How To Get The Most Out Of Your Solar Panels!

The convenience and affordability of solar panels have changed the face of camping. No matter how far off the beaten track you travel, solar panels provide a ready source of energy to keep all of your electrically-powered camping essentials running. It’s made camping much more like glamping! Here’s a brief rundown on the ins and outs of running a solar panel set-up, as well as getting the most out of any system.

POWER PLAY

The more devices you want to run, plus the more power hungry those devices are, the more power you will need to generate. A good tip here is to opt for devices that are very efficient when powered from 12-volts. Lighting is a great example. For the same amount of light output, 12-volt LED lights use a fraction of the power of a traditional incandescent globe. Other devices like camping fridges can vary substantially in their power consumption.

HOW TO CHOOSE SOLAR PANELS

Here, size matters. In simplistic terms - larger solar panels pump out more power than smaller panels. The greater the panel’s output rating (typically expressed in watts), the more devices they’re capable of supporting. Projecta offers a few different categories of panels to suit different applications. Maintenance Panels are ideal for keeping batteries topped up in your caravan, camper, jet ski or classic car when they’re not in regular use. With their compact nature and low current output, Maintenance Panels are not meant to power your electrical devices when camping – although the larger ones will run a phone charger or recharge your drone.

From there Projecta steps up to the Portable and Soft Folding solar kits. With up to 180watts of output, they’re capable of running your fridge and lights (in conjunction with an auxiliary battery), as well as pumps, phone chargers, etc. Lastly there’s the larger fixed panels, which are intended for mounting atop camper trailers, caravans, motor homes or house boats – practically any flat, level surface. There’s a great table on the Projecta website to help you determine your power needs – and which panel is recommended.

PANEL MANAGEMENT

A decent sized solar panel, capable of delivering an average of around 10-amps continuous is fairly bulky. Mounting them atop your camper is a great option. However, during those days/months of reduced sunshine, you ideally need them to be detachable so they can be angled directly at the sun – which is problematic. For high-capacity users, you can run multiple kits. The larger, Soft Folding solar panel kits can generate a fantastic amount of output. Their flexible nature allows them to be laid on the ground, draped over a boulder, or hung from a roof rack or bull bar. They’re a great alternative for those that don’t want to have to manage large-ish, rigid panels.

SOLAR CONTROLLERS

While Projecta Maintenance, Portable and Soft Folding kits all come with in-built Solar controllers for Plug ‘n’ Play operation, some other panels do not incorporate the controller. Typically, they are the larger-sized panels intended for fixed applications. Projecta solar panels are rated at nominal 12-Volts, however their output voltage can go as high as a battery damaging 18-volts on extra bright days, to below 12-volts when there’s little to no sunlight – they can even drain your battery at night. Regulating the panel’s output to a constant 12-volts or 24-volts is the job of the solar controller. While essentially a voltage regulator, solar controllers, like those offered by Projecta, include many other useful features and benefits – such as battery conditioning, charge status monitoring and stopping your battery from being drained overnight. They are a must for ensuring your solar panel delivers reliable and safe voltages to power your devices.

MAXIMIZING SOLAR PANEL EFFECTIVENESS

Every solar panel will have maximum output when facing directly at the sun. With the portable style panels, you can move them around your campsite to chase the sun. When parked up, you ideally want the ability to detach fixed, roof-mounted panels for the same reason.

A clean panel, is a productive panel. Wipe the dust off them daily, plus wash off any accumulated tree sap and bird droppings. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference keeping them clean makes.

When camped up, as well as running your devices, your solar panel/s need to charge up your auxiliary battery – which runs everything once the sun goes down. If you find your auxiliary battery cannot keep up with your night-time electrical usage, you’ll need to look into increasing solar charging capacity, battery capacity – or likely both.

Solar panels really are the best option for generating power when you’re away from the grid. They can be packed away for extended periods of time and remain just as effective when needed. They’re maintenance free and don’t generate any noise or air pollution – they really are the best of all worlds. Happy camping!