Are Solar Panels Right for You & Your RV?

WHY SOLAR PANELS?

To put it simply, solar power uses the sun's energy to charge 12-volt batteries to produce energy to power appliances such as lights, stereos, radios, TV and antenna amplifiers etc. While it is true that solar power is free, the solar panels that produce it are not, and a quick glance at a catalogue will verify that fact. As a matter of fact, depending on which catalogue you choose to glance at, they can be very expensive. So, are they really worth the cost to you?

Perhaps you are a serious fly fisherman, a hunter, a back-to-nature person, or you just enjoy the freedom of going where you want without being tied down to commercially-run campsites. Perhaps you enjoy the quiet of the great outdoors or just want to stop contributing to our air pollution. If so, then RV solar power may be right for you.

Solar systems are almost maintenance-free and make no noise at all. Furthermore, they make no dirt or dust. All they take is an occasional sweep at the accumulated dust and your maintenance is finished. In short, they are eco-friendly, clean and quiet. The main things to be considered are cost, space, weight and efficiency. If you have any reservations about going solar, remember that it can be done a little at a time while you continue using regular campsite hookups (either as a backup plan or as your primary power source). This will help keep the cost manageable and allow you to get used to the idea as you go. Take a look at the various pages of solar panel pages and you'll see that there are a number of sizes of panels available that can be added on to as you get more comfortable with the concept of solar power. Weight is also part of the question, but it really isn't a major factor unless you are going really big, and even then it probably won't be too heavy. So what's left? Cost and efficiency. We have talked about cost, so shop around. There are bargains out there (even some on ouvarious Products pages). See for yourself - they are definitely affordable. The final concern - efficiency. That's the one we need to really look at. After all, you don't want to invest in a panel that's too small for the job you want it to do.

Solar Panel Sizes & Power Ratings

Overall, the most cost-effective RV solar panels you'll find will be the medium to larger ones (those rated at 100 to 120 watts). Again, pick up the fewest number of panels and batteries to start with. More can always be added later.

Every one of us and our families have different power usage/requirements, so you'll need to estimate your expected requirements. To do so, simply multiply the expected hours of use by the estimated current draw (amps @12 volts) to arrive at the amp hours used. Most solar panel manufacturers will provide worksheets for calculations, but below are some examples:-

Appliance Approx. Hrs./Day Amp Hrs

Current Consumed

Fluorescent Lights 1.6 X 6 = 9.6
Satellite Receiver 2 X 2 = 4
Water Pump 7 X 2 = 14

Keeping Cool with Solar

In actual fact, there isn't enough roof space on the largest motorhome available today to hold sufficient solar panels to power just one air-conditioning unit. However, our ICP Solar Vent shown elsewhere on this site is capable of moving no less than 1200 cubic feet of fresh air per hour or a total of 28,800 cu ft per day using only daylight (it even works on cloudy days), and several of these units could be placed on the roof of even the smallest RV. Furthermore, you can power a 750 cfm fan with only 2.5 amps and that can easily come from an RV solar panel. Another option is to invest in an RV Evaporative Air Cooler (TurboKOOL, see our other site www.gnhcoolrv.com), which can operate on solar power. A further option to consider is RV satellite TV.

Powering A/C Appliances

Although regular solar panels can only produce 12-volt D/C power, A/C appliances can be operated if the solar panel output is run through an inverter to convert it to 120 A/C, or failing that you could invest in a small generator but then you would have to live with the noise. Better to get an inverter and RV solar panels.

Energy Management

Proper planning will be needed in order to keep your backup batteries fully charged at all times because no matter how good your panels are they won't work after dark! So here are some important factors for the energy management of your solar power system:-

Mount your RV solar panels on the roof near the refrigerator vent.
Aim the panels toward the sun for maximum output.
Purchase a charge controller to prevent battery damage from overcharging.
And, last but by no means least, be resourceful and conserve energy.
To sum up, solar power is eco-friendly, clean, quiet and affordable.

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