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11-15-2013, 12:15 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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New Solar Panels
Locations of four 100 watt solar panels on our new 2014 44U Aspire
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Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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11-15-2013, 01:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 601
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I am sorry to tell you this, but you have a problem. Any time there is a shadow cast on a panel, it drops the output substantially. Just from the picture, it appears that the air conditioner will cast a shadow on any of the three next to it, depending on the direction.
cut and paste from
Shading Analysis
SHADING ANALYSIS
Shading analysis is one of the most essential steps in phase of solar energy system design or analysis. In photovoltaics it is important to analyse shading caused by surrounding objects and/or vegetation. In special cases like analysis or design of BIPV systems, exact analysis of "shadow-voltaic" systems (overhangs, vertical shading fins, awnings etc.) is also very important. Similar analysis is also part of passive house or solar house design - overhangs must also be planned very carefully in such case. Basic calculations can be done by some simple equations - formulas for some typical simple cases you may find below. Some graphical tools like solar path calculator (pilkington) are also available. For analysis of complex objects several computer tools are available. Some of them offer even 3D simulation. Shading is especially important in photovoltaics. It should be eliminated as much as possible. Even small obstacles like chimneys, telephone poles etc. shouldn't be neglected. To minimise influence of photovoltaic array shading (if shading can not be avoided) different system optimisation techniques can be used. Detailed explanation of such cases you may find on this page below
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Jim and Darlene Wright
plus Ryder,Poodle and
garbage disposal cross
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11-15-2013, 06:06 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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It would appear that way but giving the fact that you only receive five hours of useable sunlight a day when the sun is high in the sky. Any small shadow on the panels will be minimal compare to not having any panels at all. On our other RV we noticed the panels were still working on a cloudy day at a lower percentage. Any shadow that hits the panels will happen before and after your five hours of productive sunlight early in the morning or when the sun is going down. I plan to monitor any great loss because of the direction we park.
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Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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11-15-2013, 11:04 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Fort Bragg, NC
Posts: 865
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmoneySr
Locations of four 100 watt solar panels on our new 2014 44U Aspire
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Would like to see the photo after the wires are connected. Interested in the routing of the wires.
Also please provide the cost of the modification.
Curt
__________________
Curt Geiger
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
North Carolina
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11-15-2013, 12:05 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 251
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Hope it works out for you! But as 'halfwright' stated, I likewise am concerned about the shading. Yes, I know about the 5 to 6 hours of sun light during the solar day. Still even a slight shadow on a given panel greatly reduces and/or eliminates the output. Be interested to know how it works out.
Will be doing my solar in the next three months.
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11-15-2013, 12:35 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Shading is a concern of course. Wiring the panels in parallel is a must. The impact depends on your overall design, capacity headroom, usage desires, goals, etc. If not committed as of yet, I would try to keep away from that AC unit if possible.
Here is info on my installation:
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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11-15-2013, 08:24 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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OFF-PK-2RNG100D-0004
Premium Solar Kit 200W off grid: 2pc 100W solar panels+ MPPT 20Amp charge controller+ 10' Adapter Kit - MT-5 Tracer Meter - Monocrystalline Panel
1
$559.98
$559.98
$559.98
$0.00
$0.00
$559.98
OFF-PK-2RNG100D-0004
Premium Solar Kit 200W off grid: 2pc 100W solar panels+ MPPT 20Amp charge controller+ 10' Adapter Kit - MT-5 Tracer Meter - Monocrystalline Panel
1
$559.98
$559.98
$559.98
$0.00
$0.00
$559.98
4 x Dicor EPDM Rubber Roof Lap Sealant, 10.3 oz, White 501LSW-1
Sold by Mobile Home Solutions
Condition: New
$14.99 Item Subtotal: $59.96 Shipping & Handling: $0.00 Total Before Tax: $59.96 Order Total: $59.96 To learn more about ordering, go to Ordering from Amazon.com.
The coach came prewired for solar with two #8 wires at two locations. The total length from the batteries was 30’ for one set and 25’ for the other. The wires run up from the batteries over to overhead the door (location of both controllers) and then ran down the cable chase on the passenger’s side of the coach. With this distance I bought two 20amp MPPT charge controllers to split the total load. If you were to add more than two 100watt panels you would need to increase your wire size to keep the voltage drop between 3-5%.
Total cost for the solar system $1,179.92
__________________
Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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11-15-2013, 08:34 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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my last two 30amp switches and two breakers will be delivered the 19th. After we install all four we will then connect the panels on the roof to both feeds going down to the controllers. The switches will be installed inside over the door to isolate the panels from the controller. The breakers will be installed at the battery to protect the wire leaving the compartment and routed through the coach to the overhead conpartment over the door. The added cost $143.98
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Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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11-15-2013, 08:43 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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Wednesday should be my first full day with the solar panels connedted to the batteries. The batteries were installed today by Interstate Battery of Tampa.
4 GPL- Lifeline GPL-6CT 6 Volt 300Ah Battery total of 600 amp/hrs $409.95 ea
Total $1,821.01 installed
__________________
Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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11-15-2013, 08:54 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Fort Bragg, NC
Posts: 865
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Doug,
I am looking forward to your final report indicating you had a successful run of all your systems -- completely off the grid.
Are you having some professional assistance installing the panels or are you doing that yourself?
Curt
__________________
Curt Geiger
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
North Carolina
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11-15-2013, 09:29 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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43 years in the electrical field as an engineer and retired electrical project manager that was over projects from 5 to 32million dollars. Nice to be free from the rat race
__________________
Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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11-16-2013, 06:41 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SW FL
Posts: 29,357
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BigMoney, thank you for sharing the cost of increasing the solar system on the Entegra. I would not be boondocking enough to justify the cost myself, but others might be right there. I really debated about the cost of factory solar until I saw how much buyers were asking about it on my coach I just sold. It will be fun to play with and I know it is a selling point on a used coach. I am learning a little about solar from your post. Thanks.
__________________
Chuck in SW FL
Digital 2021 Cornerstone "B"
A "Digital" 2019 Cornerstone "B" Traded
A "Classic" 2014 Anthem 42 RBQ---Sold
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11-16-2013, 08:17 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Fort Bragg, NC
Posts: 865
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmoneySr
43 years in the electrical field as an engineer and retired electrical project manager that was over projects from 5 to 32million dollars. Nice to be free from the rat race
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Thanks. I will take this to mean you are leading the install yourself. Something I would not be able to do.
What would you estimate the labor to be on this install?
Curt
__________________
Curt Geiger
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
North Carolina
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11-16-2013, 09:02 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Crestview Florida
Posts: 235
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Curtisgeiger
Thanks. I will take this to mean you are leading the install yourself. Something I would not be able to do.
What would you estimate the labor to be on this install?
Curt
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three days with just myself and one day with my wife handing the panels up to me on the roof. Total 40 hrs
__________________
Carol & Doug French ECOA National Director
2014 Entegra Aspire 44U
2016 F150 Bronze Super Crew Cab 4X4
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