Solar install - comments please.

[berni109]

Just spent an age searching back through previous threads and this is what I intend doing based on that.
New Van has an agm 100amp battery and a compressor fridge.
Use current battery until it dies in 12-18 months. Then replace with 2 gels or a single lithium.
Intend putting 3x 100amp semi flexable panels up top if I can find the space.
Votronic mp 350 duo charge controller connected direct to hab battery which will also give a 1amp trickle to the vehicle battery(lead acid).
Also found a victron cyrix-ct which it seems enables excess charge generated from solar or alternator to be directed to batteries requiring charge once primary battery is at correct level.

Constructive comments please.

 

[Richard n Ann]

That will be fine in the summer ?

We've got 150w panel and 100ah battery, it ran a compressor coolbox in Benidorm at -5c in the summer but we could have done with another battery as it was getting low by dawn.

 

[Raul]

I would stick with ally frame panels, bolted to the roof. The bigger the better. If you ever need any intervention to the panels, roof etc, you just unbolt and carry on.
As for the battery, I would go Li if you get a lot of use of the van. I use a lot of power because I got it. I heat water with excess solar, cook, boil etc. Fridge is compressor to.

 

[DaveandJen]

I’m not sure if it helps but us together with a motorhome owner friend living a few miles along the South Kent Coast (facing south also) with 200 watt panels on the roof find it the minimum required to keep our habitation and engine batteries topped up during the winter months. We are talking minimum here, fellow Funsters living up north will probably need more.

 

[berni109]

wheres Lenny HB when you need him?

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[Richard n Ann]

wheres Lenny HB when you need him?

Don't take any notice of what he says, he's got a serious energy use problem ?

 

[Lenny HB]

Knacked just got back from taking SIL to Heathrow, daughter & baby staying with us for a couple more weeks now got to suffer a house full of women. ?

 

[Lenny HB]

Use current battery until it dies in 12-18 months. Then replace with 2 gels or a single lithium.

Why wait until you are stuck somewhere with no power/fridge/heating. With my current van I fitted Gels straight away.
Gels the most cost effective but do take a long time to fully charge, can discharge much lower than ordinary LA and last a long time.
If money is not a problem Lithium is probably the way to go but you will probably need 2. The current recommendations for long life is to only charge to 80% & discharge to 5% so a 100 a/h will give 75a/h usable power compared to an 80a/h Gel giving 64a/h (80% DOD)

Intend putting 3x 100amp semi flexable panels up top if I can find the space.

I would go for rigid panels cheaper & more reliable, rigid panels have a long life 20% output drop in 20 years.
Semi-flexibles, far more bad reports on them than good, there are quite a few Funsters who's panels have given up in under 2 years. The spec on a lot of the cheaper ones is a 50% loss in 5 years.

Votronic mp 350 duo charge controller connected direct to hab battery which will also give a 1amp trickle to the vehicle battery(lead acid).

Great regulator, I've got one. I didn't use the 1 amp output as I had a CBE Solar split charge relay lying around which can put up to 4 amps into the starter battery.

 

[Lenny HB]

I’m not sure if it helps but us together with a motorhome owner friend living a few miles along the South Kent Coast (facing south also) with 200 watt panels on the roof find it the minimum required to keep our habitation and engine batteries topped up during the winter months. We are talking minimum here, fellow Funsters living up north will probably need more.

Me thinks you have a problem.
We are only along the road in Sussex our 1st van had 2 x 80a/h Gels for hab and only an 80 watt panel it kept all batteries including starter fully charged over the winter when the van wasn't in use.

Now days I wouldn't be seen dead with less than 300 watts, but that's essential when you are an FLT.

 

[berni109]

Hear what u are saying about flexi panels but I had a 100w one on the last van and it worked well for a few years and still was when we sold. Guess we were lucky.

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[Silver-Fox]

Me thinks you have a problem.
We are only along the road in Sussex our 1st van had 2 x 80a/h Gels for hab and only an 80 watt panel it kept all batteries including starter fully charged over the winter when the van wasn't in use.

Now days I wouldn't be seen dead with less than 300 watts, but that's essential when you are an FLT.

Lenny HB I’ve just found the limit of my 300W of solar ?

Parked up for just over 3 1/2 days and low battery warning just kicked in ?

Funnily the guy parked next to us said the other day 450W needed to keep batteries topped up over winter use.

Ive got no more roof space ??

 

[Richard n Ann]

Lenny HB I’ve just found the limit of my 300W of solar ?

Parked up for just over 3 1/2 days and low battery warning just kicked in ?

Funnily the guy parked next to us said the other day 450W needed to keep batteries topped up over winter use.

Ive got no more roof space ??

Holy moly you can't manage with 300w? What are you using?

I think perhaps a look at usage efficiency might benefit. We've got 150w that gives about 2.5a charge in white sky in winter and can manage easily, with the battery topped up by lunchtime.

We have TV on for a couple of hours at night, LED lighting, phone chargers and water pump.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Holy moly you can't manage with 300w? What are you using?

I think perhaps a look at usage efficiency might benefit. We've got 150w that gives about 2.5a charge in white sky in winter and can manage easily, with the battery topped up by lunchtime.

We have TV on for a couple of hours at night, LED lighting, phone chargers and water pump.

Our usage is about the same as yours.
Just had the radio or tv on more each day/evening.

It’s been pretty overcast for a couple of days ?

 

[SteveJulesMontycame2]

“Votronic mp 350 duo charge controller connected direct to hab battery which will also give a 1amp trickle to the vehicle battery(lead acid).
Also found a victron cyrix-ct which it seems enables excess charge generated from solar or alternator to be directed to batteries requiring charge once primary battery is at correct level.”

We also have the Votronic mppt 350 solar controller; this has an output you can connect to the D+ on the ( in our case Nordelletronica) charge controller and it then runs the fridge on the excess solar energy once the hab batteries are full. The only downside to this is if the satellite dish is up when it kicks in - satellite thinks the motor is running and closes itself!

 

[SteveJulesMontycame2]

Just spent an age searching back through previous threads and this is what I intend doing based on that.
New Van has an agm 100amp battery and a compressor fridge.
Use current battery until it dies in 12-18 months. Then replace with 2 gels or a single lithium.
Intend putting 3x 100amp semi flexable panels up top if I can find the space.
Votronic mp 350 duo charge controller connected direct to hab battery which will also give a 1amp trickle to the vehicle battery(lead acid).
Also found a victron cyrix-ct which it seems enables excess charge generated from solar or alternator to be directed to batteries requiring charge once primary battery is at correct level.

Constructive comments please.

We have 2 panels on the roof (not sure of their output but were getting 7A at 13v in Spain in early December). They supply 2 x 80Ah AGMs. We were self sufficient touring in the UK in summer or the south of Europe until recently, but when parked up, after two or three overcast days we’re struggling. Here in the UK now we’re needing to charge up every other day. So we’re going to fit 2 x 100Ah lithiums. (I’m thinking Relion). This should double our useable capacity from 80Ah (at 50% DOD) to 160Ah (80% DOD). I’m also going to fit a (Votronic) 50A battery to battery charger to pump some power into them when the engine is running or we’re touring. I’ll leave the Nordelletronica as the mains charger because it’s AGM profile will never fill the lithium so won’t harm.

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[Lenny HB]

Lenny HB I’ve just found the limit of my 300W of solar ?

Parked up for just over 3 1/2 days and low battery warning just kicked in ?

Funnily the guy parked next to us said the other day 450W needed to keep batteries topped up over winter use.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/is-this-true.209915/

Ive got no more roof space ??

Not surprised it's been very dull and overcast for most of the last week.
I only have 300 Watts of solar but 3 gel batteries, I think I can last a fair bit longer. Most I've been off grid in the winter is 5 or 6 days but in Spain so still getting 40-50% of the max output from my solar.
For winter use in the UK a minium of 600 Watts of solar and 400-500 a/h battery bank would be sensible if you want to stay off grid.

Ignore Richard (Richard and Ann) he's probably in Spain.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Not surprised it's been very dull and overcast for most of the last week.
I only have 300 Watts of solar but 3 gel batteries, I think I can last a fair bit longer. Most I've been off grid in the winter is 5 or 6 days but in Spain so still getting 40-50% of the max output from my solar.
For winter use in the UK a minium of 600 Watts of solar and 400-500 a/h battery bank would be sensible if you want to stay off grid.

Ignore Richard (Richard and Ann) he's probably in Spain.

Looks like I’ll have to spend more time in sunny climes.
When I eventually do the big R ?