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Question Learning about my little camper. Batteries?

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This is where I shall begin. Now is when SCHOOL really begins! :) I will tend to it with loving care as it grows, and grows, until it doesn't need me anymore:) @Jim ; @TJ&LadyDi
MyPowerSetUp.png
 
Wow! You are a quick learner. Looks like you are off to a good start. Keep us informed with progress reports as you start installing things.

TJ
 
start my generator and run lights and fridge, internet. @Jim My plan is to have separate banks and inverters for my sound systems as well as the gaming systems and the large flat screen HD monitor and the small motor that moves the arm that brings monitor down and then face it forward. I am sure I am dreaming much of this up and once I get a GOOD electrician to help me figure it all out I'll have to change horses in the middle of the stream more than likely. May even have to get a completely different House battery. I'm going by my gut and lots, and lots of research I barely understand. I have to google the info I googled!!!!!
 
Hi FLPeterson,
I am an Arizona resident, who always boondocks. I am well known on the LTVA north of Yuma as being a solar spurt. I set up 460 W on a conversion van from the early 90's. was room for another 230 panel but funds kept him from the task. I don't look at less than 500w as a real system. the reason is as simple as reduced amount can't meet expectation.

even still things that keep design goals to reduced level is the fact one is lucky to get 80 percent power from the panel at best and considerably less at other times. example: highest power level with one of my 280w panels is 240w (this is not an average, rather point in time measure).

Panels must not be shaded, one cell on the panel will kill the output. look at this as a battery with dead cell. vent covers and AC units do a great job of shading a cell or two.

If two panels are used on one controller, and one cell on one panel is shaded, the complete system is down. With low prices on some mppt controllers a good argument is made for a controller per panel. That is how I am set up.

Tilting vs. flat
Tilted to the south, the same panel will produce more than twice the power, of a flat panel. I spent more than a month compiling graphs that prove that. Keep in mind that only two kinds of panels exist: panels bolted down, and panels that are broken.

Not even with what I have researched can I run consistently an RV fridge on 12v. My fridge(115VAC apartment fridge) is on a timer in winter months to lower number of cycles the bank must acrew.

first 2 hrs in the morning, and last 2hrs in the evening, will do little to charge or maintain a battery.

Believe this, A battery is like a turkey. when you bring the oven up to temperature and throw the turkey in, first the oven temp drops. Even after the oven has recovered the temp setting the turkey must roast for a given time at the given size. It is so with a battery, the system must reach charging voltage before the battery can be charged to capacity. And although that voltage may come before lets say 10:00AM the battery must bask in that glory for a period of time based on number of amps the battery is down. The same people that believe that 14.4 is the magic number of a charged battery, these are the same people that wonder why they can't make it though the night. That said, If you don't have enough panel, supplement with a generator from 6 am quiet time to about 10AM. let the panels trickle charge for the rest of the day. Turning off the panels and getting a reading from the battery will help you determine the state of charge if it still reads lower than 12.8 run the generator while you are doing your night time activities. remember curfews.
Batteries maintained with generators alone have short life, because the generator is shut off short of a full charge.

a Little about my system. I use a 24vdc system. I have no means to charge the bank, than solar power. my 200ahr 24v bank is equal to 400ahrs at 12v my panels can be handled from the ground completely. 560w installed, each panel has its own mppt controller. If I need to let the batteries charge up after cloudy days, my house is plugged into the generator, and inverter may be turned off if batteries are really low(has not happened yet) I prefer leaving the inverter on. Sounds simple but a lot of thought goes into purchase of equipment. an example of this train of thought. I was forced into an RV park due to illness at the start of the summer season. After running AC 24-7 for a month and not connected to my solar set-up my electric bill was a overpowering 32USD. This tells us half the solar experience is lowering our energy need thru thought provoked purchases.
 

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