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Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:57 am

There's been some interest in my solar set-up so I'll post some pics with some brief explainations. I think I posted this awhile back -if so, I'm sorry. I'm on several sites.
The panel is a Unisolar 64 watt
The battery is a C&D Technologies 134 Amp Hr. UPS gell cell.
The charger is Atlantic.
The basics are just that- basic electrics. The panel makes electicity out of light. The battery stores the elctricity for use when the sun isn't out. The charger makes sure the battery doesn't get over-charged.

You have to figure how much energy you're going to need. I replaced my Westy fridge for an Engle. It uses half the energy as the original and is a REAL refridgerator.
I only run my sink, stereo, dvd player and fridge with the system.
I've never run out of energy yet.

I made the frame out of metal stock from Lowe's .
I made it low-profile for less wind resistance- it stay's up there all the time.
The most expensive component is the panel. It pays for itself many times over. I have two of them and used to use them for emergencies at my house.
With the Westy, I can leave the house if the power goes out and still be comfortable.
Pics:

I only have 1 battery now I know it's enough.
It's a straight forward wiring job with instructions. You do want to get controller that can handle more than your panel will ever put out. I think this one was about $15.

Here's a pic of the Engle

In case you didn't see it, this is what sparked the thread.

Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:00 am

Aside from the fridge, how much did that set up cost you?

Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:16 am

I've had the panel for about 10 years. I got off Ebay and I think I paid about $350 .
Charger about $15 + shipping
Battery $60 - (I know a battery guy)
So that's about $425.
I forgot to mention you want to get a flexible panel. Some come with glass over the cells- no no!

Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:11 am

itlives wrote: There's been some interest in my solar set-up so I'll post some pics with some brief explainations.
I was/am one of those who expressed interest in the other thread. Thanks very much for posting this info. It doesn't seem as complicated as I had thought, AND it seems to work better than I had imagined. So just out of curiosity, what is the longest you've been parked without running out of fridge power (relying exclusively on your solar/battery setup)? I'm wondering if it would be feasible to camp out for a week or more without running out of power. Thanks again.

Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:31 am

hiwaycallin wrote: itlives wrote: There's been some interest in my solar set-up so I'll post some pics with some brief explainations.
So just out of curiosity, what is the longest you've been parked without running out of fridge power (relying exclusively on your solar/battery setup)? I'm wondering if it would be feasible to camp out for a week or more without running out of power. Thanks again.

It all depends on the power requirements and equipment you have running..... I know his will run forever as long as there is sun........His fridge uses barely 1/3 of the output.........the battery stores the rest...... 8)
I am planning a similar system on my Highroof...... i'll have to use 2 smaller panels because of my roof design...... I can't wait to get started on that part of my project.... 8)

Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:44 am

Thanks for posting the info.I too was looking to do this on my 74 westy :D .If im buying one from ebay how do I know if its not the ones with the glass.Also running one battery is fine?All I will be running is my radio,in car lights(which ive had on a whole day and the bus still started)and a small tv.One more thing ....are you running an inverter too , or is that not necessary with this ?

Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:22 pm

[quote="hiwaycallin"][quote="itlives"]So just out of curiosity, what is the longest you've been parked without running out of fridge power (relying exclusively on your solar/battery setup)?

It's been hooked up continuously. I've never run out of power even thru the rainy season. If you have a large enough panel you'll make energy even on a cloudy day.

Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:38 pm

iWANTBUS wrote: Thanks for posting the info.I too was looking to do this on my 74 westy :D .If im buying one from ebay how do I know if its not the ones with the glass.Also running one battery is fine?All I will be running is my radio,in car lights(which ive had on a whole day and the bus still started)and a small tv.One more thing ....are you running an inverter too , or is that not necessary with this ?

When buying a panel be sure to ask if it's flexible. I wouldn't buy less than a 55 watt panel. Unisolar 64 is what I have.
I have an inverter but don't need it because everything is 12 volt. Also when you use an inverter you use about 10% more energy than whatever you're using. It takes energy to run the inverter too.

A small tv will draw too much power unless you have a good system. I have a 12 volt tv, by itself , it draws 60 watts (not too bad ). If you play a movie, that goes up. It depends on how much you watch it too. A dvd player draws considerably less than a tv. We just use it to watch movies on.
The Engle fridge draws 2.3 amps while the Westy one draws 5 . And the Westy is not a true fridge.

Again, you have to figure power needs to put together a system that'll work for you.
Thanks for your interest!

Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:43 pm

8) cool!!, i wish i had something like that for camping trips, by the way how did you secure the batterys to the floor?? did you have to drill trough the floor??

Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:16 pm

Nice!

How did you route the wiring from the solar panel to the controller? Pictures?

Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:48 am

Thanks for the info bud. 8)

Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:44 am

Nice set up; it's always great when extensive modifications look like they add value instead of subtracting it.

Speaking of, have you thought about security for the panel? I know at least in my neighborhood that panel would be a prime target for sticky hands.

Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:40 am

I love your solar setup! Just wondering if you did some calculations to figure if your Daily Depth of Discharge is staying within the battery requirements. Drawing the battery down to far with out recharging or occasionally overcharging (stratifying), will significantly lessen the life of your battery. I guess it depends on the battery and how many amp hours you are drawing off of it. Where did you find the DC fridge?

Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:36 pm

Air_Cooled_Nut wrote: Nice!

How did you route the wiring from the solar panel to the controller? Pictures?
Look at the first picture closely, I drilled a hole in the top ( sealed with Marine clear sealer) and ran the wires at the foot of the top bunk thru the top floor on the drivers side. Then, thru the top of the closet and down to under the seat. I tied into the original auxilliary wires. I had to add 1 power wire for the stereo.

Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:46 pm

tardfarmer wrote: I love your solar setup! Just wondering if you did some calculations to figure if your Daily Depth of Discharge is staying within the battery requirements. Drawing the battery down to far with out recharging or occasionally overcharging (stratifying), will significantly lessen the life of your battery. I guess it depends on the battery and how many amp hours you are drawing off of it. Where did you find the DC fridge?

Yeah, I've been doing solar stuff for awhile. I never overcharge with the charge controller. The panel has to large enough to recharge the battery after every night.Some controllers are adjustable for different types of batteries.
Just google "Engle". I looked for a used one, but they are not easy to find . I wound up buying it new. It is the most expensive part of the whole set-up. there are other brands out there, but I like mine best.

Another perk with a real fridge is you can turn it to the low setting and save some power. The Engle has 5 settings. I made the mistake of putting it on 3 last summer and froze my beer :shock:

Stupidsongs2- I don't have any security on it yet. No, you can't know where I live :lol:

Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:22 pm

I had spoke to a guy involved in the solar field and he said that within the next 5-10 years things are going to change on a big scale. They have now been able to reproduce the photocell in a generic form and at 1/8 the cost. They are developing sprays to apply on the side of buildings and roofs. The efficiency is increasing and you only need a 5% slope for the new technologies to work. There is a new floor heating system that works on 42V and that in the near future you will be able to heat your house/bus for free on solar.

Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:49 pm

How long does it take to fully recharge a battery?

Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:54 pm

Thanks for the info, time to go shopping 8)

Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:25 pm

panasonic90 wrote: How long does it take to fully recharge a battery?

Depends how big the battery is.
Depends on how big the solar panel is.

If you're asking about mine, I don't know as it's never been fully discharged. A battery that's at 12 volts is considered fully discharge.

Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:52 pm

itlives wrote: panasonic90 wrote: How long does it take to fully recharge a battery?
A battery that's at 12 volts is considered fully discharge.

Do you mean fully "charged"?