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Subject Topic: Solar panel help Post Reply Post New Topic
Personhackettdavid
21/6/2013 at 9:34pm
 Location: leicester
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Hi all
Can some tell me if you can fit a 235w solar panel used on domestic property's on to a caravan. Just need it to charge the battery or two. As I've been given a couple for free.


PersonNathan B
22/6/2013 at 5:26am
 Location: Brighouse
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cant see why not

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cheers
Nathan


Personhackettdavid
22/6/2013 at 10:03am
 Location: leicester
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640



Post last edited on 22/06/2013 10:16:05


Personabbeyex360
22/6/2013 at 7:33pm
 Location: Anglesey
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charge the bats mate, the power on them panels you have will run the caravan electrics lol.
Joking aside, A BIG YES 2 your question.
But get a regulator and connect the panel to that and from that to leasure battery.
we used a 13w folding panel, kept a trickle going for a week, and no EHU used.
We now have a 80w folding panel jest delivered yesterday, not tried it yet.
But most of my friends on rallies use 60w and that runs 12v tv and other items, for a week or even longer.


Personhackettdavid
22/6/2013 at 8:36pm
 Location: leicester
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Hi that's what I'd like to do. The plan was solar panel to a Dc step down or a solar controller that can handle the panel to 12v then connect to the battery, then use a dc to ac inverter with a 3 pin to round to ac adapter for the caravan.
Can this be done.


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Personrayjdyer
23/6/2013 at 9:10am
 Location: West Dorset
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Your panels kick out 30v each. If you wire them in series, then your charge controller must be capable of 60v input and 12v output. That is not a standard controller. Most charge controllers are designed for 12v or 24v panels, not domestic ones. Speak to sunshine solar on 01508 488188 and hey will advise you on a suitable charge controller. It will probably be around the £200 mark though.

You could then invert to AC, put depending on what you are running, it could empty your batteries faster than the solar can replace! Go for low wattage items such as LED lights, low wattage TV 35-50W is pretty common nowadays. Avoid the microwave or electric heating.

Again sunshine solar do a range of pure sine wave inverters that will run off your batteries, and they'll advise you of the most suitable for what you are trying to do. £400 should get you everything you need with quality items. Avoid the rubbish on eBay, especially the charge controllers. They will all burn out, trust me I've been through a few!

Hope this helps.


Post last edited on 23/06/2013 09:24:20


Personhackettdavid
23/6/2013 at 9:19am
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Hi that's great. Ill give them a call. Would you just use one of the panels as they are quite powerful or use the two of them if there is enough room.
Cheers
Dave.

Post last edited on 23/06/2013 10:42:05


Personrayjdyer
23/6/2013 at 9:32am
 Location: West Dorset
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Use two, no problem, but really it depends on what you are running on the AC. Just amended my post above with some low wattage suggestions.

If you need heat, then look at low wattage radiant (far infra red) heating panels that will run off an inverter and only draw 200-300W.

You should also fit the largest Ah batteries you can in your van to store as much energy as possible.


Personhackettdavid
23/6/2013 at 1:53pm
 Location: leicester
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Do you mean get a small domestic solar inverter and go straight into the consumer unit. If so this inverter would require ac to power it up.


Personrayjdyer
23/6/2013 at 2:16pm
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No, don't go for grid tie otherwise as you rightly point out it will need to be connected to the mains in order to work. They don't have to go into the consumer unit, they can just plug into a socket with a three pin plug, but into the consumer unit is the correct G83 way to do things!

You can use an off grid inverter straight off your battery.


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Personhackettdavid
23/6/2013 at 2:37pm
 Location: leicester
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I'm a bit confused in what to do now. You have got me thinking about this. What would you go for. I'd like to store power as well using the sockets in the day. I want the caravan as like useing an ehu but using solar. I want 240v at night that's why I thought a dc to ac inverter that fits on the battery then just plug it in to the ehu point.
Cheers Dave



Post last edited on 23/06/2013 15:26:01


Personrayjdyer
23/6/2013 at 6:50pm
 Location: West Dorset
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It all comes down to what you want to run on AC. A fridge will take about 120W, a TV anywhere from 35W to 150W, lights around 35W per bulb unless you convert to LED.

Battery storage here is key so that your AC lasts. You need as many Ah as you can get.

Forget anything that consumes high amounts of power such as the microwave or the fan heater.


Personabbeyex360
24/6/2013 at 11:55am
 Location: Anglesey
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have a look on youtube, type in camping on solar, and caravan on solar, good info on there by an Ausy comp.



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