| Author | Message | ||
| RJmule (Rjmule)
Registered Member Username: Rjmule Post Number: 54 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 75.51.69.155 Rating: N/A |
I am so confused !!! Imagine that, First i want to purchase a separate solar panel just for engine batts with minimal wattage for trickle charge. I then would like to purchase additional panels for house batts , I am sure a lot depends on size of battery bank for the house but is there a calculation (formula)used to determine amount of solar panel watts needed for x amount of battery amps?? If there is a solar expert out there or someone who could kick me in the right direction i would appreciate it. I did order a couple of books of Eplay on solar panel building so hope there is a little theory included. My plan was to build a sufficient battery bank by that i mean some what overkill less generator use have a 6kw generator, a large solar panel setup for house batts and one solar panel for Eng batts when not in use. which brings me to another ques? anyone know what size alternator the MCI9 uses, I do have road air (west coast) 76 d here today  Joel from Lake Havasu brought this up during a phone conversation because the alternator should be capable of charging both banks of batts while traveling one would hope.so any help would be appreciated, Thanks All. Remote | ||
| Tom Dessert (Mci5er)
Registered Member Username: Mci5er Post Number: 83 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 68.186.96.115 Rating: N/A |
Randall, Might check out Solar Bill located in Quartzsite, Arizona. He's been in business for twenty plus years and a great guy with lots of knowledge on the subject. My last trip down to Quartzsite, I had him install two 10 amp panels (20 amp total output) and controller on my MC5A. He's also a fellow busnut with a beautiful converted Eagle. Here's the website with a toll free number on homepage. http://www.solarbill.com/ (Message edited by mci5er on April 26, 2007) | ||
| RJmule (Rjmule)
Registered Member Username: Rjmule Post Number: 55 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 75.51.69.155 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Tom, I am on my way there now. | ||
| Pete/RTS Daytona (Pete_rtsdaytona)
Registered Member Username: Pete_rtsdaytona Post Number: 336 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 72.40.12.204 Rating: N/A |
FYI - I have no idea if these are any good - but they are inexpensive - panels @ $4.45 / watt ?? 45 WATT SOLAR PANEL KIT $199.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90599 7 AMP SOLAR CHARGE CONTROLLER $29.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94048 | ||
| Jerry W Campbell (Jerry_w_campbell)
Registered Member Username: Jerry_w_campbell Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 66.82.9.87 Rating: N/A |
I believe it is 1 to 1, 1 amp to 1 watt with a usable battery of 50%. I have: 1580 watts of panels 1580 amps of batterys this means I have a usable battery of 790 amps. Good Luck Jerry | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 133 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 76.80.194.89 Rating: N/A |
RJ, Here are the electrical formulas, which will help you make the decision. Wattage, which is electrical horsepower, is the amperage times the voltage. You will also find Wattage expressed as VA, which is the same thing. So, a solar panel which puts out 120 Watts, actually puts out 10 amps of 12 Volts DC. IF an inverter were 100% efficient, 10 amps of 12 Volts DC equals ONE amp of 120 Volts AC. A realistic figure of inverter efficiency is between 85 and 95%. Now, deep cycle battery capacity is rated in Ampere Hours, so a 120 Watt panel, which will give you 10 amps of 12 Volts DC on a bright day, will give you 10 Ampere Hours per hour of bright sunshine. So, that 120 Watt panel will give you about 100 ampere hours on a clear summer day. That means you COULD run a 10 amp A/C off an inverter for an hour a day per panel. Batteries aren't 100% either, you don't get back all you put in, so. Bottom line, a bus roof FULL of panels, and a bay full of house batts won't run two roof airs all day in Havasu. Your bus alternator will do a MARVELOUS job of charging all your batts as quickly as possible while driving. You MUST have a charge controller on your house panels, or you will burn all the water out of your batts. I would put a controller on the small panel for the start batts also. The house batt controller must be in a ventilated area as it puts off a lot of heat. HTH, George | ||
| RJmule (Rjmule)
Registered Member Username: Rjmule Post Number: 56 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 75.51.69.155 Rating: N/A |
WOW, Thanks for all the info it was a great help. Jerry, That is a lot of panels,What size panels did you go with ?? I would assume one could go with Higher Watt panels to get away with consuming so much roof R.E. I believe there are panels in the 180+ range.Again Thanks, RJmule | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Registered Member Username: Niles500 Post Number: 730 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 24.129.157.205 Rating: N/A |
RJ - don't know exactly where you are on your conversion, but solar, inverters, batts would be one of the LAST things I'd do - Why? Cause technology is changing rapidly in these fields and prices are dropping - so if you can put off the purchase you can save $$$ and get better equipment later on - the most dramatic advances being made in solar IMHO are in the panels and specifically the holographic panels - that is where he biggest efficiency increases are to be had in the near future - JMO | ||
| RJmule (Rjmule)
Registered Member Username: Rjmule Post Number: 58 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 75.51.69.155 Rating: N/A |
Jerry, Do you have any pictures of your battery bank would love to see them. RJmule. Randall | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Registered Member Username: Niles500 Post Number: 731 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 24.129.157.205 Rating: N/A |
An explanation of holographic design; An alternative solar concentrator technology currently being tested consists of photovoltaic panels with holograms. Although the power output from this type of panels is much lower than the output from traditional mirror concentrators, this technology has several strengths. Compared to a panel with the same solar cell coverage, the panel with holograms shows an efficiency increase between 25% (proven) and 50% (theoretical). As opposed to traditional concentrators, solar concentration occurs on one plane due to the hologram’s ability to diffract light and to the glass’s ability to internally reflect it. Holograms can be customized and tuned to optimally focus the light from varying angles in order to get optimal yield during different hours of the day. This enables sun-tracking without moving the panel as opposed to what is usually done for traditional solar concentrators. | ||
| RJmule (Rjmule)
Registered Member Username: Rjmule Post Number: 60 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 75.51.69.155 Rating: N/A |
Thanks Niles, Great Info. So I guess i should wait but keep looking. I am putting together my generator now but it is not installed, I'm sure by the time i get it installed there will be new technology. I want to make my bus self sufficient while working on it so in a whim i can take off to Mexico if i want. | ||
| Jerry W Campbell (Jerry_w_campbell)
Registered Member Username: Jerry_w_campbell Post Number: 9 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 69.19.14.44 Rating: N/A |
I have lived with solar panels for 20 years and have always been on the edge of new technology, it's just never arrived. The price has only gone up. I think it will be at least a few years before anything cheap enough to matter comes along. I have 10 kyocera 158 Watt panels and 8 Trojan L16HC 195 Amp 6 Volt batteries. A 3000 Watt Prosine Inverter with a 120 Amp Charger. I paid $3.10 a watt for the panels 4 years ago. We have driven to Mexico the last 3 winters with this electrical system and I must say "how sweet is is". We have a 10.5 cf 110 volt refer and bake bread in our bread machine and next year we'll have a washer/dryer. Our batteries are charged by noon. Good Luck Jerry | ||
| Jim Stewart (H3jim)
Registered Member Username: H3jim Post Number: 281 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 68.6.175.166 Rating: N/A |
Blue Sky makes a must have solar charge controller. It has a built in trickle charger for a different set of batteries (althogh they must be of the same voltage) My primary bats are my house bats at 24 volts, and then they are full, usually by 10 or 11 am, it trickle charges my start bats up to 2 amp max. It keeps them full. the controller model number is 3024i - although they do have other models. 30 amps max, 24 volts. YOu can also get two different remote panels for it. Onc can be hooked up to a shunt so you can keep accurate track of amp hours used, and how many amp hours you are away from a full battery. It of course keeps you from over charging (3 stage charger), and keeps the batteries from sending charge to the panels at night. It also uses some technology they invented that gives you noticeably more charging power when there is low light. About $200 and very worth it. Easy to hook up and use. | ||
| K.J. Franklin (Slow_rider)
Registered Member Username: Slow_rider Post Number: 13 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 76.106.49.14 Rating: N/A |
Hi, Not to hijack the thread, well not completely anyway, how do you mount the solar panels to the roof? I thought solar panels were flat and most of the bus roofs seem pretty rounded. Do they flex enough to fit or do you have to build a frame for them? If so, how do you solve the lift problem created by the wind at 70mph? Thanks, Frank | ||
| RJmule (Rjmule)
Registered Member Username: Rjmule Post Number: 64 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 75.51.69.155 Rating: N/A |
FRANK,from what i have seen there are mounting brackets that either come with or are sold as a kit,all they actually are is L brackets but then i am sure there are nuts out there that has come up with other alternatives.Check Jerry's method out,Jerry be the solar man | ||
| Jim Stewart (H3jim)
Registered Member Username: H3jim Post Number: 284 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 68.6.175.166 Rating: N/A |
I mounted mine with just some simple L brackets. My roof does not have a lot of curve in it. I asked teh man I bought panels from and he said to mount them 1 to 2 inches off the surface. At speed, most of the air is going well above the bus and not riht next to the surface, so having some space is not a problem. They also generate a lot of heat in the sun, and that space is nice for cooling air to get through so it doesn't all radiate to the roof and below. I used a magnet to find all the metal struts and cross pieces in the roof, so I could plan where I put the brackets. The panels I bought each have a frame, about 2" thick. I put studs in the edge, and slots in the bracket so the panels just slip down in the slot. I fastened them with nuts and washers. Where teh L attached to the bus, I used Dicor, a really excellent adhesive and leak sealer. generally most solar installers use this instead of silicone or anything else. I just put two self tapping screws into each bracket with lots of dicor gouped on it. So far they have held very well and not a hint of a leak. | ||
| Jerry W Campbell (Jerry_w_campbell)
Registered Member Username: Jerry_w_campbell Post Number: 10 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 69.19.14.24 Rating: N/A |
When I only had 3 panels and a flat roof I mounted the panels in an aluminum frame so they were a single unit. Then I made an aluminum frame for that frame to fit into. The second frame I mounted a couple of inches off the roof. I made two legs about 14" long out of flat plate. When cruising I bolted the two frames together and they laid flat. When parked I could raise either of the four sides to point to the south and bolt the legs on. It worked great. Jerry | ||
| david anderson (Davidanderson)
Registered Member Username: Davidanderson Post Number: 203 Registered: 2-2004 Posted From: 4.226.213.249 Rating: N/A |
Jerry, $3.10 per watt is the lowest price I've ever seen. Where did you find a deal like that? David | ||
| Jerry W Campbell (Jerry_w_campbell)
Registered Member Username: Jerry_w_campbell Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 66.82.9.56 Rating: N/A |
I'm Sorry David, I spaced you out there for a minute. I bought my panels from Solatron Tech. at partsonsale.com. I searched or 6 months before I found these for this price. I found these panels from $1100 down to $490 each. I got ten so that means the price was from $11,000 down to $4900. Quite a difference. Look around and then look around some more. I think I got them for $490 because I bought 10 and because Kyocera was discontinueing this model for a larger size, I think 165 watts. Mine are 158 watts. Good Luck Jerry |