Present Solar Option?

[Casey Freswick]

Is this a good option to go solar?

I have 150 AMP (More like 100 AMP) lithium battery with a much bigger inverter, TM is locked up right now, I think it is a 3000 watt. Rewired everything with heavy duty wiring. So here is the online option that I just saw:

https://www.campingworld.com/nature-...tml?cgid=solar

[Casey Freswick]

Here is another competing option:

https://www.renogy.com/400-watt-12-volt-solar-rv-kit/

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Casey Freswick

Is this a good option to go solar?

I have 150 AMP (More like 100 AMP) lithium battery with a much bigger inverter, TM is locked up right now, I think it is a 3000 watt. Rewired everything with heavy duty wiring. So here is the online option that I just saw:

https://www.campingworld.com/nature-...tml?cgid=solar

That one comes with an under-powered inverter (which you have absolutely no use for). It also comes with a no name 'el-cheapo' PWM powewr converter, leaving a about 25% of the panel power in the panels,. A PWM controller is unable to use power which is delivered at higher voltage than the batteries. (The panels are probably around 18.5 volts, your batteries can't be subjected to more than about 14.2 volts. That's about 75% efficient).

Your one small battery maybe doesn't justify a the Solar Convert upgrade, but another battery could maybe make use of that last 25%. (You're lost efficiency with this controller on 4 panels is roughly equal to the full output of one panel, although the "wasted power" is occurring on all 4 panels equally.) Under clouds, you still lose 75%.

I'd buy 4 panels (less than $100 each), interconnect wire and mounting for maybe $80, and spend the remainder on a better "MPPT" type solar controller.

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Casey Freswick

Here is another competing option:

https://www.renogy.com/400-watt-12-volt-solar-rv-kit/

This one also comes with a cheap PWM controller. Their panels are OK, I have a bigger one (200W). Renogy makes an MPPT controller, but it's not a good one - lots of equipment have been reported on the DIY Solar Forum.

When anyone says "Renogy" on that forum , knowldegable replies usually say that "friends don't let friends buy renogy". But you could buy this kit, and wait to replace the solar Charge controller until, when you're adding another battery.

[Casey Freswick]

So if I put together my own do you recumbent 200 panels. Here is another option. do you have a recommendation.

https://www.newpowa.com/new-200w-mon...v-solar-panel/

Originally Posted by rickst29

This one also comes with a cheap PWM controller. Their panels are OK, I have a bigger one (200W). Renogy makes an MPPT controller, but it's not a good one - lots of equipment have been reported on the DIY Solar Forum.

When anyone says "Renogy" on that forum , knowldegable replies usually say that "friends don't let friends buy renogy". But you could buy this kit, and wait to replace the solar Charge controller until, when you're adding another battery.

[Casey Freswick]

It seems to me that Solar panels and lithium batteries are cheaper than a year ago when almost everything else is way more.

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Casey Freswick

So if I put together my own do you recumbent 200 panels. Here is another option. do you have a recommendation.

https://www.newpowa.com/new-200w-mon...v-solar-panel/

If they can be made to fit on the roof, 200w panels always weigh less than two 100w panels built with the same glass, because the wattage (area) grows faster than the circumference (The length of heavy aluminum framing). The weight of the junction box and extension cables is virtually unchanged.

9BB cells are the current state of the art for lower-powered panels. These panels would be an excellent choice, but they should be wired in series with an MPPT Solar Charge controller, at much HIGHER Solar Charge Controller cost than a cheap but power-wasting PWM-type SCC.

If used with a PWM, they would have to be wired in parallel. High current (up to 10.76A each under 'nearly perfect, very bright' sunlight conditions, 21.5A total) would require that the solar cables down the shell and lift arms (into the TM and solar controller) be more expensive 10-AWG, rather than the usual 12-AWG. 12-AWG is not rated for more than 20A maximum. And of course, your PWM controller would refuse to accept about 25% of the power from the panels.

Correctly wired in Series for an MPPT controller, two panels together would run at 18.6 * 2 = 37.2 volts, with a maximum voltage of 21.8 * 2 = 43.6 volts. That is easy for a "100 volt" MPPT controller to handle. In series, the CURRENT from the pair is only the smaller of the two panels - if both are under great sunlight, that's 10.76 Amps.

10.76 amps is an easy load an 12-AWG solar wires, and 14-AWG solar wires would also be OK.

[rickst29]

You need 30A output capability and 100 volt input voltage limit. The highest quality would be this one, it can be monitored and configured from a cellphone app. https://www.victronenergy.com/solar-...-100-30-100-50. It's only issue is hard-to-use wire connectors, which are limited to small wire sizes. (Both the solar ports and the and more important battery connectors, which carry higher current at lower voltage).

It is on sale from many places, nearly always at list price $226.10. DO NOT confuse "SmartSolar" with the cheaper "BlueSolar" units, the "BlueSolar" products cannot be monitored and configured from a cellphone. Among the list price sellers, I would choose battleborn, but that's a personal preference.
- - -
Cheap ones: Do not buy a Renogy MPPT at any price. Do not buy an EpEver Tracer "AN" model at any price.

The EpEver Tracer3215BN, a superior discontinued product, costs quite a bit less than the Victron when you can find it. But it can only be configured and monitored by an add-on MT-50 pushbutton wired "remote" (nothing via cellphone). I have owned on of those for many years, handling slightly more panel power than you are considering.

The EpEver TRION is an option, again requiring the MT-50. Internally, it is not as good as the older BN3215. The discontinued 'XTRA' is not as good as the Trion, but probably still reliable enough. They're cheap, I see one on Ebay for $109 (although the seller has a pretty bad rating, could be a BIG problem if it doesn't work).

In any use of an EpEver controller, the SCC should be programmed with complicated "User" battery parameters, because their provided "Lithium - LFP" charge settings sdt bulk charge voltage too high (14.5 volts). If you don't want to waste at least 2 hours in pushing buttons to program the darn thing in an extremely finicky sequence of changes, you'll want to avoid the EpEver controllers. A few of the more recent EpEver controllers can connect BlueTooth interfaces, but their cellphone apps are worthless.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Casey Freswick

So if I put together my own do you recumbent 200 panels. Here is another option. do you have a recommendation.

https://www.newpowa.com/new-200w-mon...v-solar-panel/

I agree 100% with everything Rick said.

Newpowa has an excellent 2000W pure sine wave inverter at a very competitive price. We had ours for over 3-years.

I'd stay away from anything labeled Renogy.

I have 4, 100W solar panels (230AH LFP battery) on our TM only because I couldn't fit a 200W on my rear shell because of a 14"x14" roof vent smack in the middle. Whatever you get, it's best to match panels.

We just spent 5-days in the desert and never touched the generator. We kept track of our microwave and drip coffee pot usage. Avg 22 minutes a day on the microwave (Easter weekend). and 3 pots of coffee a day. We also have a 110V 4.5 Cu ft fridge. It was cold at night so we ran the furnace every night.

The battery was 100% by noon each day and 75% by midnight. The lowest that I read was 55% at 7:AM (before the Sun had any effect on the solar).

[rich2468]

Casey,
Adding to what Rick has already shared....

In the future, if lithium iron phosphate battery prices continue to drop and you want (and have the space and torsion bar assist strength) to add additional solar panels (on your other shell or a via separate suit case solar panel set up)- you could possibly add an additional (second) Victron MPPT solar controller.

Victron SmartSolar MPPT controllers can wirelessly connect to one another (and Victron's bluetooth enabled battery monitor/shunts) to work together to more effectively charge your batteries.

I'm not aware of any other brands which currently have that capability.




Rich and Lynn
2021 2922KB