The batteries in our vans are rated in AmpHrs so we are familiar with the term but what does it mean? The new rear mounted junction box panels are popular with pop top owners as they lie completely flat with the junction box being on the back of the panel – these make a really neat and discreet  addition to your van. So … This current is measured in Amps. Let’s break down the jargon and numbers first. © Copyright 2020 Select Solar Ltd 2020. 24V – 6000W – 120V/240V Split Phase Camper Solar Wiring Diagram; 50A OEM RV Solar Retrofit Wiring Diagram; Best Fuses & Fuse Holders for a DIY Camper Electrical Install; Using Mismatched Solar Panel Sizes; Best Solar Panels for a DIY Camper Van You will be familiar with volts as your batteries in your vehicle will be 12v, USB points for your phone charger tend to be 5v and we all remember daring our mates to put their tongue on the contacts of the square 9v batteries. Still got a question? The voltage in the panel is 16.11v and if we multiply this by the current of 3.0A we get the 48w shown. What size of solar panel should I use? The key here is the same as the laptop – charge it then unplug it and use it’s battery as it’s designed to be used. It also folds up nicely and comes with a case that it be packed away into when it’s not being used. Use the Ready Reckoner. The photons knock the electrons loose from their atoms inside each of the solar cells. An 80w solar panel kit is adequate for most applications in the summer months but the 120w brings extra reliability. Let’s talk about inverters first, these basically suck the juice right out of your battery and quickly – so it’s best to plan to use them sparingly. If you want to recharge it fully, winter and summer, a 100W panel is the minimum. When sunlight hits a solar panel, voltage and current (Amps) are produced. Check out our blog here on how to choose your controller. Company Registration Number: 04303044 VAT no: 794270796, Specialist Batteries Enersys SBS Battery Range, Solar Power Kits For Boats Caravans Motorhomes etc, Solar Power Kits (off-grid) for Buildings, Projects etc, How To: Test Your Solar Panel & Regulator, SOLARA M-SERIES - Extremely flat, walkable and semi bendable, Solar Panels Information, Panel Size Calculator, Motorhomes & Caravans, Campervan, Caravan & Small Motorhome, 110Ah batttery, Lights, water pump, radio, TV 3hrs/day & 240V appliances, Lights, water pump, radio, TV 5hrs/day & 240V appliances. The ampere, often shortened to “amp” or A, is the base unit of electric current in the International System of Units. Using the example above, this 100w solar panel is generating 3.0A – this is Amps so is an instantaneous measure. Ultra-lightweight design. Amp hours is a unit of energy, which can be consumed or generated over a period of time. Mono-crystalline panels are the most effective out of all types of solar panel, with each… Covid 19 Customer Service and Support. There are several factors to consider and I promise none of them involve you having to get the calculator out. Or…how big are yours? Amps is a unit of power, which is an instantaneous measure. When designing your system you must consider cumulative charge in Amp hours fed to your battery bank, not just the instantaneous peak amperage, since your loads may want to run regardless of whether the sun is shining with full intensity on your panels or at night. Factors that affect your set-up. You can see this on the display from a Victron Smart Solar Controller here. Electricity flows through your wires and connectors in your vehicle and this flow is referred to as electrical current. A solar panel works by capturing the energy coming from the sun and turning it into electricity that can then be used for your campervan. Use the calculator to input each of your electronic devices. The general thinking is that a small panel of, say, 20 Watts, is plenty if all you want to do is keep your leisure battery in tip-top condition. It’s worth noting that these numbers are coming from a 100w panel on a cloudy day but with good light. Campervan fridges are rated at around 40w, so with a 12v battery that equates to around 3.3A per hour. Some people install our standard Lensun 50W, 60W, 80W and 100W Semi-flexible solar panels directly. We built a camper van solar calculator to help you size your system. they are also easy to install into your van set-up as some come with built in controllers and simply require you to connect them to the battery – so ease of use is to be considered. Solar panels also produce power in the winter unless it is very overcast. Watts, Volts, Amps, Amp Hours are all terms we hear when shopping for solar set-ups, so it’s worth understanding the basics of electrical measurement and what each of them mean so you can decipher the jargon and decide what you need. 24W Solar Panel With Triple Usb Ports By RAVPower. What in your van needs powering? This can be a single panel or consist of a 50 watt plus a 100 watt panel. 125 WATT MOTORHOME CAMPER VAN RV SOLAR PANEL KIT LCD USB regulator 125w 120w 120. Solar Power: Solar panels are sold in varying sizes, but a 100 watt panel is a commonly found size – particularly for RVs. Free postage. We really like the fact that you can simply park up and have access to an endless amount of electricity (obviously this depends on the weather and time of day depending). A 150 Watt Solar Panel receiving 6 hours of sunlight, will supply a leisure battery with 750 Watts or power. Could you be putting the roof of your motorhome to better use with solar panels? Once you've decided on the wattage you need, click on the relevant category. The 100W Monocrystalline Silicon solar panel should give 5A per hour in good daylight, so maximum 30Ah for 6 daylight hours The alternator when driving from site to site (see split charge relay) The PMS charging unit when on electric hookup or Best Offer. Because the best configuration for maximum performance depends on the panels in the solar array, there's no one size fits all answer. For a larger motorhome or a narrowboat consider installing 200 watts. Total independence on a medium size motorhome requires a solar panel of about 160 watts. On the negative side, they do take up valuable storage space whilst your are travelling and you will need to factor the set-up of the panel into your camp routine. What size solar panel for a caravan? So remember that the panel rating is the optimal rating and not always what power the panel will produce in direct sunlight. I missed a few, but the point is, there are MANY different sizes of solar panels on the market and 3, 100 watt solar panels will have the same output as a single 300 watt solar panel. It’s not as complicated as you might think, given what we have discussed above. If like me you will be using the van to pop out during the day to local attractions etc then you will have to disconnect the panel and nothing will be charging your batteries while you are parked up for the day in the local town – with the fridge on. However, the fridges don’t behave that way – they run at that power to cool the fridge down but after that they consume much less power to maintain that temperature. Think of your battery as a pump that pushes voltage around the electrical system in your vehicle. The choices and the technology seem a little confusing at first and my advice is to speak to someone first who can advise you on your situation but don’t get sucked into a debate over what power this accessory or that inverter uses and confuse yourself with numbers. So unless you plan on leaving the door open all the time the power consumption of the fridge is much less. This is why it is important to choose the correct wiring for your accessories and if too much current flows through the wires your fuses are designed to blow to save the wires and the accessory – these are rated in amps. This current, pushed by voltage, flows through wires in an electrical system to perform work when it encounters resistance, which can be measured in terms of watts. That panel is rated at 100 watts at peak efficiency – meaning on a 78 degree cloudless day at solar noon on the equator during the equinox. What size solar panel do I need for my camper van, How to wire a microswitch tap and water pump, Simply Lithium – Victron SuperPack Lithium Batteries (LiFePO4), 12v Battery Monitors and Monitoring Solutions from Victron Energy, Off-Grid Recipe – Ham Hock Ploughman’s & Chutney Dressing, How to install a split charge relay into a VW T25. Starting with the largest leisure battery you can fit in the van and having that battery in the best possible health will ensure your system starts on great shape. In the summer months, the right size and quality of panel will produce sufficient amps to run your fridge, lights and water pump without the need to plug into 230v mains power or to have to drive the vehicle in order to recharge the leisure batteries. The Ready Reckoner is a handy tool that will help you to estimate what size solar panel you’ll need. 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