Are solar panels really worth it?

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

I love my 280W of portable solar. Been using it for 5 years. Takes me about 10 minutes to set it up and it keeps me with power my entire trip. I don't use much power, lights, tooth brush, laptop, and phone charging, water pump, propane fridge and water heater, and the heater. I average about 20 days a year and have ran my generator twice. Both times I was just being cautious, probably not necessary at all.
Before I bought my TT, I rented a TT and took a trip to Yosemite. No solar, rules said generator from 7 to 9, noon to 2, and 5 to 7. I ran my generator at 8AM and I nearly had a fist fight with half the campground. I explained I was just trying to follow the rules, they said they didn't like the rules, I said tell the ranger to tell me I can run the genny 9 to 10 and I would gladly do it.

You don't move the panels every hour or two to "follow" the sun? We average about 120 days boondocking and dry camping and hate the generator (to say nothing of the ruptured disk I got from lifting it last year when the truck was not close enough to the fiver for my charger cord).

Microwave, toaster, espresso machine, lights, home theater, heater fan, Starlink, chargers, ceiling exhaust fans, CPAP, compressor fridge, etc. can use 150 Ah at 12V between sunset and sunrise. We are definitely "glampers" but DW would probably stay home if we didn't have solar (she hates the generator and RV parks as much as I do).

So solar is our only option. And lots of it.

[Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by hclarkx

You don't move the panels every hour or two to "follow" the sun? ...
So solar is our only option. And lots of it.

Nope. On the first day I pick a panel tilt angle, a spot with the most sun exposure, and orient the panel (azimuth angle) mid way in the exposure window. I have 25' of cord to walk away from the TT. We generally dry camp in NF campgrounds and leave the CG around 9AM and come back with about a hour of light for dinner. When we get back the battery is maxed out. I doubt we use more than 30 or 40 AH. Biggest use is the heater.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

Nope. On the first day I pick a panel tilt angle, a spot with the most sun exposure, and orient the panel (azimuth angle) mid way in the exposure window. I have 25' of cord to walk away from the TT. We generally dry camp in NF campgrounds and leave the CG around 9AM and come back with about a hour of light for dinner. When we get back the battery is maxed out. I doubt we use more than 30 or 40 AH. Biggest use is the heater.

If one can get away without moving the panels to keep the tree shade from hitting them or to get enough energy via optimum angle, portable panels will be less of a hassle. We tried ground panels and gave up after one trip. I suppose adding more panels would have reduced the need to move them so much though finding storage for the two 100W panels was difficult enough. Went roof-mount and more panels and haven't looked back. Given the roof panels are up 11 feet, they usually do quite well shade-wise. Our roof slopes to the rear (where the panels are) so we point the tail south which is usually possible with planning via Google Earth. This also helps with October-April camping which is 95% of our camping.

[Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by hclarkx

If one can get away without moving the panels to keep the tree shade from hitting them or to get enough energy via optimum angle, portable panels will be less of a hassle. We tried ground panels and gave up after one trip. I suppose adding more panels would have reduced the need to move them so much though finding storage for the two 100W panels was difficult enough. Went roof-mount and more panels and haven't looked back. Given the roof panels are up 11 feet, they usually do quite well shade-wise. Our roof slopes to the rear (where the panels are) so we point the tail south which is usually possible with planning via Google Earth. This also helps with October-April camping which is 95% of our camping.

My 280W panel weighs 40 LB and takes most of the bed of my truck if I lay it down. I made some mounts for the trailer bumper and I place it on the bumper for travel. I can get it on and off the bumper by myself but it is significantly easier with my wife's help.

I think the main difference between us is the amount of power usage. I don't think portable is an option if you are using a lot of AH each day. Even two residential (what I use) portable panels would be a PIA to transport. If we used used our TT different (days at the TT relaxing), I'd definitely go to fixed panels.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

My 280W panel weighs 40 LB and takes most of the bed of my truck if I lay it down. I made some mounts for the trailer bumper and I place it on the bumper for travel. I can get it on and off the bumper by myself but it is significantly easier with my wife's help.

I think the main difference between us is the amount of power usage. I don't think portable is an option if you are using a lot of AH each day. Even two residential (what I use) portable panels would be a PIA to transport. If we used used our TT different (days at the TT relaxing), I'd definitely go to fixed panels.

I was limited to the basement of the fiver or the queen bed (up a stairwell in the fiver). Basement limited me to 100W panels and that was tight and awkward. We day hike or sight see most days so stationary panels on the roof works well enough if we can point the tail south which we usually can.

[SteveJ.]

We carry two sets of 120 watt framed suitcase panels, each set consisting of two 60 watt panels attached by hinges. Each set has been rewired into a series connection to work in conjunction with a Victron 100/30 MPPT SmartSolar controller. I have a 50' cable hardwired to on set of panels and there is a parallel connection for the second set. I also have a 25' extension cord that does come into play from time to time. I do like parking in the shade when it is warm/hot out. I have a spot adjacent to the entry door for stowing, whicjis reachable from outside the door. The hardwired cable gets rolled up and stowed in one set. The 25' locking cable and locks stow in the other set. The extension cord is on a cable roll up type spool.

[ZRT800]

Originally Posted by B737tech

I live in the north Georgia mountains and use my small 14 foot vintage camper for close by “during the week” primitive camping with my puppy. We would only be gone at the most 3-4 days visiting primitive sites with no-hook-ups. I have bought a 400 watt inverter to run my fridge to keep my food cold, along with a very quiet Ryobi generator. I know 400 Watts isn’t much, but I can use battery operated “puck” lights for the short trips we take. I do have 5 AC outlets and a couple of lamps, that will plug into the Ryobi to charge my battery, but was wondering if a solar power system would do me any good…. Seems to be a lot of trouble…..

we have 510 watts of solar and 2 8D AGM battery's. Refrigerator is 12 volt compressor. While on a 1900 mile trip inverter failed. Inverter also charges battery's when plugged into shore power. Good thing for solar will keep battery's charged until I get new one ordered and installed

[Drewloker]

Originally Posted by Marine359

If you can get solar to do more than one task, then it’s worth considering. 200 watts of portable solar panels can charge a small (1000wh) powerstation that can provide some backup power at home when there’s a power outage… Bottom line is that solar is a waste of money for your camping needs unless it serves more needs than camping.

Following this thread as well…wanting to start building up solar charging and LFP4 storage…but only if I can get the investment to serve multiple purposes.

I absolutely want to invest in lithium power going forward, having recently purchase a 40v Lithium Ryobi chainsaw and weedeater…wow! I have been using lithium 20v battery tools for years, and rechargeable batteries for decades, but the new 40v Ryobi blew may mind and have been getting rid of my gas power stuff since.

But this leads me to other SLA batteries and systems that need to be upgraded!

* 20’ TT with 65ah house battery…currently with a SLA battery…fairly new…don’t dry camp, but do have a 100 w panel with charge controller to charge in the event of an emergency…would like to be able to expand this resource for emergency purposes. I would like to change the battery out to lithium… but off all the things on the list…this is probably the more complicated to change out the existing charging system. But if I can come up with something that takes care of the RV investment change to lithium and helps with the other needs below, that would be great.

* 14’ Jon boat that I want to get to 24v, 200ah available for the trolling motor. I got rid of the gas motor, and wanting to get a 86lb thrust motor. It currently has a 30lb thrust with 12 SLA for running on a big pond. If I can get this to 24v, lithium, I want to get the boat back out to some other water ways.

* 36v electric golf cart - currently it has 6x6v SLA batteries from 2018. They are currently working, but they are very heavy. And the charging system is annoying. I’d like to start prepping to replace those batteries with 3x12 100ah batteries, and start charging with solar, not electric.

* House Emergency Needs - want to develop the option to run fridge, lights and fans off of solar battery storage. Got plenty of space to have solar array on the ground…not on the roof. And, I want to develop the system myself.

On Amazon PrimeDay, after a whole lot of research, I almost bought an EF EcoFlow Delta 2 for the ability to get to 2kw power and 3kwh storage. But at nearly $2,000….all I got for a whole lot of money was a portable battery for one solution.

How can I come up with one expandable battery that will power RV, boat, golf cart and house?

So, having listed all this…is there a sensible path forward?

I realize this probably not the best place to discuss it, but if not here, on IRV2, where else?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Marine359]

I bought an Ecoflow Delta 2 Max on prime day. They must have sold lots of them because mine hasn’t shipped yet (7 days and waiting). This week will buy two used 400w Qcells from SanTan Solar in Savannah. So, with the powerstation, I doubled my camper amphrs, and will now have a backup solution at home with enough solar charging to take my fridge off-grid. Hoping to have some of this stuff pay for itself over time in electric bill savings. When grid goes down, I can also tap the power from my rv battery and panels by running an extension cord to a generator inlet on the house.

[Mark_K5LXP]

How can I come up with one expandable battery that will power RV, boat, golf cart and house?

Step one would be to quantify the need in great detail. You can always go "worst case" and size the solution based on the maximum need and use it for everything else too, but generally that's like smashing flies with a hammer. For example, the system you'd set up for running your house would be way overkill and likely impractical to use for the camper.

My take on it is you don't need the system to dynamically scale directly. Rather, it would be building blocks that you can mix and match to fill a particular need when you need it. An example would be you probably don't need to run the camper when you're floating around in the boat. So let's say you get 2 12V batteries that you can run in parallel in the camper, then pluck out and hook up in series for the boat. Build up quick disconnect and carry setup and you move them back and forth. In case of "emergency" those batteries could operate some loads at the house. Not necessarily as part of a whole house backup but as an ancillary supply. My "backup" at home is the generator in the RV but on numerous occasions over the years during power outages I power individual devices off an inverter from cars in the garage. No dedicated systems required, just connect things up with cords and plug in as needed. Solar isn't part of anything I have but you'd size that to replenish what you think you need to keep running on an ongoing basis. The trick is deciding what's really important enough to bother with. Seems especially with RV folks the idea of going more than 15 minutes without some connected device instills anxiety and maybe for fulltime remote work there's some validity to that, but "in case of emergency" when there's an extended outage (or when camping), the last thing I'm thinking about is the goofy electronics. They're probably not going to work anyway. A few lights, running the fridge once in a while (doesn't need to be full time) and maybe a water pump if you need it, and that's about it. When the shtf keeping things simple and at smaller scales is an advantage, life as you know it is on hold so no need for daily life stuff. If you're heading down the road of being full time off grid then of course you'll come up with a whole-house solution but even then you don't scale the system to run everything at once. So per above, define the problem in great detail and the components to satisfy that will be readily identified.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[Drewloker]

Originally Posted by Marine359

I bought an Ecoflow Delta 2 Max on prime day.

Thanks for the feedback. You got the Delta 2 Base for $700?

Why not the Delta Max? ($1120 base on Amazon PD) - I mean, other than the obvious of huge price difference. I frequently shop based on price and am frequently regretting not having spent more money later on.

Did you consider the Anker 767 F2000? ($1600 base on APD)

After reviewing numerous articles and a dozen different units of various brands, I had it narrowed down to those three units. I really thought the Anker was the best option, except for a known Neutral Plug issue. I still have not heard from Anker, but did get a response from a customer that suggests they fixed the issue.

Another question I could not resolve was if the Delta 2, when you get to 3kwh, would be eligible for the tax credit? I read the form, and numerous articles, FAQ and could not come up with a solid answer.

Do you visit any a solar dedicated forum (like IRV2)?

Thanks!!

[Captain8]

I wouldn't use any off the shelf backup battery system to power everything. They are all extremely limited.

You can easily buy a few 12V lipo batteries and pull them to place in different environments. Build some casing or something with Anderson type plugs to plug them in and you're all set.

Solar panels are cheap, the mppt controllers are expensive. Put solar panels and wire everything up then use the quick disconnects.

36v is a very odd size 24 or 48v is normal inverter and battery banks. Wonder if you could find a 36v Jon motor then keep everything 36v.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by Drewloker

Following this thread as well…wanting to start building up solar charging and LFP4 storage…but only if I can get the investment to serve multiple purposes.

I absolutely want to invest in lithium power going forward, having recently purchase a 40v Lithium Ryobi chainsaw and weedeater…wow! I have been using lithium 20v battery tools for years, and rechargeable batteries for decades, but the new 40v Ryobi blew may mind and have been getting rid of my gas power stuff since.

But this leads me to other SLA batteries and systems that need to be upgraded!

* 20’ TT with 65ah house battery…currently with a SLA battery…fairly new…don’t dry camp, but do have a 100 w panel with charge controller to charge in the event of an emergency…would like to be able to expand this resource for emergency purposes. I would like to change the battery out to lithium… but off all the things on the list…this is probably the more complicated to change out the existing charging system. But if I can come up with something that takes care of the RV investment change to lithium and helps with the other needs below, that would be great.

* 14’ Jon boat that I want to get to 24v, 200ah available for the trolling motor. I got rid of the gas motor, and wanting to get a 86lb thrust motor. It currently has a 30lb thrust with 12 SLA for running on a big pond. If I can get this to 24v, lithium, I want to get the boat back out to some other water ways.

* 36v electric golf cart - currently it has 6x6v SLA batteries from 2018. They are currently working, but they are very heavy. And the charging system is annoying. I’d like to start prepping to replace those batteries with 3x12 100ah batteries, and start charging with solar, not electric.

* House Emergency Needs - want to develop the option to run fridge, lights and fans off of solar battery storage. Got plenty of space to have solar array on the ground…not on the roof. And, I want to develop the system myself.

On Amazon PrimeDay, after a whole lot of research, I almost bought an EF EcoFlow Delta 2 for the ability to get to 2kw power and 3kwh storage. But at nearly $2,000….all I got for a whole lot of money was a portable battery for one solution.

How can I come up with one expandable battery that will power RV, boat, golf cart and house?

So, having listed all this…is there a sensible path forward?

I realize this probably not the best place to discuss it, but if not here, on IRV2, where else?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Bringing this up here is called thread hi-jacking. It would be best to start a new thread. This will get more attention and be more likely to be helpful. That said, until a moderator steps in, I'll continue .......

Your engineering task is daunting. It's going to take a lot of paper and sketches to find the best solution. As well, it's going to take a good knowledge of the available components. Since your goal is unusual, there won't be much read-made help out there.

To make the effort worthwhile, you'll want something that provides a significant cost advantage is is functional (worth the hassle of moving equipment).

I do recall seeing a "solar generator" type thing that stacked one modest capacity solar generator on top of mating batteries. Probably quite expensive and heavy (though movable in segments) and not likely to make much of a dent in your task list. I think there are multiple systems like this available.

The space (size and shape) available in each of your applications is going to be a constraint.

I'd start with laying out an ideal system for each of your applications and then look for commonalities. An obvious issue will be how to make components portable and plug-n-play among multiple applications. Commonalities such as voltage will be important. One can get fairly high power at 12V. My son has a 2000W solar and 840 Ah battery system (3.5 kW inverter) that is 12V. My own system that serves RV and house is 12V though more modest than my son's. My fiver isn't far from the house so easily serves both RV and house.

A common voltage will be helpful in that you can't just casually parallel LFP batteries. They must be voltage-matched before being joined in paralleled. Similarly they must be charge-matched before being placed in series. So moving batteries among different applications will be a major nuisance, especially if different total voltages are involved.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[yeloduster]

The original question is, "Are solar panels really worth it?"

I almost exclusively boondock. I run my refrigerator, cook and heat with propane. If it is so hot I need the AC I don't go there.

Running the Fan-Tastic Vent Roof fan during the day from about dawn to dusk, pumping water, running the furnace fan at night and maybe watching a movie in the evening. On most days if I run my generator for about 1 hour I can recover enough power in my 2 GC2 FLA batteries to keep going.

My generator uses about .7 gal per hour. At $5.00/gal gasoline that is about $3.50/hour. It would take more hours than I will ever need to justify the cost and trouble of a solar system to charge the batteries.

For me no. Solar panels are not worth it! Only you can decide if the need justifies the cost, labor, maintenance and other expenses of solar panels.