Tips for mounting 15W solar panel?

[billy bee]

I agree with Jimbo. I had a solar charger in my SMB. I liked having the flexibility of being able to set it up anywhere around the van. It was mounted in a simple frame that would prop up with legs. Stable and versatile.

Here you can see it is deployed on the m/c trailer:

This pictures shows both the storage cabinet (at the very back of the van) and the battery panel (above pillow):

I kept two cords hanging in the back of the van. One for shore power and one for the solar panel. Prolly about 20' of cord. Never had a problem setting it up in a good, south-facing spot at any campsite:

Here is a shot of the panel stowed in its cabinet. I felt the panel traveled perfectly in there...

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[bajajoaquin]

That far north, the angle of the panel has a huge effect. If you're mounting them flat, up at 51 degrees of latitude, you're losing a huge amount of sunlight. My geometry is a little rusty, but I think you can expect to get at best 50% exposure at noon.

If you do a Google search, you can find resources that will tell you the mounting angles that are recommended.

 

[Rando]

A simple rule of thumb is that your solar panel should be mounted at the same angle as your latitude. Also be sure to point it towards true south not magentic south.

That far north, the angle of the panel has a huge effect. If you're mounting them flat, up at 51 degrees of latitude, you're losing a huge amount of sunlight. My geometry is a little rusty, but I think you can expect to get at best 50% exposure at noon.

If you do a Google search, you can find resources that will tell you the mounting angles that are recommended.