100w Flexible Solar Panel

[ringo]

Interesting. I need a dual battery charger too - my batteries are run separately.
Will have a look.....

Cheers Gaz,

Ringo

[HarryMann]

MPPT controllers are worth looking into as they can give 20% more power compared to a normal controller

Ok, so unless I missed something, MPPT is an acronym for what exactly?

and why can they offer a 20% improvement of charging power ?

Thanks

[windysurfer]

It stands for Maximun Power Point Tracking. There an explanation on how it works on the site linked to below.

There's also a couple of good demo's on youtube.

http://www.leonics.com/support/article2 ... 14j_en.php

[Mocki]

So, it appears that I need two physically smaller panels rather than one big one due to the roof vent on my van being placed in a awkward position ....
Are two 50w panels as good as one 100w ? Or is there loss ? Anyone know ?

[HarryMann]

Thanks WindyS... I sort of guessed the middleman needed to be a pretty clever box of tricks.

The bit about upping the source voltage to reduce wire size over long runs for big panels makes you realise their capability, even though not applying to our situation

[HarryMann]

Thanks WindyS... I sort of guessed the middleman needed to be a pretty clever box of tricks.

The bit about upping the source voltage to reduce wire size over long runs for big panels makes you realise their capability, even though not applying to our situation

[HarryMann]

Anyone using flip up hinged panels to optimise angle of incidence when camped up?
Or are these panels good enough now not to need to scrabble for every watt.
?

[MattBW]

As mine is on the pop top I try to park the van with the roof facing south. Worked a charm in Croyde.

Tbh as I've put a panel beyond my requirement on the van, I find even with it flat it's filling the battery by mid morning.. I think the answer will depend on requirement vs panel output but generally 80-100w will be good for many.

[Ian Hulley]

Or are these panels good enough now not to need to scrabble for every watt.
?

Yes

[HarryMann]

[Joker79]

On my setup I have partially hidden the mppt by the near side front seat beat (mines a lefty). The mppt is quite clever as it disrupts the charge from the panel, if the batteries are full it turns the surplus voltage through a built in heat sink on the back of the mppt.

I opted to buy the additional solar metre which tells me how many amp hours its chargning, the max amp hours for the day, voltage and the charge condition of the batteries. I have developed a bit of solar OCD and drive my misses crazy by asking hour many amp hours we're getting.

When I'm out and about away from the van and its a nice sunny day, I'll say "that's about 4AHs today."

Bit sad I know but I love to see the AHs flowing into my batts on a nice sunny day.

[HarryMann]

'cos it's all for free Joker, that'd be it

[t25driver]

ive slowly been collecting all the bits to do this job.
so today im looking at the roof measure up rain starts ,
thats not the problem but what is is how to get the cables inside the westy hightop i see you just drilled holes are they watertight still i looked at getting a conduate box but there to big to fit on with the 100 watt panel any ideas how to get the cables inside ?

[HarryMann]

Rob Dutch dude will tell you...
There's a couple of detail ways.. but at the back near the hinge line you take it through behind the seal so any ingress flows off the inner tintop section back and out..
Thus although you can seal the hole in the f/g it isn't critical

That was my take on it during a discussion at CamperJam with a T5 Westy PV seller and DD(rob).... who does everything to a high standard.

[HarryMann]

Joker... itx not just MPPTs that protect the batteries from overcharge or cutoff the load if nearing undercharge

Good PWM controllers do this too.

MPPTs do track the solar charge and the battery better and faster
though (Maximum Powe Point Tracking )