Solar Panels - New thin stick on panals ?

[Richard_374354966]

Hello all.. am planning on buying a 68w Uni-Solar thin stick on solar panel ... its a really simple question... has anyone tried it and is it any good...

I suppose if you havent got a stick on panel then.. what would you buy and any solar panal tips and tricks and recommended batteries etc and links would be more than welcome...

if you have any solar advice ... then am all eyes..

Thanks in advance

Richard

 

[staff]

Hi Richard.

Have a look at detroit solar they helped me a lot here is there

telephone number 07986 21 73 35 he give free advice or look on there web site for more info.

www.detroitsolar.com

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Richard,

First of all congratulations on looking to a simple and quiet solution to trickle charging you caravan battery. There are several respondents to this forum who report good results and find that about a 45 to 50W panel keeps a battery well enough charged to meet modest power requirements. The prospect of a 68W unit sounds good.

I have not tried the panel in question, but I have used solar power for some projects, and provided you are aware of the shortfalls of power due to direction and cloud, and can cope with the reduced power output, then it is a nice way to keep a battery charged and ready.

Don't forget that you will need a charge controller that only allows current to circulate when the panel is producing more voltage than the terminal voltage of the battery - otherwise the battery can discharge through the solar panel. Most quality panels should come with information about the charge controllers required.

The panels perform best when exposed to bright sunlight, but even on overcast days they can produce a few Watts, which is quite helpful.