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smitty
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jul 2011 04:52
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So I am doing research on the smallest solar system I can get by with, for now and add on later as needed.
In your opinion. To run a few LED bulbs, charge our laptops and iPods, run a 12v water pump. Things like that.
How small can I go?
I also imagine, being out in the trees, I will have to find a good clearing with good sunlight, and run cable to the cabin. Or maybe.. I should go with wind generator.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jul 2011 15:05
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15 watt panel
small charge controler 75 watt
300 watt inverter
1 deep cycle battery best one you can by
wiring and fuses, volt meter =======200$
thats what i have and i get by
I have a 12 volt pump 3 leed lights , a small radio and 1, 23 watt, cfb !
been up and running 4 years no problems
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smitty
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jul 2011 23:37
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You use it every day?
I was planning on using something small for our small things. And use a generator for power tools.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2011 13:51
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may be 2 days a week
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Rob_O
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# Posted: 6 Jul 2011 19:44
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If you're deep in the trees, get more panel than you would normally need to compensate for shading
Another thing to consider, at the lower end of the solar market you can often get much more capability for a few bucks more. For $99 you can get a 30W panel, but for $199 you can get an 85W panel. Triple the capacity for double the money. The small controller you would need for the 30W panel is $40, for $15 more you can get a controller that will handle 2 of the big panels. Consider your future goals and spend your money wisely
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jul 2011 01:18
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You are just guessing unless you figure out how many watts you will actually be using on an average day. Best is to estimate for a week and divide by 7. Once you know the amount of power to be used then and only then can you size the battery bank and the PV array. Guessing leads to poor performing systems and unhappy owners from I have seen.
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Kithera
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2011 16:18 - Edited by: Kithera
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I want to echo Rob_O, get a single large panel, looking for the cheapest per unit of power, about $1.50 a watt is somewhat common starting around 150 watts.
That said, like MtnDon, your idea of bare minimum may vary from mine, and greatly. Take the time to do a chart, and if you really are pinching pennys, consider battery powered devices (flashlights and headlamps) as much as possible, and only run a AA charger from your solar. If you already have your generator on site and will be doing fairly regular runnings, a battery charger will only add a minisqual amount of load for an hour, and a topped of DeepCycle can power a frugal camp for at least a few days.
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smitty
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2011 16:50 - Edited by: smitty
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This is what I was thinking as well..
Start with 150w and go from there. Should run our lights, and charge our gadgets.. Add another later down the road if need be. I was going to run the small generator for power tools, but maybe I can charge my batteries as I use them. Depending on the load. Double duty..
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Rob_O
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2011 23:48
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150-200 watts is a good size for a small solar array, you will net 30-40 amp-hours on a decent day (YMMV, of course). Plenty enough to run a few lights and charge the toys.
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suburbancowboy
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 14:14
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Harbor Freight Has a solar panel kit on sale right now for 149 with coupon. It has 3 15 watt panels, charge controller/ regulator and lights. I have 3 of these kits on a trailer I built. All you do is add a deep cycle battery and inverter. This is my second year with it. I have never run out of juice.
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Kithera
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 14:50
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That kit has been discussed before, and I use it as well. It's not bad, but you can do a lot more for a lot less these days. It's really quite expensive and something that I can't recommend.
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