How much solar and how many batteries? (1 Viewer)

[Fatboy]

Hi Funsters, I have just purchased a new Kontiki 884 tag, it comes with two x 100w solar and 2 x 100ah leisure batteries. I never use hook up as we are always off grid at rallies. I have got a 2000w inverter to fit so my lovely wife can do her hair each morning (800w hairdrier thankfully) and I will run one or two coffees a day from a pod machine (1500w) and we have the TV on most of the day. As the batteries are brand new there is no point in replacing with lithium till they die. SO my question is I add another 200w of Solar for winter months or B2B and is it worth adding a third new lead acid battery for capacity. The most we are ever away off grid is 4 or 5 days.

 

[berni109]

Extra 200w and b2b then as u say when current batteries die change to lithium.

 

[eddie]

Hi Funsters, I have just purchased a new Kontiki 884 tag, it comes with two x 100w solar and 2 x 100ah leisure batteries. I never use hook up as we are always off grid at rallies. I have got a 2000w inverter to fit so my lovely wife can do her hair each morning (800w hairdrier thankfully) and I will run one or two coffees a day from a pod machine (1500w) and we have the TV on most of the day. As the batteries are brand new there is no point in replacing with lithium till they die. SO my question is I add another 200w of Solar for winter months or B2B and is it worth adding a third new lead acid battery for capacity. The most we are ever away off grid is 4 or 5 days.

If your van is new, you will have a B2B already installed as the engine will have a smart alternator

If UK based solar is pretty useless in the Winter months, other than keeping everything topped up and maintained, so 200 or 400 watts when there is little solar activity is irrelevant

Honestly if money isn’t the main priority, Lithium will provide the solution you require, anything else is a sticking plaster

 

[Lenny HB]

If you want you batteries to last (sounds like you don't) you need to keep the current drain to the C5 rate allowing for inverter efficiency that 375 ah of batteries for the hair dryer and 580 ah of batteries for the coffee maker.

As for solar as much as you can get on the roof, we have 300 watt and its ok in Spain but nowhere near enough in the UK.
As you are planning on changing to lithium get as much solar up there as possible. One of the big advantages of Lithium is the fast charge rate but its useless if you have nothing to charge them with.

 

[Hoovie]

Another 200W of solar for winter will get you, ohhhh, at least another few minutes of watching TV (maybe be able to watch half an episode of Hollyoaks if you are lucky )

IMO, if you have the roof space, may as well fill it with panels for summer, but as far as using Solar in a UK Winter, the panels are purely decorative and you would get as much power from a little 10 minute drive than a days worth of winter solar.

As you want to use the existing new batteries until they die before considering Lithium, check out the Lithium batteries ready for next spring as TBH, with your proposed use and spec and battery bank (even with adding a 3rd battery), they will be dying a lot sooner than you think (just a gentle hint to have a rethink on what you are haping to be able to do whilst never using hookup )

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