Post 10: Solar Power ROCKS!

 Post 10: Solar Power Installation - 

Let me say that I think that solar power technology is amazing. It has come a long way and continues to evolve. With so much sunshine in CA, I am able to run all the power needs in my van almost entirely off of the sun - read FREE. 

There are times when I want to run a plug-in electric heater at night when in dips into the 20s and 30s, and my converter shuts off when the batteries get to a certain point - more on that later. 

But before any of that can happen - the installation must occur and.....you guessed it....more holes in the roof. 

I knew absolutely nothing about solar panels, charge controllers, wiring.....you name it, I spent countless hours researching and also calculating how much solar I would need for my purposes. I went on line and got free wiring diagrams that included my planned solar set up. I purchased 2-160 watt solar panels (they were out of stock and I had to wait about 2 months to get them). 

A note about solar power for those who are here to learn for their own build: 

Solar installers typically recommend approximately 1 watt of solar for each amp hour (ah) of battery. Most standard car batteries - used as "house batteries" for vans and RVs- are 100ah. So for single battery users, 80-100 watt solar panel is adequate. If you are running 2-6 volt batteries, double that for 160-240 watt panels. Also, if the solar panel is rated at 175 watts, and the maximum power voltage, Vmp, is rated at 23.6 volts, then calculate the output - current- by dividing the watts by the volts to get amps/hr. This will help you calculate how much solar you need and how many batteries you should have to run and charge your devices and appliances, both 12v and 110 if you have an inverter.

This is a solar charge controller. The charge controller in your solar installation sits between the energy source (panels) and storage (batteries). It prevents overcharging of batteries by limiting the amount and rate of charge to your batteries. They also prevent battery drainage by shutting down the system if stored power falls below 50 percent capacity and charge the batteries at the correct voltage level. This helps preserve the life and health of the batteries.

This one is a highly efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) charge controller and can accept up to 100 volts via solar panel in case I want to upsize my array later. 

So, back up on the roof I went to drill, mount, and connect, the 2 panels and the necessary wiring. The "feet" of the  2 panels were screwed in and the same silicone caulk was applied. 

The result was great! Until it rained......

The van roof had developed leaks. It likely wasn't the fan since that had been in place for several months. So I spent one entire weekend removing the screws that held the panel feet in place, covering the touchpoints with mastic tape, reattaching with screws and then more silicone. I would advise everyone who is drilling holes into the roof for any reason, including fan installation, to cover the edges or drill holes with mastic tape and then caulk. More lessons for this old dog.