What Can Be Run on a 100 Watt Solar Panel?

Wee Bold Davy

Wee Bold Davy

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Nine years in theory, a newby in practice!!!
You may find this very interesting (y) Watch it to the end it may tax your grey matter a little:whistle:

 
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Sorry, I didn't.

:mask:
 
Very interesting thanks for posting.

Don't think I could be doing with positioning my vehicle to get maximum sunshine though, a bit like them people driving round trying to get their satellite dish in the right place.
 
We always have a giggle at the vans moving from pitch to pitch to get the best satellite signal, or the dishes going round and round in a fruitless search for Eastenders or some such.
Then we close the blinds and settle down for a fascinating evening of I-Spy, Guess Who, or shadow animals.
Or, God forbid, conversation. :rolleyes:
(Although that last one often ends with a discussion about the cost of fitting a satellite dish)
 
Couldn't they get a more lively narrator. That one sent me to sleep.

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I like Greg's videos. I'd seen that one before, but still watched it again.

He did a few on insulation a while back that were really detailed as well.
 
Interesting ... but my head hurts now!!!! :confused:
 
Tmi

I just wanna know it charges my battery everyday.
Candapack said:
We always have a giggle at the vans moving from pitch to pitch to get the best satellite signal, or the dishes going round and round in a fruitless search for Eastenders or some such.
Then we close the blinds and settle down for a fascinating evening of I-Spy, Guess Who, or shadow animals.
Or, God forbid, conversation. :rolleyes:
(Although that last one often ends with a discussion about the cost of fitting a satellite dish)
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If you can survive playing I spy , guess who and shadow animals daily for more than 2 or 3 days your a saint

I'd be wanting to murder a partner in under a week if I was subjected to that.


That said I don't have a satellite dish and haven't seen love tv in nearly 3 months:)
 
Northernraider said:
I'd be wanting to murder a partner in under a week if I was subjected to that.

That said I don't have a satellite dish and haven't seen love tv in nearly 3 months:)
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:Eeek:
You need to read the other 'self-help' thread ... :D
 
Being too old and arthritic to be climbing on the roof every couple of hours to alter the angle of the panels I decided to go for the max output I could fit, 2 x 100w & 1 x 120w, feeding 2 x 110ah batteries, and am thinking of adding another battery.

I found the video very informative and liked the tone it was delivered in, after all, it would be a brave man who tried to "sex up" a video explaining the power output of a solar panel. :rofl::rofl:

Thanks for posting it WBD.

Hymie

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Hymie said:
Being too old and arthritic to be climbing on the roof every couple of hours to alter the angle of the panels I decided to go for the max output I could fit, 2 x 100w & 1 x 120w, feeding 2 x 110ah batteries, and am thinking of adding another battery.
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If you start a thread about how to install it I'm gonna come round and wire YOU up to your existing ones!!! :sneaky:
 
Minxy Girl said:
If you start a thread about how to install it I'm gonna come round and wire YOU up to your existing ones!!! :sneaky:
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No chance of that, Mr Fumbles video diary of how to screw up a solar panel installation will NOT be going viral on youtube, not in my lifetime anyway. :lipssealed::lipssealed:

Hymie
 
His example had what I would regard as pretty minimal power use, eg no fan for heating etc. , but a 100watt panel still was only just enough on his figures. I would conclude that a solar panel is probably worth having - but only just and at 100 watts certainly not enough for any long term stops except perhaps in mid summer.. You still need to drive the van or plug in to mains to properly charge the battery!
 
Beautifully done video. A nice gentle introduction to solar generation.

He did gloss over the real problem, weather. Average is not the real world, you can go for days with thick cloud just as you can go for days with bright sunshine. It's coping with the thick cloud where you tear up calculations and just put in Overkill.

It was interesting he came up with the FUN rule of thumb 100W solar matched to 100Ah battery.
 
Hmm, I really must check how many bottles of Doombar I can I drink before my cassette becomes full.

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hilldweller said:
Average is not the real world, you can go for days with thick cloud just as you can go for days with bright sunshine.
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During the three years I lived on The Lizard in Cornwall I could go ten days or more in winter without seeing any sun, just constant grey clag.
 
hilldweller said:
Beautifully done video. A nice gentle introduction to solar generation.

He did gloss over the real problem, weather. Average is not the real world, you can go for days with thick cloud just as you can go for days with bright sunshine. It's coping with the thick cloud where you tear up calculations and just put in Overkill.

It was interesting he came up with the FUN rule of thumb 100W solar matched to 100Ah battery.
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So if you have a 100w solar and a 100 amp battery and you was looking to add one or the other would it be another battery or another solar, I know both would be best but just a question.

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chaser said:
So if you have a 100w solar and a 100 amp battery and you was looking to add one or the other would it be another battery or another solar, I know both would be best but just a question.
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It's a very good question and I don't have a very good answer. Gut feeling is another panel.

You can have a million batteries but if you can't charge them they are just ballast.

But for, say, a working couple who just do weekends and drive off fully charged, then more batteries make sense.

And UP YOURS BIG TIME, since you bought that bike it's never been fit to ride one.
 
hilldweller said:
It's a very good question and I don't have a very good answer. Gut feeling is another panel.

You can have a million batteries but if you can't charge them they are just ballast.

But for, say, a working couple who just do weekends and drive off fully charged, then more batteries make sense.

And UP YOURS BIG TIME, since you bought that bike it's never been fit to ride one.
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What bike, havnt got one
 
The way I see it (because we only camp in Spain) is your batteries have to be big enough to last through the night and the solar needs to be big enough to have the battery fully charged by dusk. Whichever falls short you upgrade first.
 
Richard and Ann said:
The way I see it (because we only camp in Spain) is your batteries have to be big enough to last through the night and the solar needs to be big enough to have the battery fully charged by dusk. Whichever falls short you upgrade first.
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Absolutely spot on.

Through the night is predictable but some guesswork on the charge side.
 
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The way I approach it is what is your daily consumption , your battery if flooded type have to be capable of handling that x2 to get thru one day without sun . Then you need enough panels to put 2 days use back in half a day , so that it can handle 1 days demand and fully recharge in one day , with a safe margin . This is going for no EHU or charge thru driving , or running generator !!!!! Which you can treat as bonus charging .

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chaser said:
So if you have a 100w solar and a 100 amp battery and you was looking to add one or the other would it be another battery or another solar, I know both would be best but just a question.
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My take on it would be that batteries provide actual capacity and solar provide potential ‘capacity’. So I’d start with enhancing your actual (battery) capacity.

Ian
 
I use a cheap dual controller (for VB and LB) and 80w solar panel and 2x 110 LB"s all my van is 12v inc LED lights gas Propex/blr/fridge and split charge system and so far have always found the set up ample for my needs --but I don't stay on one site/ aire for long .If I am on a site that includes free hook-up I plug the onboard charger in. Couldn't be bothered with "tilting the panel".
 
bigtwin said:
My take on it would be that batteries provide actual capacity and solar provide potential ‘capacity’.
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My take on your take.....

Battery is your tank of water. Solar panel is your hose pipe ( food grade of course ).

So your tank holds enough for 2 days but the hose pipe takes 6 days to fill it. 2 and a bit days on you are dead.

Tank holds 2 days and hose fills in 1 day - perfection even for the odd days when the hope pipe won't work.
 
hilldweller said:
Beautifully done video. A nice gentle introduction to solar generation.

He did gloss over the real problem, weather. Average is not the real world, you can go for days with thick cloud just as you can go for days with bright sunshine. It's coping with the thick cloud where you tear up calculations and just put in Overkill.
Click to expand...
If you want to make maximum use of your solar panel in Scotland, go on the 22nd of July this year as that's when summer is:LOL::whistle:

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