| Re: [GMCnet] Bought-Solar Panels [message #153899] |
Wed, 21 December 2011 09:48  |
Dan Winchester
Messages: 61
Registered: August 2006
Karma:
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Last winter was our first trip to Arizona with solar pannel. 135 watt unit with top of the line controller with multi stage charging. Of the 6 weeks we spent in AZ 4 of those were spent boondocking. The batteries were almost always topped off by the end of the day. Generator was run only to operate the microwave. We only use microwave to warm things up so its run time was less then 5 minutes per day usually after batteries were fully charged so had no effect on battery charge. We have mostly 20 watt halogen lights and watch minimal TV preferring to read.
We do watch our power usage. Our only heat is the Suburban furnace but turn it off at night preferring to use down comforter when it gets cold. We are running with 2 6-volt batterys for the house bank, about 220 amp-hours giving about 110 usable.
In previous years when parked in one place for several weeks we had to run the generator 2 or more hours per day and after several days the batteries never reach full charge. After batteries reach 80% charge the charging rate drops so low that it is not economical to compleat charge with generator, it would just take to long.
If you have solar panels that do not have the capacity to replace all the power drawn the previous day or weather has gotten cloudy use the generator in the morning when batteries are at their lowest and maximum charge can be put in and let the solar panel top off the batteries.
If you are doing any amount of boondocking a good amp-hour meter is invaluable if not mandatory.
Dan Winchester
www.dwinchester.com
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