RV Solar
Harnessing the Power of the Sun for your On-the-Road Adventures
What are the options?
First things first…how much power are you going to use?
Determining the amount of power that you need to run your rig will limit the size and type of system necessary.
Check out the table below to get a rough idea of how much power you will need to store:
Power Basics
Surge vs Running Watts
Surge is the startup power necessary to turn an appliance on. Running watts is the amount of energy that the appliance will draw continuously when powered on.
Capacity
Calculate the amount of power needed by adding the amount of power consumed for any appliances RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME. You may need to have the hotpot on, but not with the water heater, pump or hydraulics.
You can reduce the size of your system by limiting the appliances you run together.
So...how much do I need?
Energy Efficient Products
You can save a LOT of power by using energy efficient appliances. The cost of these items is typically more than their standard counterparts, but well worth it in the long run.
Standard fridge = 350W/hour; 8400W/day => (7) 100Ah batteries
Efficient DC fridge = 30W/hour; 720W/day => (1) 100Ah battery
Small Scale System - 400Ah
A small scale RV system will include many different components mounted into a compartment in the RV or trailer. It will be specific to the install, and parts can be upgraded or replaced as necessary.
A typical system may include 4-6 100Ah batteries, and have panels mounted on the roof as well as portable, ground-mounted.
The system would be able to be charged from the sun, generator, shore-power, vehicle alternator and any combination of these sources.
Custom-built systems can be DIY or professionally installed, and can have all the bells and whistles to monitor every aspect of your system worldwide, or simply power your on-the-road needs.
Large Scale System - 600Ah+
A large scale system is generally reserved for Tiny Homes, Off-Grid Living and Off-Shore Cruisers. The size required for the batteries can be prohibitive for a mobile/RV application, but like anything…it can be done.
This type of system would perhaps be able to power an Air Conditioning unit, but even with this amount of power, air cooling and heating can overwhelm a stand-alone system.
