Caravan Solar Panel - It Is Cheaper To Build Than Buy
You will have a lot of fun in building your very own portable solar energy system. The whole family will want to get involved over a weekend, which is as long as it takes, and it will be a great sense of achieving something when completed. Enjoy the experience of everyone as a part of such an adventure. Often a party is arranged and invite their friends over too.
When it is completed, the caravan solar panel will supply all your lighting, water heating, cooking and cleaning requirements. In addition to that, you will be able to use it when you return home and it can greatly cut your average electricity bill throughout the year and for many years to come.
Portable solar energy systems are actually much easier to build than you might imagine. When we were investigating it personally we found that we could actually get it all set up for less than two hundred dollars. We counted that we could save as much money as that every month for ever.
The majority of people feel very wary about starting out on the journey. It is essential if you do decide to go ahead that you buy a manual which guides you through every step in great detail. We cannot expect to have this knowledge in our heads without learning properly how to build a caravan solar panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Where can I get cheap and reliable solar panels for my caravan?
I am looking for 100 watt of solar panels for my caravan. Do any of you knows about these panels: http://www.thousandsuns.com . They look like the cheapest I have been able to find in the UK.
Thanks for the help-
ANSWER:
£219 is about 0.A panel like the following is 170 watts (a little more than you wanted), and 2:
http://sunelec.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=814
That's just a data point to suggest that you should shop thoroughly - it might actually be impractical to buy from a US company and ship to the UK.
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QUESTION:
How many solar panels would I need for my caravan and 6 mtr dia yurt?
I want enough power for lights my laptop computer and small sound system. Any Idea ? I live in the subtropics of Aus.-
ANSWER:
Let me know the Volts and Amps you require, and I'll tell you how many cells, or existing units, you'll need to get
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QUESTION:
12 volt solar panels for caravans-realistically what wattage would I require to run lights,TV etc?
I am looking to add a solar panel to my caravan for the following uses-Trickle charging of the battery when I am not on site and daily battery charging for when I am. I will be using the onboard 12volt lighting system for, I would guess a couple of hours per night. I would also like to run a 12v TV/DVD Combi unit and would like a solar Panel that could recharge the previous days usage-I appreciate that weather conditions can have an effect on recharge rates-all comments gratefully received!-
ANSWER:
Its fairly easy to work out.
First work out how long you want each 12v thing on for each day.
Then work out the watt/hours - multiply the watts by number of hours used.
Add all your watt/hours together to give you total watt/hours.
In the UK we get about 8 hours usable light for solar panels. so devide your total watt hours by 8, to give you a guide to the power of solar panel you need. Always go up to the next nearest avaialble size.
For larger size panels you will need a regulator device. - good dealers give good advice. And contary to previous answers you can charge lead acid batteries via solar panels.
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QUESTION:
How to set up a solar panel system for a static caravan.?
How to set up a solar panel system for a static caravan. I'm looking into fitting solar panels for my static and was wondering if anyone could advise me on the things i need to run a TV. Fridge ect:
I know i need an inverter or maybe more then one, but i need to know what type and AMP/Watts. (85 amp battery or higher) Do i need more then one battery and what amps should they be. Also what type of inverter. All help would be appreciated. THANKS.-
ANSWER:
Before you can figure out how much you need to make, you need to figure out how much you use. You need to figure out how much power the items you are powering draw, and for how long. If it is AC items (like you use in your house) you can use a kill-a-watt meter to measure how much power you use. http://www.altestore.com/store/Meters-Communications-Site-Analysis/Meters-Battery-Monitors/Power-Meters/P3-International-Kill-A-Watt-P4400-Kill-A-Watt-Power-Meter/p932/If they are DC powered, used off your battery without an inverter, you'd need to do the math of how many watts and for how many hours. Many items have a label on the back telling you the max watts they use, multiply that times the hours a day you'll use it.
Once you know how many watt hours you need a day, put it in a calculator like this to figure out the size of panels and batteries. http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/off_grid_calculator/
For the fridge, if you can use a propane powered one, you are much better off. They use a ton of electricity, it'll be expensive to try to power it off solar.
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QUESTION:
Can I install a solar panel on my static caravan,I do not use much electric,is it easy to install.?
I have a one bed, small static caravan and want to heat water,and use electric lights etc.Would it cost me much to install it, I am not bad at DIY.-
ANSWER:
Using solar electricity to heat water is not cost effective, nor is running an electric fridge. Heat and cold take a lot of electricity. Those are better run on propane. But using solar for lights, TV, and other items in the caravan is perfectly doable. You can take a look at some kits that are easy to install at http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/RV-Solar-Packages/c572/.To see what size kit you need, you can use a RV calculator, http://www.carmanah.com/calculators/mobile/mobilepowerdist/default.aspx?id=ALTESTORE&f=false.
People who tell you it's not possible or practical don't know what they are talking about. It is done all the time, and not just by rich people, not by a long shot.
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