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Solar Panel - 120v

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  • Solar Panel - 120v

    I'm looking to put together a simple (not so simple to me as I'm new to solar energy) solar panel, marine/car battery, and inverter. Basic idea is connect a 10 watts 12v Solar panel to a marine/car battery, and than connect the marine/car battery to the inverter, so I have outlets. Here's the use: we are going to a soccer tournament, and my buddy wants to bring his Bose speaker system to use through out the day (10 hours about). Possibly phones might get charged by it too, but you get the idea. What I've learned is marine batteries are better for this because of how they charge (or so I understood it to be), 12v solar panels would be needed to charge a 12v battery (i also read 13v is probably more ideal). My question is how long would the battery last, or would the solar panel continuously charge the battery through out the day, so it doesn't die? I had a feeling the battery would keep it's charge through the day, it would need to turn off and let the solar panel charge it for a couple hours, but I wasn't sure.

  • #2
    Originally posted by stalker401 View Post
    I'm looking to put together a simple (not so simple to me as I'm new to solar energy) solar panel, marine/car battery, and inverter. Basic idea is connect a 10 watts 12v Solar panel to a marine/car battery, and than connect the marine/car battery to the inverter, so I have outlets. Here's the use: we are going to a soccer tournament, and my buddy wants to bring his Bose speaker system to use through out the day (10 hours about). Possibly phones might get charged by it too, but you get the idea. What I've learned is marine batteries are better for this because of how they charge (or so I understood it to be), 12v solar panels would be needed to charge a 12v battery (i also read 13v is probably more ideal). My question is how long would the battery last, or would the solar panel continuously charge the battery through out the day, so it doesn't die? I had a feeling the battery would keep it's charge through the day, it would need to turn off and let the solar panel charge it for a couple hours, but I wasn't sure.
    Hello stalker401 and welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

    A ten watt solar panel will not make much of a difference from just charging the battery at home each night, unless your Bose system uses less than 5 watts average.
    Your efficiency losses in the charge controller will be high enough that the tiny contribution from the panel will not make or break your application.
    Now a 50 watt panel might justify adding solar to the setup. But it will still be more costly than just a battery, inverter, and a good charger at home. That way you do not have to worry about finding a place for the panel and moving it as sun angle and shade change over the course of the day.
    JMO.
    If you want to do it for the conversation piece or for educational purposes, you can find an off grid solar calculator on the site which will run the numbers for you if you know how much power the Bose system actually takes.
    SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

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    • #3
      Put another way a 10 watt battery panel on a trolling motor battery is like peeing on a forest fire. You would have money better spent buying a good battery and home charger and forget solar.
      MSEE, PE

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Sunking View Post
        Put another way a 10 watt battery panel on a trolling motor battery is like peeing on a forest fire. You would have money better spent buying a good battery and home charger and forget solar.
        He did said Bose not Boats....
        SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by inetdog View Post
          He did said Bose not Boats....
          Bose Boats what's the difference. Both are power hogs and mean Break Out Dough.
          MSEE, PE

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