solar panel

[colin_5079068]

Hi any one know best way to wire up solar panel need to put in charge controller as well unsure if i will put it on roof of van though any idies would be helpfull

 

[GaryWrench]

A friend at work has one, 5ft model from towsure with the charge controller from same page in catalogue, has 4mm cable from panel to controller and onto battery. Also has a 350w inverter which plugs back into the 16a inlet, giving him enough power to run a 240v lcd tv for a while and charge his mobile, use his electric razor etc.

He's a qualified sparks so i know its safe and correctly wired.

Gary

 

[colin_5079068]

A friend at work has one, 5ft model from towsure with the charge controller from same page in catalogue, has 4mm cable from panel to controller and onto battery. Also has a 350w inverter which plugs back into the 16a inlet, giving him enough power to run a 240v lcd tv for a while and charge his mobile, use his electric razor etc.

He's a qualified sparks so i know its safe and correctly wired.

Gary

Thanks for that gary did your friend put panel on roof of van or is it free standing? if any one is interested i got mine on ebay at a good price with charge controller and extra cable

 

[John_374309447]

I've had a fairly large solar panel fitted to my caravan just behind the heki rooflight. This allows access and keeps it out of the airflow when towing. Its mounted on aluminium brackets to allow water to flow underneath when it rains. My caravan servicer fitted it for me. hope this helps.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Colin,

PV solar panels are a good way to break free from site power - many Eriba owners in the UK and Europe have fitted PV panels to the GRP roof on an Eriba.

As a rough rule of thumb, take the AH rating of your battery, divide this by two, and that's the power in watts to complement your battery. For instance a 100AH battery would be matched by a 50 watt PV panel (A 50 watt panel should provide something like 30AH (maybe more, maybe less) of power during a typical UK summers day)

A Swiss friend has a 44 watt panel and a 110 AH battery, and this runs all the lights, radio / music (don't have TV - but most of the power is taken to run the speakers usually) , and water pump.

If you don't think you are going to use 1/3 of a 100AH battery each day - then you can downsize the PV panel - but think carefully before you do.

A 50 watt PV panel will need a 5 amp charge controller - again as a rule of thumb, divide the watts by 10 to get a safe value in amps for the charge controller - because you haven't used the exact conversion (12 volts not 10) there's a safety margin built into the current rating.

Wiring - the charge controller has two pairs of terminals - one pair for the PV panel and one pair for the battery - it really is easy - but use correctly rated cable.

Robert

 

[colin_5079068]

Hi Colin,

PV solar panels are a good way to break free from site power - many Eriba owners in the UK and Europe have fitted PV panels to the GRP roof on an Eriba.

As a rough rule of thumb, take the AH rating of your battery, divide this by two, and that's the power in watts to complement your battery. For instance a 100AH battery would be matched by a 50 watt PV panel (A 50 watt panel should provide something like 30AH (maybe more, maybe less) of power during a typical UK summers day)

A Swiss friend has a 44 watt panel and a 110 AH battery, and this runs all the lights, radio / music (don't have TV - but most of the power is taken to run the speakers usually) , and water pump.

If you don't think you are going to use 1/3 of a 100AH battery each day - then you can downsize the PV panel - but think carefully before you do.

A 50 watt PV panel will need a 5 amp charge controller - again as a rule of thumb, divide the watts by 10 to get a safe value in amps for the charge controller - because you haven't used the exact conversion (12 volts not 10) there's a safety margin built into the current rating.

Wiring - the charge controller has two pairs of terminals - one pair for the PV panel and one pair for the battery - it really is easy - but use correctly rated cable.

Robert

Hi thanks for all the info got a 80 watt panel 10 amp charge controller 5 metre cable all working well last time saw van that loti got off ebay 260 pounds plus p&p thanks again for all your help its nice to know people do care cheerse every one

 

[shaun_374336076]

Should be rwally easy red positove from panle to + on charge controller black cable to - on charge controller. Then from charge controller labelled battery + take a cable back to the + on the battery same for - on charge controller back to - on battery .

All done 1 hour should be all a basic diyer needs to fit and get one working.

These people Free Solar Energy Uk offer a fitting service web site here http://shop.freesolarenergy.co.uk

 

[JeremyClarksson]

The charge controller should be as close to the battery as possible i.e. not on the panel.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Hi Jeremy,

I have a 30 amp solar panel that I purchased from Solar Solutions. The charge controler is fitted to the solar panel.

Why do you recon that the charge controler should not be fitted to the panel?

I assume that Solar Solutions must know what they are doing.

G.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

My panel may be 30 watt not amp

G.

 

[JTQ]

Graham,

The more sophisticated controllers compensate the regulated voltage for the actual temperature of the battery, thus these are located by the battery to be at the temperature.

 

[JeremyClarksson]

GSB

I fitted a charge controller and solar panel for a friend recently and the instructions said to do this.

It does make sense, if there is a large amount of cable to the panel or it is thin gauge there will be a volts drop across the cable and it is better that this takes place before the charge controller limits the voltage to the battery.

This charge controller limited the voltage to around 13.5V so if this is limited further you would end up only partially charging the battery.

If cable is short or thick gauge than this will be much less of a problem