Ok, so I made a thread on camping last week and learned quite a bit. I'm back and wondering how do you charge a battery bank with the solar panels? I have read on the forum that you could hook a solar panel directly to a battery and internal resistance would keep the battery from charging over 100%. Is this correct or was that person insane?
In any case I figure (from what you guys have taught me so far) that you get almost 10% less than what the panel is rated for.
My cabin is used only for small hunting parties with friends and fishing trips on the weekends. (as stated in previous thread I love the out doors so this place is my proverbial man cave)
Tons of power isn't needed, lighting at the moment as well as all power is supplied by a honda generator that I picked up on the cheap at a yard sale.
I could easily rewire the cabin and use LEDS for lighting at night, I have a 12volt water pump that draws around 7amps. 12 volt 6.8amp pump
its rated at 6.8 amps but it will draw more under load I'm sure so figure at 7.5 amps. 7.5amps x 12v = 90watts.
**Note this pump would only be running when using the sink. Luckily the cabin is about 20feet from a stream, the sink I never removed in case I somehow got a permanent power supply out there.
So I figured 2\3 deep cycle batteries in parallel would be sufficient for occasionally running the pump 'maybe once a day for a few minutes to clean fish or wash meat'. This system would also be required to run a 12volt cooler that I referenced in my other thread.
I was thinking that 4 100watt panels as the only thing drawing on the system would be the cooler,LEDS at night and the occasional water pump after I caught or shot something and the LEDS at night.
400watt panels less the 10% loss in efficiency I assume it would be about 350 watts.
I have a distribution block and wiring, a few friends and a case of beer to help with the wiring and building of the cage for the panels.
Q. do you think 350 +\- watts would be enough for my requirements to charge the batteries and such.
Q. what I heard about charging the batteries with solar panels and not needing a trickle charge system is that true or is there something I should buy that would turn itself off like a trickle charge system?
In any case I figure (from what you guys have taught me so far) that you get almost 10% less than what the panel is rated for.
My cabin is used only for small hunting parties with friends and fishing trips on the weekends. (as stated in previous thread I love the out doors so this place is my proverbial man cave)
Tons of power isn't needed, lighting at the moment as well as all power is supplied by a honda generator that I picked up on the cheap at a yard sale.
I could easily rewire the cabin and use LEDS for lighting at night, I have a 12volt water pump that draws around 7amps. 12 volt 6.8amp pump
its rated at 6.8 amps but it will draw more under load I'm sure so figure at 7.5 amps. 7.5amps x 12v = 90watts.
**Note this pump would only be running when using the sink. Luckily the cabin is about 20feet from a stream, the sink I never removed in case I somehow got a permanent power supply out there.
So I figured 2\3 deep cycle batteries in parallel would be sufficient for occasionally running the pump 'maybe once a day for a few minutes to clean fish or wash meat'. This system would also be required to run a 12volt cooler that I referenced in my other thread.
I was thinking that 4 100watt panels as the only thing drawing on the system would be the cooler,LEDS at night and the occasional water pump after I caught or shot something and the LEDS at night.
400watt panels less the 10% loss in efficiency I assume it would be about 350 watts.
I have a distribution block and wiring, a few friends and a case of beer to help with the wiring and building of the cage for the panels.
Q. do you think 350 +\- watts would be enough for my requirements to charge the batteries and such.
Q. what I heard about charging the batteries with solar panels and not needing a trickle charge system is that true or is there something I should buy that would turn itself off like a trickle charge system?
Comment