Recommendations for an 80 watt off road ready vehicle Solar Panel?

[Rezarf <><]

I am planning on adding an 80 Watt Solar Panel to my 100 series Land Cruiser with the primary function of allowing my ARB (Engle MT-45) to run 24/7.

This will be in addition to a dual battery setup.

I have come to the conclusion based on Mario's recommendation at AT that this size panel will yield the power I desire.



So...

There are an overwhelming amount of panels on the market, can I pool the collective recommendations from the ExPo community as to which panels to consider that are up for overland travel usage?

I like to walk on the wild side so I am looking for the most inexpensive solution that isn't a waste of money due to quality or performance, by needing to buy twice, but I don't need the top shelf either.

Thank you in advance

 

[jay3253]

I went to Powerfilm and got one of their seconds. They sell them at a big discount, folding or rolling. I am not sure if they can sell any of the ones they manufacture for anyone else but they are very easy to work with.

Talk to Julia Stone www.powerfilmsolar.com

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[calicamper]

If I needed 80watt I would go this route. I set my two 10watt panels out where the sun hits. Rarely is the vehicle sitting in a spot not impacted by shade on my trips.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JP...+panel+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51hLgMjxUQL&ref=plSrch

 

[rob mellor]

Goal Zero has a 100 Watt foldable that just came out.

 

[4x4junkie]

I haven't seen the recommendation you mention, however I personally think 80W of solar is cutting it too close to keep a fridge going 24/7 (it would have to be perfectly clear the entire day every day for it to not fall behind on keeping your battery up).

I would suggest a minimum of 120W of solar (along with 150Ah of battery) to keep a fridge going indefinitely, especially if used during warm weather. This should give you some reserve to help bring the battery(ies) back up should you encounter a cloudy day or two (I have 170W myself, consisting of two inexpensive 85W rigid panels as a bi-fold portable setup).

 

[plh]

I personally think 80W of solar is cutting it too close to keep a fridge going 24/7 (it would have to be perfectly clear the entire day every day for it to not fall behind on keeping your battery up). I would suggest a minimum of 120W of solar

I agree with the 4x4junkie. I have a 50W Renogy and am going to add another 100W Renogy. 50W isn't nearly enough on any partly cloudy days in a row for my Edgestar and to keep my 100ah battery happy.

http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-RNG-150D-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel/dp/B00KH855YG

 

[Bigunit]

I run the 100W Renogy portable suitcase panels with an Arkpak with a 125ah Lifeline battery to run my ARB fridge and a couple of usb-powered LED lights and the panels keep the battery charged 24/7. I also live in Arizona where we have a lot of sunlight most of the time.

 

[Chris Boyd]

I agree with the 4x4junkie. I have a 50W Renogy and am going to add another 100W Renogy. 50W isn't nearly enough on any partly cloudy days in a row for my Edgestar and to keep my 100ah battery happy.

http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-RNG-150D-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel/dp/B00KH855YG

I agree with maxing out as much solar wattage as you can, but there is a big difference in draw between an Edgestar and an ARB fridge... I've been looking at an Edgestar for a second fridge (in the trailer) but they seem very much more power hungry.

 

[Jamin_GX]

I just received my Renogy "suitcase" style 100W panels this afternoon. I decided on hard panels as they seem to be more efficient (from what I read) and went with the suitcase style so that I can keep my rig in the shade and easily move the panels to best maximize the sunlight.

Things to consider. YMMV though as they say.


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[El Solis]

Love my Renogy 100W suitcase. I made a 25ft extension for it using Anderson connectors and 12g wire and I'm set!

 

[AndrewP]

Another vote for the Renology folding panel. My addition is an upgraded charge controller. See if this thread on ih8mud sounds like you.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/rubicon-solar-power-experience.867614/

 

[4x4junkie]

I agree with maxing out as much solar wattage as you can, but there is a big difference in draw between an Edgestar and an ARB fridge... I've been looking at an Edgestar for a second fridge (in the trailer) but they seem very much more power hungry.

I found the power draw of my Edgestar 43qt to be insignificantly higher than a similar-size older ARB (rebranded Engel) unit (about 560Wh over a 24 hour period vs 525Wh with the unit in a 80°F room)... Are the newer plastic ARB fridges that much more efficient?

 

[Rezarf <><]

I'll clarify a little. Rarely will I not run my truck each day. I also want to mount this to a "drawer" on my roof rack so that I can slide it out when at camp if there is gear on top of it while traveling.

I agree more watts are better but I am comfortable with the 80 watt rating that Adventure Trailer recommends, they research, test and know their stuff. I wouldn't balk at a higher powered panel I just don't need to over build everything, I view this panel as a way to top off the secondary battery while at camp. I hope that helps a little.

So, that said, I am not interested in a portable unit that folds. Just looking for a panel that can be hard mounted to the roof.

Thank you for the insight so far, I am grateful for all the responses and I am learning as we go.

 

[calicamper]

I would just get a Renogy 80watt hard panel. I just installed 29 285watt panels on my house. After months of research I'll say this. Most solar panels sold to the adventure types with fancy branding are massively over priced and really nothing special. Get a Renogy panel and call it good.

 

[Rezarf <><]

Here is an explanation of power needs I copied from another thread from Mario at AT.

"Measuring consumption on an Engel 45 at our shop using a "Doc Watson" from www.powerwerx.com, we have seen daily consumption of 20 to 28 A/h per day at 12 VDC on the "Ref" setting (around 38-40F) with ambient temps is the 70-80F range. Our experience with solar panels is that unless they are mounted on a tracking system, perfectly aligned for latitude and the season, the weather is cool and the sky is un-obstructed by clouds, we can only expect 70% performance. This means for example that a 100 watt panel will only produce 70 watts per hour. This means 5.8 A/h rather that the rated 8.33 A/h @ 12 VDC.

So...if you were to back into the consumption of an Engel 45 you would need 60 to 80 watts of PV based upon 20 to 28 A/h of consumption per 24 hr period for a PV to keep up with your needs on the "Ref" setting on the MT-45.

The 22.5 W panel per our calculations will produce as follows: 22.5W/12VDC = 1.875 A/h x .7 = 1.312 A/h x 6 hrs of average usable sunlight = 7.85 A/day ( 6 hours is based upon information from sources such ashttp://www.energyatlas.org/contents/default.asp). Considering that your draw is 20 to 28 A/h per day, you will be coming up short 12 to 20 A/h short with 22.5 watts.

I know this is a lengthy explanation but is is based upon Ohms law:
Watts / Volts = Amps. As in all equations, you can flip this around such as Amps x Volts = Watts etc. Throw in the factoring of .7 to the PV for performance and you will not be disappointed.

Based upon these formulas and numbers, we supply 80 watt panels to our trailer customers who express a desire to be "self contained" with their fridges and laptops for indefinite periods. The calculations have been successful to date. (emphasis added by me)

I hope this will help you in your solar endeavors."