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  • Opiniions wanted on enclosed trailer solar setup

    I am trying to put a semi portable power solution in a 6x12 enclosed trailer. I want to keep the battery internal to the trailer and have moveable solar panel so I can park the trailer under the shade and keep solar power coming in. I will be operating it between March and October each year.
    My insolaration is 3.5-4hrs during those months in Oregon.

    Here is the setup I am thinking...
    2 Panel foldable solar panel
    Max Power: 240W
    Max Power Voltage: 18V
    Max Power Current: 13.33A
    Open-Circuit Voltage: 21V
    Short-Circuit Current: 14.65A
    Solar Cell: Mono
    Folded Dimension: 149 x 67 x 7.4cm
    Weight: 24kg

    25A 300w MPPT solar charge controller regulator 12V LCD wider MPPT input

    Battery
    Upg 45964 UB-8D AGM Sealed Lead Acid Battery 120Ah




    Usage...
    Primary function to run LED lights for nighttime use.
    10 hrs at 12 watts nighttime exterior trailer lights =12 amps per day
    10 hrs at 6 watts nighttime internal trailer lights =6 amps per day
    Charging misc 12v camera batteries during the day
    Possibly a laptop in the afternoon for an hour or two.

    I was thinking I would get about 3.5 hrs of 8Amps per charging day
    which would give me 24amp replacement power on a good day. If not, the 18amp draw each day would still last me till I went home on Sunday where I could recharge from solar or a trickle charger at home.

    This will usually be for camping Friday-Sunday. I will have a trickle charger top the battery before travelling to site.
    This setup will only be used 5-10 times during the summer and then battery will be removed and stored in garage.

  • #2
    That would work
    A few questions and comments
    Do you plan to have the lights on all night? 10 hours a night seems a bit long.
    If the car or truck is present you could simply charge from the alternator if necessary and avoid the solar all together, just get a battery isolator at the marine rv store for about $50 and save a bundle Maybe buy a bigger battery with the savings.
    A half hour or run time on the engine will give you more charging capacity than the solar will.

    If you go the solar route you could save a few $ by using a pwm controller. At this system size and voltage unless you plan to put the panels in series or have a long cable from panels to the trailer will not gain you much.
    NABCEP certified Technical Sales Professional

    [URL="http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?5334-Solar-Off-Grid-Battery-Design"]http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...Battery-Design[/URL]

    [URL]http://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html[/URL] (Voltage drop Calculator among others)

    [URL="http://www.gaisma.com"]www.gaisma.com[/URL]

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Naptown View Post
      That would work
      A few questions and comments
      Do you plan to have the lights on all night? 10 hours a night seems a bit long.
      If the car or truck is present you could simply charge from the alternator if necessary and avoid the solar all together, just get a battery isolator at the marine rv store for about $50 and save a bundle Maybe buy a bigger battery with the savings.
      A half hour or run time on the engine will give you more charging capacity than the solar will.

      If you go the solar route you could save a few $ by using a pwm controller. At this system size and voltage unless you plan to put the panels in series or have a long cable from panels to the trailer will not gain you much.
      Yes I plan on having the lights on because there will be drunk people that will forget to turn them off... I camp out at biker rallies and by midnight it is sure hard to find a sober person still awake...


      One of the reasons I was planning on doing solar is because I am thinking I can use this as a spare room when friends come to visit and need a place to stay. The trailer is far enough from the house where I would not have access to power. I already have the pieces except for the battery. I believe I am about $500 in to it right now with the solar panel and MPPT. I had originally planned on making a portable power stand with the solar using a hand truck but with the battery weight, I think it is going to be better installed in the trailer.

      Comment


      • #4
        I have a 6by 10 enclosed as well

        You have the panels to do the job..Look into Trogan batteries. I am getting 2 6volt T125 batteries soon. Hook them in series, that will give you 480ahrs.. That's pretty good. I would like to get about 8total some day. that should be enough to run the house with another panel. I have 2 60watt panels hooked into a sun 250 grid tie and its free power through the day. I have another 140watt mono on the way also. Good luck, I am pretty new to this too.

        I lived in my 6by10 for about 5 months in 2009 it was rough but free living. Gonna have a fully operated home on wheels soon.. God Bless..

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by hausrmaddness View Post
          You have the panels to do the job..Look into Trogan batteries. I am getting 2 6volt T125 batteries soon. .
          Again T-125 is a poor choice for solar, they are hybrid batteries, not true deep cycle. Go to the Trojan Web site and look at two models to demonstrate the point. Look up T-105 and T-105RE. Not the same battery. The T-105RE has thicker plates and weighs more because it has more lead in them. While you are at it look up the Trojan L16 and L16RE. Note they are not the same as the L16RE is heavier with more lead.
          MSEE, PE

          Comment


          • #6
            You might also consider a Honda EU-1000 or EU-2000 to run an AC battery charger, instead of solar. Solar is sexy, but expensive and made of fragile glass.
            Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
            || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
            || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

            solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
            gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by DarylHurd View Post
              This will usually be for camping Friday-Sunday. I will have a trickle charger top the battery before travelling to site.
              This setup will only be used 5-10 times during the summer and then battery will be removed and stored in garage.
              Based on this you are pretty much wasting your money on solar and do not need it. Just get yourself a good 3-stage battery charger for home, and a good set of AGM batteries with enough capacity to last you on a outing not to exceed 50% discharge. Running short on time to look at your watt hour usage but it looks pretty small. It will save you $1000.
              MSEE, PE

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                Again T-125 is a poor choice for solar, they are hybrid batteries, not true deep cycle. Go to the Trojan Web site and look at two models to demonstrate the point. Look up T-105 and T-105RE. Not the same battery. The T-105RE has thicker plates and weighs more because it has more lead in them. While you are at it look up the Trojan L16 and L16RE. Note they are not the same as the L16RE is heavier with more lead.
                I got ya, sunking, I will look into them also. Heavier the better I know...I'm Trying to save some $$$but I guess I cannot. I could also go with 6-2volt 1100amhrs that would be a setup but I don't have that much..

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by hausrmaddness View Post
                  I could also go with 6-2volt 1100amhrs that would be a setup but I don't have that much..
                  That is well beyond anything a solar panel can handle, and most battery chargers. That would take a 100 Amp DC charger and those are usually 240 VAC.

                  Tally up your daily loads in watt hours, then multiply by the number of days for a total watt hour usage. Say you use 500 watt hours each day for 3 days total of 1500 watt hours. Now double that figure and you bet 3000 watt hours. To find the battery AH at 12 volts = 3000 wh / 12 v = 250 AH. You can find a single 12 volt AGM in 250 AH as an example. Save your back and wallet. 2 volt 1100 AH cells weigh in 130 pounds each.
                  MSEE, PE

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                  • #10
                    Thinking of repurposing my enclosed trailer setup..

                    Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                    Based on this you are pretty much wasting your money on solar and do not need it. Just get yourself a good 3-stage battery charger for home, and a good set of AGM batteries with enough capacity to last you on a outing not to exceed 50% discharge. Running short on time to look at your watt hour usage but it looks pretty small. It will save you $1000.
                    You are right that I am not getting much bang with my buck and I am looking to get more use out of the system.

                    I am looking to mount this on to a mobile cart so we can use it more than what I had originally envisioned. We are going to use it for mobile power for party lighting and the enclosed trailer. I am outfitting a hand truck that will lay down on 4 wheels so it can be moved. I am then attaching pole mounted lights and will even look into making a universal pole that can also handle the solar panels during the day. The battery and MPPT will be housed in seperate boxes andso they should be waterproof. Then to top it off, I am going to add some 12v cig plugs to the box so people can charge small devices without using an inverter.

                    The up side of going to a cart for my enclosed trailer, will be that I will be able to move the panels wherever there is sun during the day and leave the trailer under shade. This will also allow me to move it inside the garage during cold weather and should things go wrong at home, a good battery backup for a few things inside the home should I ever loose power.

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                    • #11
                      Use the batteries as ballast, for the PV pole, and make sure wind won't blow it over and dump bateery juice all over!
                      Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                      || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                      || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                      solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                      gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                      Comment

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