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  • #16
    This is the specs on the solar panel I want to get and it is a
    RENOGY 100 Watt 100w Monocrystalline Photovoltaic PV Solar Panel Module
    Specifications
    Maximum Power: 100W
    Maximum System Voltage: 600V DC (UL)
    Optimum Operating Voltage (Vmp): 18.9V
    Optimum Operating Current (Imp): 5.29A
    Open-Circuit Voltage (Voc): 22.5V
    Short-Circuit Current (Isc): 5.75A
    Dimensions: 47 X 21.3 X 1.4 In
    Weight: 16.5lbs

    Warranty Information
    25-year transferable power output warranty: 5-year/95% efficiency rate, 10-year/90% efficiency rate, 25-year/80% efficiency rate

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    • #17
      Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
      What I'll be running is actually just one fan that says it uses 0.75 amps
      At what voltage? 12 volts Dc or 120 volts AC? 12 volts x .75 amps = 9 watts. 120 volts x .75 amps = 90 watts. I suspect the fan operates at 120 volts AC otherwise you would have no need for an INVERTER. That being said you are dead in the water. Read on to find out why.

      How many hours do you want to run the fan?

      9 watts x 10 hours = 90 watt hours. Or 90 watts x 10 hours = 900 watt hours

      Assuming the fan is 90 watts x 10 hours = 900 watt hours. Assume the Pump, LED, and TV run 10 hours per day. [3 watts for pump, + 10 watts for the LED, + 40 watts for the TV] x 10 hours = 530 watt hours. Add it all up and you use 900 wh + 530 wh = 1430 watt hours in a day.

      Battery AH @ 12 volt requirement = [1430 wh x 5] 12 volts = 595 Amp Hours or round up to 600 AH @ 12 volts. That is a 400 pound $1400 battery.
      Panel wattage using MPPT Controller = [Daily Watt Hours x 1.5] / Sun Hours in winter. For you that is roughly 3 hours. So [1430 wh x 1.5] / 3 hours = 715 watts. You can get away with just 700 watts.

      Panel Wattage using PWM controller = [Daily WH x 2] Sun Hours in Winter. So [1430 wh x 2] / 3 Sun Hours = 953 watts. Round Up to 1000 watts

      Next is controller size MPPT Controller = Panel Wattage / Battery Voltage = 700 watts / 12 volts = 58.3 amps. You can use a 60 amp MPPT Controler.

      Last is determine the largest connected load that will be operating at the same time. For example I will assume your fan is 90 watts + 3 watts for the pump, 10 watts for the LED light, and 40 watts for the TV = 143 watts. You would need no more than a 200 watt Inverter.

      There you have it all figured out.

      Panel Wattage = 700 watts
      MPPT Controller = 60 Amps
      12 Volt Battery = 600 AH
      Inverter = 200 watts, or you could use up to 700 watts but not recommended.

      Now plug in your real numbers and see what it takes. Bet you $1 if that fan is a 120 VAC fan, and you will never do this once you understand what you are asking for. It would cost a fortune.

      You owe me a dollar. I just saved you a from wasting any more money.
      MSEE, PE

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
        What I'll be running is actually just one fan that says it uses 0.75 amps unfortunately it doesn't say how many watts and a pump that uses 3watts and a led light that uses 10watts I thought about installing a 9" tv/dvd player but I haven't decided if I want to do that yet but the other 3 items I will be running for sure . I thought a single 100 watt panel would be enough to run those if I got a decent 100watt solar panel,battery, and charge controller am I wrong ?
        A 100watt, 50Ah battery system will be able to run about 120 watt hours a day. I am guessing that fan is runs on 120volts so at 0.75amp you are probably talking about 90 watts. When you add the fan at 90watts to that 3 watt pump and 10 watt LED you are looking at 113 watts total. That battery would allow you to run all 3 of those loads for just about 1 hour a day.

        I don't think you only want to run those loads for 1 hour a day so a 100 watt panel and 50Ah battery will not meet your needs.

        Now forget the fan and you should be able to run that pump and light for about 10 hours provided you recharge the battery back up to 100% after using it each time.

        Comment


        • #19
          Thank you so much suneagle you're making this project seem more attainable. im going to look for a smaller fan that runs off of 12volts and uses a lot less power cause I won't use the led lights very often but I do want to run the pump and fan at night cause I'm making a small little air conditioner (swamp cooler) to keep us cool at night and it doesn't need to be super powerful cause the inside of the trailer is only 4'x6' wide and 4' tall. If I get a battery thatis closer to the 66ah instead of 50 ah would that give me a little more run time ? Also what amp of charge controller would be best for this set up ? And are deep cycle batteries the best type of batteries to use ?

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
            Thank you so much suneagle you're making this project seem more attainable. im going to look for a smaller fan that runs off of 12volts and uses a lot less power cause I won't use the led lights very often but I do want to run the pump and fan at night cause I'm making a small little air conditioner (swamp cooler) to keep us cool at night and it doesn't need to be super powerful cause the inside of the trailer is only 4'x6' wide and 4' tall. If I get a battery thatis closer to the 66ah instead of 50 ah would that give me a little more run time ? Also what amp of charge controller would be best for this set up ? And are deep cycle batteries the best type of batteries to use ?
            If you are only going to use a 100 watt panel then a 10 amp charge controller will work. Although you might find a 20amp charger for a little more which would allow you to add a second 100 watt panel.

            Deep cycle Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) batteries would be my first choice. There are also AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) which are sealed lead acid batteries that also work but cost more. Their benefit is that being sealed they can be used in places that do not have a lot of ventilation and will not lose their fluid if tipped over.

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            • #21
              I went to a store called batteries plus and there are two batteries I'm looking at getting one is a agm and is a 12 volt 55ah and the other one is a 6 volt 20ah fla battery which I would need 2 of and these are going to be placed outside the trailer so toxic fumes won't be a problem the guy working there said the two 6 volt ones will supply power longer what do you think would be better for my application?

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              • #22
                You are getting way ahead of yourself and should not be buying anything until you determine how many watt hours you need in a day.
                MSEE, PE

                Comment


                • #23
                  I'm not getting ahead of myself at all ! I did not buy anything nor did I plan on buying anything yet I was just looking at prices and i don't think I need a $1400 dollar battery to run a little fan a 10 watt led light and a 3 watt water pump if that really was the case then solar power would be absolutely retarded and I don't think anyone would ever turn to solar power if they had to replace a battery that costs $1400 every couple of years plus the cost of all the other equipment in order to simply run a fan,tiny water fountain pump and a 10watt led light . Paying the electric company for the amount of energy to run these items would be less than paying $1400 for a new battery every couple of years . My friend has a 5th wheel camper and he runs more items than this overnight without recharging the battery on his camper and he said he only paid $200 for them

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
                    I'm not getting ahead of myself at all ! I did not buy anything nor did I plan on buying anything yet I was just looking at prices and i don't think I need a $1400 dollar battery to run a little fan a 10 watt led light and a 3 watt water pump if that really was the case then solar power would be absolutely retarded and I don't think anyone would ever turn to solar power if they had to replace a battery that costs $1400 every couple of years plus the cost of all the other equipment in order to simply run a fan,tiny water fountain pump and a 10watt led light . Paying the electric company for the amount of energy to run these items would be less than paying $1400 for a new battery every couple of years . My friend has a 5th wheel camper and he runs more items than this overnight without recharging the battery on his camper and he said he only paid $200 for them
                    Your friend may have a balanced system but I doubt he only spent $200. You may also be able to spend less than $1400 for a battery system if it is matched to your loads.

                    I will say you have found out what a few of us having been saying all the time. That power generated from a solar/battery system is much more (5 to 10 times) costly than purchasing it from the electric company. The biggest cost is the battery system which needs to be baby sat and replaced after a few years.

                    Solar power is not retarded but is expensive. As of now the only way people have been able to save on their electric bill and pay for the system (which can take 8 years) is to use a "Grid Tie" solar system. Any time you add a battery into the mix is when you start to spend a lot more money and end up not saving money.

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                    • #25
                      His system isn't solar I'm just talking about how long his battery lasts. That kind of got us off track solareagle what do you think about those two battery options ? I also found a fan that is 12 volts and only uses 15watts

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
                        I'm not getting ahead of myself at all ! I did not buy anything nor did I plan on buying anything yet I was just looking at prices and i don't think I need a $1400 dollar battery to run a little fan a 10 watt led light and a 3 watt water pump if that really was the case then solar power would be absolutely retarded and I don't think anyone would ever turn to solar power if they had to replace a battery that costs $1400 every couple of years plus the cost of all the other equipment in order to simply run a fan,tiny water fountain pump and a 10watt led light . Paying the electric company for the amount of energy to run these items would be less than paying $1400 for a new battery every couple of years . My friend has a 5th wheel camper and he runs more items than this overnight without recharging the battery on his camper and he said he only paid $200 for them
                        He is full of crap too.

                        The killer is the fan and based on the info you provided will take exactly what I have lined out. 90 watts x 10 hours is 900 watt hours every day of the week in any school. You may not like the facts but they are what they are. No 100 watt panel or 50 AH battery is going to touch that fan.

                        You are right, taking anything off-grid is silly expensive. 5 to 10 times more than buying it from the POCO. It is just a simple fact. Batteries are EXPENSIVE.
                        MSEE, PE

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
                          His system isn't solar I'm just talking about how long his battery lasts. That kind of got us off track solareagle what do you think about those two battery options ? I also found a fan that is 12 volts and only uses 15watts
                          I would go with the 12v 55Ah battery. Even if you got 2 of those 6volt batteries your system would only be 12volt 20Ah which is too small and that sales person is incorrect that it would "supply power longer". Going with multiple lower voltage batteries allows you to build a larger Ah rated system with smaller components.

                          I have 2 x 6volt 232Ah batteries in my RV. That gives me a 12volt 232Ah system which cost about $250. The cost for a single 12volt 232Ah battery would be much more than $250 and it would weigh over 120 pounds.

                          As for a 15watt 12volt fan, that will help reduce your load but just the fan and pump would consume more than 120 watt hours in less than 7 hours.

                          Try to remember a small solar battery system (100w panel & 55Ah battery) can only provide you with a small amount of energy on a daily basis. You could use more of the battery but going from just a 20% DOD to 50% DOD will easily cut the life in half.

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                          • #28
                            So if I get the 100 watt panel and the 55ah battery is it possible to add another 100 watt panel and another battery later on ? What I don't get is why you see people on tv with solar set ups like 15 batteries if adding batteries doesn't raise how long the power lasts ? Also what does dod mean?

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                            • #29
                              Suneagle bail out while you can.
                              MSEE, PE

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by Jessejames801 View Post
                                So if I get the 100 watt panel and the 55ah battery is it possible to add another 100 watt panel and another battery later on ? What I don't get is why you see people on tv with solar set ups like 15 batteries if adding batteries doesn't raise how long the power lasts ? Also what does dod mean?
                                First off don't believe everything you see on YouTube. 98% is for entertainment and not truthful.

                                Second if you want to expand your system adding a new battery to an old one doesn't work because the new battery will drop in life to match the old. That is battery technology which like Physics you can't change. If you want a 200 watt system then get a 100Ah battery now. Don't try to "expand".

                                Third any battery system that has multiple strings wired in parallel increases the chances of a premature failure. That is because for each battery to charge and discharge "equally" there can't be any difference in resistance. The more connections the higher the resistance.

                                DOD = Depth of Discharge. Batteries have an estimated number of cycles. Most batteries have the longest life if they are only discharge 20%. Discharging more or a higher DOD % will reduce the number of cycles and shorten it's life.

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