100w Flexible Solar Panel

[Mocki]

How is a compressor fridge saving you electric? My gas fridge uses none what so ever on gas ?

[Joker79]

That sounds Awesome v-lux

Have you seen the 12v laptop power supplies from maplin.
They don't need an invertor and are straight DC I reckon its much more efficient powering a lappy fromone of these than using a DC-AC-DC convertor which is what an invertor and normal laptop PSU do.

[v-lux]

I've been meaning to get a decent power supply for my laptop as it happens. I agree, inverters are very lossy! Its by far the thing that uses the most power in my set up.

Sorry, should have made myself more clear about the fridge. I decided to set my van up so that the only thing running on gas is my cooker. I've seen too many people run out of gas because their propex and/or fridge has used it all only to then need to disappear for a day looking for a replacement bottle or filling station if on LPG. Or worst case scenario, be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no heat, no fridge and no way of cooking anything.
So i decided to go almost completely electric, fridge uses approx 1-1.5A when the compressor is running, Eberspacher uses Diesel and some electric, leaving all my gas for just cooking. generally a 4.5kg bottle lasts us 6 months, bearing in mind we live in the van almost full time cooking meals sometimes twice a day.

I never turn the fridge off, it runs continuously just like the one in everyone's kitchen. This was also a requirement around which i designed my set up. I wanted the fridge to be just like one you'd have in a kitchen, always on and always the correct temperature whatever temperature it is in the van/outside. I've used this set up extensively and its always at 4º whether its -25ºC or +40ºC outside temperature, obviously it uses more power in warmer climates.

[silverbullet]

What voltage are your rack battery units Al?

[v-lux]

They're 12V.

The communications set ups tend to use racks of 12V batteries to make up the banks. Iirc the comms equipment mostly ran on 36V hence the banks of 12v cells.

The other stuff i used to work on was all mainly 110V being made up of 50 odd single cells. (usually 1.75V i think).

Stuff like UPS's often have very similar batteries to mine also, much like these:

[silverbullet]

Good man. Just after I posted I wondered if it was a really daft-sounding query... maybe not!

So you're van's a bit like a WW2 submarine then (apart from the torpedoes)

[HarryMann]

New wiki topic on solar electrical power setups

There is already a topic, it's under Campers....Electrical...

With a couple of articles worth reading already in it.

Camping Electrical link:-

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ma ... Electrical

To go directly to the solar power charging topic:-

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ca ... ng_systems

We may have to think about integrating all the camping specific charging systems topics somehow. But there will always be crossover with other vehicle electrics.

I'll Archive this topic, so it'll be have a permanent address to link to from the Wiki.

[MattBW]

I've seen too many people run out of gas because their propex and/or fridge has used it all only to then need to disappear for a day looking for a replacement bottle or filling station if on LPG. Or worst case scenario, be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no heat, no fridge and no way of cooking anything.

We used gas for V's fridge, some cooking and many cups of tea on our Dorset trip recently and the bottle lasted exactly 7 days before it ran out. Not too bad really. £25 to fill it up, so about £3.60 a day for cooking and fridge. Although looking online that seems to be quite a markup from Calors prices.

Still as you say without that fridge, the gas would have lasted for a much long time and I wouldn't need to carry a spare bottle.

Long term I suspect a compressor fridge will be on the cards for me but its so low down my list at the moment.

[MattBW]

New wiki topic on solar electrical power setups

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ca ... ng_systems

We may have to think about integrating all the camping specific charging systems topics somehow. But there will always be crossover with other vehicle electrics.

I'll Archive this topic, so it'll be have a permanent address to link to from the Wiki.

Happy to provide a few photos when I get chance if it helps the wiki?

[Mocki]

thanks.... i wasnt being pedantic about the fridge , i was just confused!!
im not worried about gas, my westy tank lasts plenty long running the fridge non stop and cooking / brewing tea and is very separate from my road fuel and heating is diesel (red)

my 12v laptop psu eats almost as much as my inverter BTW !
iPad charges cheaper and lasts 10 times longer.....but i cant just live with iPad alone!

now, about this flexi panel.... what are its physical dimensions, as all the ones i have looked at are too big for the roof space i have with out hanging over the edge, which will look naff!!

[Joker79]

The dimensions are: 1250 x 550 x 4mm and it's only 2.8kg



I'm not sure how long the link will stay active as I bought it a little while ago, the link to the item I bought on ebay is http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261226641892? ... 26_rdc%3D1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Below is copy and pasted from their site.

Brand new, Fully weatherproof to adverse/outdoor conditions, does require a 10amp regulator in order to control the flow of charge to a battery safe range (between 11 and 14v) and to prevent reverse discharge. This is required for all solar panels 20watts and above.

Electrical Characteristics under STC

Open-circuit voltage (Voc) Av 22.8V, sd 0.3
Voltage at maximum power (Vmp) Av 18.9V, sd 0.2
Short-circuit current (Isc) Av 5.7A, sd 0.01
Current at maximum power (Imp) Av 5.3A @ 12v
Maximum power at STC (Wp) 100W ±5%
Operating temperature -40oC to +85oC
Maximum system voltage 1000Vdc
Power tolerance ±5%

[Mocki]

thanks i will look into them!!
a remeasure of my roof is in order !

[silverbullet]

An additional discovery regarding split charging etc. which looks to be worth expanding and archiving. Note copyright at the foot of this contents page:

http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/technical1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (some of it is a bit wordy)

Nothing to do with me!

[ringo]

Hmmm, missed the opportunity to talk to Ian Hulley about solar panels at Busfest...

Has anyone got the LCD screen on their controller? Is it worth getting that option?

Cheers,

Ringo

[windysurfer]

Hmmm, missed the opportunity to talk to Ian Hulley about solar panels at Busfest...

Has anyone got the LCD screen on their controller? Is it worth getting that option?

Cheers,

Ringo

There one on my MPPT controller, worth it just to see how many (or few!) amps are actually going back into your battery


MPPT controllers are worth looking into as they can give 20% more power compared to a normal controller
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200W-20A-12V- ... 1e65543e76