solar van

[danthewolf00]

maxxvent is 4 amps d2 espar is 10 to 4 amps then there is my laptop and gray coleman 12v cooler i may during the winter use my 700w one cup coffee maker . so i will use a 400w cobra inverter or my 1000w cobra one depending on what i use. ad yes i know cobra isn't the best but it's what i could aford when i started out.

 

[danthewolf00]

Max Rated Power (Pmax) 130 Watts
Voltage at Max Power (Vmpp) 17.6
Current at Max Power (Impp) 7.39 Amps
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) 21.9
Short Circuit Current (Isc) 8.02 Amps
Length x Width x Depth (inches) 56.1 x 25.7 x 2.3
Weight of Panel (Pounds) 26.8
Connector Cable Type or Junction Box Standard Junction Box

This is a standard 12 volt panel
this info is for one panel

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Dan have you taken into consideration there is almost no sunshine during the winter as in 8 hours of daylight? A ceramic heater is like a constant 8 amp draw...

 

[Jack_Berry]

you don't need direct sun to make the solar panels work. overcast will allow some light thru to make power. so says my wife who worked for a company which made solar cells. it doesn't matter. less idling is better idling.

 

[greg334]

I agree that there is some energy that is created but when it is overcast, I am getting 15% of the rated energy out of the panels I have sitting over my dad's home.

The thing that people forget is just because the panel is rated at X, there is a percentage of loss created by different issues ranging from the perfect position to the wiring and regulator. On a van it is ok, but I don't think there it will get 100% out of the panels unless they are tilted or the van tilted towards the sun.

With the load Dan is talking about, I would venture to guess that the time to recharge the batteries are longer than the sun will be out during the fall and winter, maybe looking at a small (1000 watt) generator that can keep the batteries charged.

 

[Turtle]

Greg has hit upon it. The time to recharge the batteries from the solar panels will almost certainly not keep up with the amp draws. The max rating of the panels will be nowhere near what you'll get out of them on a regular basis. Plan on half of what the panels are rated for. On the other hand, the Espar will likely use far less amps than you think, unless your van just isn't insulated at all (then it will use far more than you think). There is the initial whoomp of 10 amps or so, but that's just for the first few minutes of boost heating, then it will quickly drop down and spend most of its time in the 2-3 amp range. The Coleman draw is minimal, so that's not a concern. The laptop will draw more than you think, since it will be drawing power to run the computer as well as to recharge the laptop's battery. It adds up.

But all in all, the panels should provide well based on your projected amp draws above. I would supplement the panels by charging the house bank as you drive (or via a generator), as that will be the key to keeping the batteries fully charged as often as possible.

Cobra isn't the best, but it's certainly not the worst. It'll do fine for what you will be running off it.

 

[bill98]

After you get them running I would look at loosing the coleman cooler and get one of these Engel Medium 12-Volt Refrigerator Freezer MT35F-U1 pricy but far less amps been in south fl the last week my coleman was killing me in power so i had to unplug it

 

[greg334]

I agree, Engel is the way to go. It uses a cool swing compressor that is better than the Danfoss compressors which is used in a number of 12 volt compressor fridges and the A/C unit mentioned in this thread.

I have the same compressor as the Engel waiting to be installed on my new fridge, if I ever get around to ordering the rest of the fittings.

Isn't your Coleman a thermo-electric cooler?

 

[bill98]

I agree, Engel is the way to go. It uses a cool swing compressor that is better than the Danfoss compressors which is used in a number of 12 volt compressor fridges and the A/C unit mentioned in this thread.

I have the same compressor as the Engel waiting to be installed on my new fridge, if I ever get around to ordering the rest of the fittings.

Isn't your Coleman a thermo-electric cooler?

yes coleman is thermo-electric

 

[roadeyes]

Hey Dan,

Have you given any thought about how you are going to access those panels to clean them off so they stay as efficient as possible?

If you are at home then obviously you can use a ladder but I don't think you will be carrying one with you on the road?

It's ok now but what about in the winter when it gets covered with snow and ice?
It's not too bad for access if it's on a regular van but with the high roof sprinter your gonna
have a few problems I think.

Not trying to rain on your parade as I like the idea and it seems someone else from E-1 had already done something similar ( I seem to recall seeing a picture somewhere on here) and maybe thats where your inspiration is coming from but maybe you should ask them about how they access them while on the road if they need cleaning?

Maybe they just spend more money on car washes? Still seems like quite an inconvenience though not to mention the extra money.

 

[Turtle]

Kind of like cleaning the solar panels on the roof of the house.

 

[bill98]

Hey Dan,

Have you given any thought about how you are going to access those panels to clean them off so they stay as efficient as possible?

If you are at home then obviously you can use a ladder but I don't think you will be carrying one with you on the road?

It's ok now but what about in the winter when it gets covered with snow and ice?
It's not too bad for access if it's on a regular van but with the high roof sprinter your gonna
have a few problems I think.

Not trying to rain on your parade as I like the idea and it seems someone else from E-1 had already done something similar ( I seem to recall seeing a picture somewhere on here) and maybe thats where your inspiration is coming from but maybe you should ask them about how they access them while on the road if they need cleaning?

Maybe they just spend more money on car washes? Still seems like quite an inconvenience though not to mention the extra money.

No real need to clean them mine have been working fine for about a year now The rain does fine work

 

[poetish]

I have often wondered about putting solar panels on a 53' reefer trailer with batteries below deck. You would be adding a bit of weight but an electric reefer would be SO much quieter, no more reefer fuel, potentially no more generator for the sleeper.. someone needs to design this and get rich. (needed 10 posts just because, and this seemed as good a place as any!)

 

[ebsprintin]

The manual that came with my panels say to wipe them down once a year and to only use water. Detergent will damage the glazing. As for snow, I haven't been through all the seasons yet, but I figure a good hard application of the brakes ought to help. Seriously though, one thing in the way I installed mine, I will have to keep a close eye on how ice might build up on the power cable.

eb

 

[FIS53]

Solar panels do not have to be angled towards the sun to work properly. I had a company that installed them as a customer up north and his favorite thing was to install on a wall of a house so the panels were vertical. This allowed all snow, rain and such to run down and drain off the panel thereby reducing the losses due to snow. Yeah freezing rain was a problem but that's even at any angle. He had no operational problems doing this and had several satisfied customers.

I know too expensive to place a row of panels on each side of a trailer or truck but makes it easier to clean and no snow buildup. BTW slaming on the brakes won't clear all the snow off of the panels. Suggest a long reach snow brush with rubber squeegee so you can reach from one of the door openings (this might be funny to watch).
rob

 

[ebsprintin]

Orientation of the panels does make a difference. Having a rack that tracks the sun, keeping the face of the panels perpendicular to the rays of the sun, can improve the performance of the system 25% or more. There is also the angle of incidence to consider. At 45 degree off of perpendicular glass will reflect a large part of the light instead of letting it pass through to the solar matrix. The glass on my panel is rippled and has a coating to reduce this factor, but the principle still exists. As for the northern application, a vertical installation may not be so bad, because in the higher latitudes the panels need to be installed at a steeper angle anyway. Think about being at the north pole. The sun isn't coming down at 90 degrees like at the equator. At the north pole the sun on average is coming from just off the horizon. So orientation does matter. One of these days I'll park my van next to the curb, take a reading off my charge controller, pull two wheels up on to the curb and compare readings. I'm pretty sure I'll get a measurable difference. And come to think of it, if I find a steep enough incline, this might also help me to dump the snow.

eb