Solar help

[Droski]

We have a 2014 Fleetwood Excursion 33D, it has the residential refrigerator, LED lights, 4-6 volt deep cycle batteries, Onan 6K generator and a 2000 watt PSW inverter. We would like to go with solar panels for the future. Do we need to replace the inverter to something different if we want go solar? We are a couple of years away from full retirement and would like to get it set up now while we are still working.
Can I use some of the equipment the MH came with? Any advice you wonderful can give us would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Droski

[halfwright]

You can keep the inverter. It is already set up for the batteries and load you have, if it is stock. You will need to get a converter to charge the batteries. A rule of thumb for panels is one watt for every amp/hour of battery power.


Arizona wind and sun has a great web site and a friendly forum fo help you.

[pasdad1]

This website is also very helpful...lots of information. If you decide to have the install professionally done, they do that too.

[jackfish]

RV Electrical
Benefits of Solar Battery Charging and a System Overview
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 2)
Sounds like all you need are solar panels, mounts, controller and wiring, all sized to accommodate your needs.

[JFNM]

Originally Posted by Droski

Do we need to replace the inverter to something different if we want go solar? We are a couple of years away from full retirement and would like to get it set up now while we are still working.
Can I use some of the equipment the MH came with? Any advice you wonderful can give us would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Droski,

Agreeing with other posters, the "consumption" side of your system can be left as-is. The charging side is what will change. All of your existing charging equipment (engine alternator and converter/charger (which is possibly part of your inverter) remain as-is but you will add a solar charge controller. This solar charge controller takes the output of the PV panels and "massages" it into whatever the battery bank needs (bulk charging, absorbtion, float, etc.).

You will need to decide how much solar capacity you need, want, have space for (panels on the roof), or can afford. You don't have to buy/install it all at once but having a final system goal in mind is valuable as you can install the appropriately sized cables and charge controller now and add (more) panels later.

The older 12V panels are popular on RV's but not the best (most efficient, cheapest, or easiest to wire, etc.). The higher voltage "residential" panels are very efficient and cost less than $1/watt. The higher voltage also makes the wiring "easier" as you get to use much smaller cables (since they are carrying a higher voltage).

Some more reading:
Is solar power for you? - JdFinley.com
Energy Audit - Watt For? - JdFinley.com
Solar Charging System - Take Two - JdFinley.com

[Droski]

Thanks for the help and the Links to view!


Droski