Archive for the ‘portable solar generators’ tag
Build A Portable Solar Generator
Recreational Vehicles (RVs) are designed to give you the freedom of the open road. In theory you can drive anywhere you like, but often you are limited to where to park for the night because you need somewhere to recharge your batteries. Even using your batteries sparingly to work on-board appliances you will still find they will need recharging from time to time – usually more often than you had planned! And be warned, regularly draining a battery will shorten its life considerably. But there is now an attractive option that will give you true flexibility to go where you want, and it can be made easily and for very little money.
Most RVs have on-board gas generators, but these tend to be noisy and also to eat up the gas. Nowadays you can fit solar panels to your RV which will give you all or most of the power you need without hammering your battery, and these panels are very easy to make at home, even for the total novice. Your gas generator, if you have one, can then become a backup – much less wearing on the ears and pocket. Keep it for powering the lights at your next outdoor party!
Mobile solar panels can be easily stored if foldable, and they are usually quite light and easy to move. One 4ft x 2 ft solar panel will generate about 75 to 100 watts, which is about equal to a pair of golf cart batteries. This would probably be enough for the average mid-size RV but it would depend, of course, on your personal electrical requirements. Most RVs use no more than 400 watts. Perhaps start with a couple of solar panels, and fit some more as needed. You can get more information about these portable solar generators here.
If you plan to use your RV regularly in hot weather, you will have one or two other things to consider. You will need to fit a solar-powered battery charger with battery temperature compensation to reduce the danger of damaging your batteries. Also, roof-mounted solar panels can get very hot, which can affect their efficiency and can lead to voltage drops. Your solar panels will need to be rated at about 17 volts or higher to overcome this potential problem. These are just some things to keep in mind.
There is a good range of RV solar panel kits on the market but these tend to be very pricey. We thoroughly recommend the make-it-yourself route. You will find it very easy, a lot of fun, and literally anybody can do it. And you will save a packet compared with the bought variety. It is very sensible, however, to get professional advice and guidance as you plan and build your solar panel, otherwise you will probably waste a lot of time and effort doing research and not necessarily doing the job properly. This is not a problem, because we can recommend a good source of expertise with good step-by-step instructions for only a few dollars. We believe this is a good investment.
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