Solar panels?

[jik22]

I'm after a panel that will both run the fridge in daylight, and top up the battery as well. The fridge is a baby 40l Waeco, which is supposed to draw 2.5-5A, but I've never confirmed this.

Therefore, on the face of it an 80w panel would seem to do the job with a bit theoretically in reserve - but I have no idea whether they really give the full stated output, or how much is lost in the regulator, etc. Can someone with experience tell me if I'm on the right track, or if I need to go bigger?

Also, if any of the Perth guys can recommend a decent supplier both price-wise and decent range, etc. it would be appreciated.

[Blknight.aus]

on a 80ah deep cycle battery my single 80w panel used to stay in front of my engle on about mid setting for about 2 weeks along with about 2 hours of use of a fluro and a small am/fm radio on about 14 hours a day.

Id park the trailer in the sun and run an extention cord to the car with the 12v on it running the accesories. This was in townsville. When we went away from the site the fridge would run off of the car battery but that was usually only for about 2 maybe 3 hours a week during the day to get more supplies.

its just a horizontal mount on top of the trailer and since Im building up the trailer for a trip this weekend if you like I'll take pics of the setup.

that solar panel and regulator is now 5 years old since Ive had it and I have no idea how much older than that the solar panel is, we got it in a garage sale for $5 as it wasnt working and a $30ish reg was all it needed.

my reg is bonded straight to the panel as it also doubles as a battery charger if i take it off of the trailer (4 bolts)

[jik22]

its just a horizontal mount on top of the trailer and since Im building up the trailer for a trip this weekend if you like I'll take pics of the setup.


Yeah, that would be very useful, thanks.

Seems I wasn't too far off with my 80w estimation then...though I'm told Engels are a little better on current draw than my Waeco.

I'll take the genny in case, but the idea is to be self-sufficient on solar where possible using just an 80Ah battery in the trailer for the fridge and lights. Anything else can run off the second battery in the Landy when needed,as that'll get recharged if we go anywhere.

Some of the panels I've looked seem to have a reg pre-fitted to the back, others (Such as the ones form Jaycar) don't mention this, so I assume it's an extra. Hence why I'm after a shop with a decent range so I can go look at different types and price a few options.

[Blknight.aus]

I would advise on getting the panels with the reg seperate so that you can take advantage of being able to use the reg that best suits your needs, Given that most panels put out in the range of 18+v you also get marginal advantage in voltage drop by running the run from the panel to the battery at 18v as opposed to the 13 odd volts the regulator puts out.

the only reason I can see to put the regulator on the panel itself is forprotection or if like me you also use the panel as a charger

[fraser130]

Ah ha!
Here is a thread that I have first-hand experience with :-)
I have a 73 litre "Autofridge" which uses the same compressor as the larger waeco's and I live (and use the solar) in Victoria.
I decoded that perhaps 80w would not be enough so I ended up with a Kyocera 130w panel, and I bought a MPPT regulator from the US (ebay user jamrat2000).
When we go camping I run the fridge, lighting in our tent (led strip light), lighting in our marquee (15w 12v compact florescent - probably for 5 hours per night) and a large Altec lansing set of Ipod speakers. I also run a 12v electric blanket for 1/2hour before bed (Yeah I know, we're supposed to be camping!)
I have the panel on a pole bolted to the bullbar so it gets sun most of the day.
While camping down at Wilson's Prom, and at Lorne I found the batteries were back at "float" charging by around 11am-midday, one overcast day it took untill 2pm.
my observations are:

a MMPT regulator is an awesome device, and makes a huge difference in the usable output.

If you have the space and funds, get a bigger panel, you can't really have too much power, it just means you can use more!!

Be aware that a "crystaline" panel will put out almost zero power if there is the slightest bit of shade on it, but for size they have double the output as compared to "amorphous" panels (unisolar etc)

I hope this helps,
Fraser

[BradM]

Talk to a crowd called SolarSales in Welshpool on 92588244.

I had to get quotes for a solar powered setup I designed for a badge swipe muster point up here on the LNG5 project and the quote they supplied for the quality of the equipment was the best that I received (Aus wide).

One of the brands that they sell is SunPower. Sunpower use Premiun grade silicon cells and have one of the best "power to size ratio" available. The panels start at 90Watts with max current of 5.1 amps & 17 volts output. They also sell quality regulators and heavy duty inverters as well.

Real quality will cost you real money. A 90 watt sunpower panel is about $1,100 but may have gone up in a year.

Alternately I used to run two cheapo 12 watt panels purchased on special at Repco on top of my old van to trickle charge the battery during the day at 2 amps and then run the 800w cheapo 2 stroke scorpion genny at night for the lights, battery charger (3.5 amp), etc. It was very cost effective and did the job well.

BradM

[Rosco]

Yep 80 watt BP panel on top of the fender does the trick. 60l waeco as fridge .. no probs. As freezer you put back about 8 for every 10 you take out.
I've a little voltmeter hooked up and the panel regularly puts out about 13.5v at the battery ... in good sun.

Cheers

[Blknight.aus]

on the panel size issue...

its more efficient (electriallcy and sometimes financially) to run one big solar panel...

but its easier and more flexable in locating to use more smaller panels with a smaller dedicated regulator for each panel.


for instance you can easily hood mount a 45 w panel and put 2 50w panels on the forward sloping part of the defenders roof without changing the overall hieght of the roof or having the panel come out of the sunken bit of a td5 deefer.

Ive only dummy fitted my panels in that configuration before being told by swmbo... "no it looks ugly enough as is"

[HangOver]

While camping down at Wilson's Prom, and at Lorne

Slightly off topic I know but I have fond memories of camping at wilsons prom about 10 years ago, saw my first wombat there.
Real nice place. Lost of birds too if I remember right.

[fraser130]

I didn't put any "real" figures in my post, but when the batteries (2x90AH AGM) are first charging in the mornings, due to the MPPT regulator, I get a charge current of just below 10amps! (as opposed to about 6.5 using a normal "shunt" regulator) and I "float" the aux batts at 13.9 volts (although it does change according to temperature)

Fraser

[Graz]

I'm after a panel that will both run the fridge in daylight, and top up the battery as well. The fridge is a baby 40l Waeco, which is supposed to draw 2.5-5A, but I've never confirmed this.

Therefore, on the face of it an 80w panel would seem to do the job with a bit theoretically in reserve - but I have no idea whether they really give the full stated output, or how much is lost in the regulator, etc. Can someone with experience tell me if I'm on the right track, or if I need to go bigger?

Also, if any of the Perth guys can recommend a decent supplier both price-wise and decent range, etc. it would be appreciated.

Jeff

Go check out the 12 Volt Shop cnr Kewdale and Orrong Roads Welshpool. They supplied the panels and regulator for my camper trailer. They have the knowledge and experience to best advise what you need.
Cheers

Graham

[jik22]

Jeff

Go check out the 12 Volt Shop cnr Kewdale and Orrong Roads Welshpool. They supplied the panels and regulator for my camper trailer. They have the knowledge and experience to best advise what you need.
Cheers

Graham

I think that's where I'll be heading today once I've sorted the aux battery in the D3. From a quick phone around, they seem to have the best combination of sensible pricing and seemingly knowing what they're talking about.

What setup have you got, BTW?

[Blknight.aus]

Ok here she is yep this is big red with the big green trailer on the back yep thats the exact configuration that does 10.4l/100 or whatever the hell it was that i worked it out to be on my albury trip.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/12/141.jpg

this is the side view of the trailer, the solar panel which you cant see yet lives up on top of the door area

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/08/210.jpg

theres the panel on the top centerally mounted on 2 pieces of ally right angle bar. the level directly under the panel is where out tent/swags/luggage goes when we go camping and the dogs live at the bottom, the front area is accessable from both sides and securable, If needed I have 2 other panels that make almost a complete roof over the front section. The panel is positioned such that it holds a row of jerrycans or those square water containers in place against the siding.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2008/08/209.jpg

here it is from the rear the suns wiping out the contrast control on the phone but you can make out the battery on the bottom left and the panel is pretty much inline with the 44 (the shot of the panel was a complete white out sorry)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/12/142.jpg

and heres the regulator on the panel as this one doubles as a battery charger.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/12/143.jpg

the wire up of the eletrics is pretty easy.

solar panel-regulator-battery-trailer aux power-vehicle battery

ok its marginally more complicated than that but as a box diagram thats how it all hooks up.

[RMB3218]

Ok here she is yep this is big red with the big green trailer on the back yep thats the exact configuration that does 10.4l/100 or whatever the hell it was that i worked it out to be on my albury trip.




Nice photos, where did you get your side steps from?

[Blknight.aus]

came with, standard on the extreme package, If you want them and are willing to help out with the funds for the metal for my underbodytank/side airtank/steps package Im planning out I'll pull them off for you and they are yours but fair warning, the drivers side one is not that pretty.... (big tree, tight creekbed outa traction long story but you can guess the rest).

[jik22]

Blknight, that is what I call a shed. :)

OK, got the stuff today. First went for a single 80w BP Solar panel, but then found it was too long to fit the boot on the D3 (Which doesn't have a roof rack) so although it would have been fine on the Defender's rack or in the trailer, we'd have been stuffed if we just had the D3 on a trip!

So, popped back in, and for only another $150, I swapped for 2x50 panels which I'll bolt together with some stainless hinges and make a stand for at some point. Also gets me an extra amp or two for not much more cash in the grand scheme of what I've spent today.

For the Perth guys, I got the stuff from Challenge Batteries in Osborne Park (Found they sold the gear by pure luck while in picking up the aux battery for the D3 as per this (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-zone/44808-dual-battery-install.html) thread). 80w panel was $750, 2 x 50's an extra $150 as I said, regulator $77 for a middle of the range one with a bit of charging intelligence, and sheathed 10mm2 twin cable at a very good $8/m with it all.

Thanks to everyone for the info. Pics will follow when I get it all wired up and tested over the weekend.