misc. phantoms this morning 73% on batteries. It’s misting rain with cloud cover and very little sun barely showing and the system is charging at 48 amps.
There is 1,280 watts of solar on the roof (8 panels @ 160) and have the ability to add 2 more solar panels, we’ll see how winter goes for recovery time. They don’t tilt so that’s why we went with more panels. Like you went the Hy-brid 3000W inverter for the ability to use the AC with supplemented EU2000 gen.
I’m sure I babbled to much already, just throwing info out there.
Posted: 1:09 PM – May 01, 2016Itinerant1 wrote:By no means I’m I an expert just a new user to the solar world but been reading and trying to learn. I’ve been full timing for 4+ years and part time 2 years before that and like you I still work for a living (along way from 60+). The benefit I have is I just need to get to an airport on occasion if it’s to far to drive with my other truck.. We go where want depending on weather conditions. We where doing the campgrounds the entire time and that has gotten old being trapped to just that.The system I had installed was not cheap but figured I could afford it and built it to suit our needs off grid. We do think at times maybe should have went with the 600AH lithium instead of the 500 AH lithium but that still gives us 400ah usable. We tested the system by having the fridge on all night on batteries using the microwave, watching the tv, charging the laptops, phones, other misc phantom draws and coffee pot in the morning. When the sun went down the batteries where at 98% by morning they were at 35%. As soon as the sun started 0730 the charging started by 1400 the batteries where fully charged while still using misc. things. Now if bad weather was coming we defiantly would throttle our use of things till we learn more of the system/recovery time.
I’ll use last night as another example 98% (batteries seem to stop there) laptops plugged in, phones, tv/ booster, coffee pot and misc. phantoms this morning 73% on batteries. It’s misting rain with cloud cover and very little sun barely showing and the system is charging at 48 amps.
There is 1,280 watts of solar on the roof (8 panels @ 160) and have the ability to add 2 more solar panels, we’ll see how winter goes for recovery time. They don’t tilt so that’s why we went with more panels. Like you went the Hy-brid 3000W inverter for the ability to use the AC with supplemented EU2000 gen.
I’m sure I babbled to much already, just throwing info out there.
No worries, I’m a babbler, as long as it’s qualify babble. Sounds like you have a nice system. This stuff is expensive for sure and it’s easy to say this is better or that is better, but the reality is that most folks don’t drop $10K+ on this stuff. I get that, but like you I suspect, I draw lots of power from using my office equipment. RV solar pays for itself quickly IF you simply subtract park fees from your budget. Like you, I’ve been a park rat. All in, I spent about $7,200 last year on parks, so if solar reduces that by 2/3, my system cost (less the federal 30% tax credit) is recovered in about 27 months; not an awful outcome!
How did you wire your 8 panels?
I did mine so that if (and more likely when) I add 2 more panels, I’ll have (2) 4 panels serial strings. Many don’t like serial panel wiring due to shade, but hey, in the desert who cares. Also, one’s rig must be able to handle the panels without shading from one’s own roof gear, like antennas, AC units, etc.
I too figure on using the smaller 13.5 AC with the Honda, just to knock down the heat before bed, etc, only if occasionally needed. If this becomes common place, I might put an Onan 3.6K on the rig, but want to avoid this. I appreciate sustainability, but I’m not a purist.
I wanted Lifeline AGMs, but Lifeline’s genius production folks ran themselves out of inventory (6 week backlog), so I punted with the Trojan Chinese L16 Fullrivers, because the size fit my needs. Because I expect to be a little clumsy with my system, I figure I’ll blow out these Fullrivers in 3 years max, then toss them for a lithium bank with about 1,000 nominal AH. For me, I just wasn’t certain that lithium was ready for prime time RV use, considering cost and engineering. I figure the tech will be ripe in a few years, but I may be wrong.
Posted: 1:18 PM – May 01, 2016Itinerant1 wrote:By no means I’m I an expert just a new user to the solar world but been reading and trying to learn. I’ve been full timing for 4+ years and part time 2 years before that and like you I still work for a living (along way from 60+). The benefit I have is I just need to get to an airport on occasion if it’s to far to drive with my other truck.. We go where want depending on weather conditions. We where doing the campgrounds the entire time and that has gotten old being trapped to just that.The system I had installed was not cheap but figured I could afford it and built it to suit our needs off grid. We do think at times maybe should have went with the 600AH lithium instead of the 500 AH lithium but that still gives us 400ah usable. We tested the system by having the fridge on all night on batteries using the microwave, watching the tv, charging the laptops, phones, other misc phantom draws and coffee pot in the morning. When the sun went down the batteries where at 98% by morning they were at 35%. As soon as the sun started 0730 the charging started by 1400 the batteries where fully charged while still using misc. things. Now if bad weather was coming we defiantly would throttle our use of things till we learn more of the system/recovery time.
I’ll use last night as another example 98% (batteries seem to stop there) laptops plugged in, phones, tv/ booster, coffee pot and misc. phantoms this morning 73% on batteries. It’s misting rain with cloud cover and very little sun barely showing and the system is charging at 48 amps.
There is 1,280 watts of solar on the roof (8 panels @ 160) and have the ability to add 2 more solar panels, we’ll see how winter goes for recovery time. They don’t tilt so that’s why we went with more panels. Like you went the Hy-brid 3000W inverter for the ability to use the AC with supplemented EU2000 gen.
I’m sure I babbled to much already, just throwing info out there.
one more tid bit. based on my learning, I’m of the belief that the “state of charge” percentage numerical battery status is a guide, but that using the resting “open circuit voltage” of the batt is best, using a good meter. I feel that my meter is accurate as long as only my 1.5ish amp phantom load is on the batts – nothing else. The SOC calculation is a simple quotient estimating the state based on what size bank you plugged in as an input. Using my battery manufacturer’s data and other info, I’m going to measure OCV at different levels of bank charge and calibrate the meter reading to the SOC percent by simply changing the size of my bank (the denominator) until the metered voltage indicator matches the SOC percent indicator. This would be so that other folks in my RV can use the simpler SOC readout. Don’t know if this makes sense and maybe lithium is different than flooded or AGM, but I gather that the % SOC can be way off, compared to open circuit voltage. I’m still learning, but this is what I gather.
Posted: 2:53 PM – May 01, 2016With the Lithium’s they have a brain on the batteries set with the rest of the system (non technical term). It’s set so it shuts down the system for over/ under charge conditions. I don’t know if saying it takes care of itself but it kind of does. Now I can see each battery bank on the display and temps in the cells along with other options. The batteries do have the 32 degree that they should not be charged at till the batteries warm up but you can still use them not charge them and it is also set to turn off the charging for that too. If it gets that cold or colder it’s time to get out any ways.This was taken at 0800 this morning and gives an idea of the display for the system.
Posted: 4:23 AM – Oct 21, 2017Next big project will be adding solar, but we are watching CCC carefully and can’t see allocating 400 lbs or so for panels. Have been researching the GoPower 100watt flex panels about 3 lbs each instead of 40-50 lb. would give up tilting, but think it is worth it.Has anyone tried those panels yet? Other suggestions?
ThanksPosted: 10:11 AM – Oct 21, 2017Be aware that the flex panels lay directly on the roof. Solar panels collect a lot of heat and that heat will transfer to the inside of coach. Rigid panels mount a couple of inches above the roof so air can circulate around them for cooling and also to improve efficiency.
Also not sure where you are getting your weight figure. We have 750W of rigid panels and the total weight is only about 100 to 120 pounds. Our panels are 250W 30V residential style panels. Have a look at these: https://www.cdnrg.com/products/JKM250P-60
Also these residential style panels are usually much less expensive that RV panels. Ours were about $1/watt 3 years ago. Probably down around $0.75/watt now.-Rob-
Posted: 11:05 AM – Oct 21, 2017Thanks Rob. Looks like 45 lbs. each panel including hardware, so your 6 panels with hardware added about 270 lbs. Good point about the heat – will look into that. What did you find to be the difference between rv panels and residential ones?Besides the weight difference, figured gluing direct to roof would be lower maintenance overall – less holes in roof, don’t have to climb up to tilt (and remember to put into travel mode), no space for stuff to get stuck under, etc. Yeah, give up some efficiency not being able to tip, but not having mess with them seems to be worth it. The heat transfer issue might tip it back.
Thanks
BillPosted: 3:20 PM – Oct 21, 2017We have 3 panels for about #130. I mounted 2 up at the front and one at the rear. I am hoping to add a fourth in the near future. Regardless of how you mount them, try and mount them where you will minimize any shadows from your A/C, roof vents, etc. Even a small amount of shadow will almost totally kill the panels output.Posted: 3:44 PM – Oct 21, 2017Thanks. My winter project is a detailed layout of our roof so I can plan various layouts. One stumbling block is deciding if we need to add a second a/c unit or not – will affect layout. We had the roof replaced earlier this year and had a reflective barrier added to help reduce heat passed through to living area. While at it, also had a good size access box installed on roof for cable runs. Needed it for my WiFi Ranger cable anyway, so made it big enough for more wires. Hope a 3” pipe will be big enough. ?Current plan is to update to lithium ion batteries – 4 for sure, maybe 6. Just did the IC-2000 Install and updated all battery cable to 1/0 cables. Got rid of both IOTA devices – the charger and the defective xfr switch they won’t stand behind. Also have the remote for the inverter. So far, very happy with setup.
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2007 Carri-Lite XTRM5
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