Solar Panel Recommendation

[Wasnt Me]

Hi I am looking for a 150/160w solar panel that I will install myself.

 

I have been looking at the following...

 

https://tinyurl.com/y29wlecn

 

https://tinyurl.com/y5j9hk56

 

I have used a portable Photonic Universe one and it worked well.

 

My budget is around £200 and ideally I would like a controller that will charge both the leisure and the vehicle battery. I am happy with a rigid one.

 

Any recommendations of something that will meet my criteria would be appreciated, especially if you have fitted it yourself.

 

Thanks in advance

[aandncaravan]

Wasn't Me - 2019-03-28 10:26 AM

 

Hi I am looking for a 150/160w solar panel that I will install myself.

 

I have been looking at the following...

 

https://tinyurl.com/y29wlecn

 

https://tinyurl.com/y5j9hk56

 

I have used a portable Photonic Universe one and it worked well.

 

My budget is around £200 and ideally I would like a controller that will charge both the leisure and the vehicle battery. I am happy with a rigid one.

 

Any recommendations of something that will meet my criteria would be appreciated, especially if you have fitted it yourself.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Both of the Solar Regulators in those adverts are poor, they will give little better than zero output in mid winter.

 

Not certain about the second one, but they don't look like they are designed for a motorhome and pretty sure neither will dynamically charge the Starter battery.

 

See here for what we think is the best and one of the lowest cost : http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/solar-power.php

 

 

[Wasnt Me]

Thanks for the reply.

 

I had a look the link, so you recommend Votronic controllers?

 

 

 

[mikefitz]

I recommend this solar controller,

 

https://www.onboardenergydirect.co.uk/shop/Victron-Smart-Solar-Charge-controller-MPPT-75-15.html#SID=279#SID=279#SID=279

 

This maximum power point tracking, MPPT, design has built in Bluetooth that reports the battery state to to your smart phone. You can also set up charge characteristics for the battery if the default values are unsuitable. A further advantage is that the controller analyses battery state when it 'wakes up' in the morning and sets up the charge program for the day. This avoids overcharging the battery that can happen with less able controllers.

 

The pulse width modulated controllers, PWM, in the links above, can only deliver the maximum current generated by the panels, around 8 amps. In theory a MPPT controller can use all the power from the panel and converts this to a suitable voltage, suggesting a current in the order of 11 amps.

In practice the MPPT type may not quite live up to expectations but should still offer an improvement over PWM designs.

 

Being able to charge the engine battery seems a necessary task where motor homes are concerned.

The current drain on the engine battery for Fiat base model varies, depending on build specification and fitting of after market alarms, but should be less than 200 mA, 0.2 amps. So you don’t really need a charger, just a specialized circuit that will divert some power from the leisure batteries when needed. Suitable devices are,

 

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/product/02e02-battery-maintainers/votronic-battery-master-c8451/C8451

 

https://leisurelines.net/battery-charge-manager-leisure--main-battery-3334-p.asp

 

With the panels themselves there are many suppliers offering similar products. Perhaps consider a supplier with a good trading record, for example,

 

https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/12v-150w-xplorer-solar-panel-for-caravans-boats-motorhomes/

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[aandncaravan]

Can we suggest that you only buy a motorhome specific Solar Charge and 100% avoid the battery maintainers, as they draw power all the time, 'watching' for a change of state at the battery.

.

A quality dual battery regulator will be much more efficient (and a lot cheaper) than the Battery Master style solutions.

 

 

For the full reasons why, see the web page.

[Wasnt Me]

mikefitz - 2019-03-28 10:32 PM

 

I recommend this solar controller,

 

https://www.onboardenergydirect.co.uk/shop/Victron-Smart-Solar-Charge-controller-MPPT-75-15.html#SID=279#SID=279#SID=279

 

This maximum power point tracking, MPPT, design has built in Bluetooth that reports the battery state to to your smart phone. You can also set up charge characteristics for the battery if the default values are unsuitable. A further advantage is that the controller analyses battery state when it 'wakes up' in the morning and sets up the charge program for the day. This avoids overcharging the battery that can happen with less able controllers.

 

The pulse width modulated controllers, PWM, in the links above, can only deliver the maximum current generated by the panels, around 8 amps. In theory a MPPT controller can use all the power from the panel and converts this to a suitable voltage, suggesting a current in the order of 11 amps.

In practice the MPPT type may not quite live up to expectations but should still offer an improvement over PWM designs.

 

Being able to charge the engine battery seems a necessary task where motor homes are concerned.

The current drain on the engine battery for Fiat base model varies, depending on build specification and fitting of after market alarms, but should be less than 200 mA, 0.2 amps. So you don’t really need a charger, just a specialized circuit that will divert some power from the leisure batteries when needed. Suitable devices are,

 

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/product/02e02-battery-maintainers/votronic-battery-master-c8451/C8451

 

https://leisurelines.net/battery-charge-manager-leisure--main-battery-3334-p.asp

 

With the panels themselves there are many suppliers offering similar products. Perhaps consider a supplier with a good trading record, for example,

 

https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/12v-150w-xplorer-solar-panel-for-caravans-boats-motorhomes/

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

Thanks the controller you have suggested is over my budget to be honest.

 

I will look at the panels though.

[Wasnt Me]

aandncaravan - 2019-03-29 8:49 AM

 

Can we suggest that you only buy a motorhome specific Solar Charge and 100% avoid the battery maintainers, as they draw power all the time, 'watching' for a change of state at the battery.

.

A quality dual battery regulator will be much more efficient (and a lot cheaper) than the Battery Master style solutions.

 

 

For the full reasons why, see the web page.

 

Thanks can you recommend one that is reasonably priced.

[aandncaravan]

All covered on the web page along with fitting, wiring, etc. I think current price is about £58?

[Wasnt Me]

Great thanks.

 

More than I had budgeted for by about £100. 8-) , for the whole lot.

 

 

[BruceM]

Wasn't Me - 2019-03-29 2:02 PM

 

Great thanks.

 

More than I had budgeted for by about £100. 8-) , for the whole lot.

 

The 150W kits on ebay come in at about £165 and include mounting brackets etc (but not adhesive and surface preparation) leaving £35 from your budget.

 

If you think a kit like that would be suitable for your van I’d be tempted to contact the supplier and ask them for a price excluding the regulator and then put what’s left of your budget towards the best regulator you can afford eg a Votronic MPPT 165 Duo - £77.84 on Amazon at the moment . It will still blow your budget but it may be worth paying an extra £30-40 to maximise your solar charge and ensure your habitation batteries are no damaged.

[Steve928]

Wasn't Me - 2019-03-29 2:02 PM

 

Great thanks.

 

More than I had budgeted for by about £100. 8-) , for the whole lot.

 

 

A couple of recommendations for you from a solar newbie, definitely not an expert.

I bought a 100W mono panel from bau_tech-solarenergien on Ebay and it came from Germany, tracked, in 3 days. It was £68 and I'm very pleased with it. They don't do a 150W but they do a 130W for about £90 here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOLARMODUL-130W-12V-MONOKRISTALLIN-PHOTOVOLTAIK-SOLARPANEL-WOHNMOBIL-CARAVAN-NEU/281864896890

 

Initially I tried the Chinese controller in your first link (£4.98 on Ebay!) but the performance was so bad that it nearly put me off solar power forever. Then I invested £60 in a Votronic PWM controller and the difference was measurable and amazing. You can read all day about PWM vs. MPPT on Google but for me for the PWM controller does a good enough job and has been a revelation. About £60 from the same people here, or £10 more for the 220 model:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Votronic-Charge-Controller-Sr-Duo-for-100Watt-140Watt-220Watt-330Watt-530Watt/282051811726

 

This works perfectly well for me (above my expectations at 53 degrees North) although I fully acknowledge that it may not be the state-of-the-art system that other people prefer.

[Wasnt Me]

Steve928 - 2019-03-29 4:33 PM

 

Wasn't Me - 2019-03-29 2:02 PM

 

Great thanks.

 

More than I had budgeted for by about £100. 8-) , for the whole lot.

 

 

A couple of recommendations for you from a solar newbie, definitely not an expert.

I bought a 100W mono panel from bau_tech-solarenergien on Ebay and it came from Germany, tracked, in 3 days. It was £68 and I'm very pleased with it. They don't do a 150W but they do a 130W for about £90 here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOLARMODUL-130W-12V-MONOKRISTALLIN-PHOTOVOLTAIK-SOLARPANEL-WOHNMOBIL-CARAVAN-NEU/281864896890

 

Initially I tried the Chinese controller in your first link (£4.98 on Ebay!) but the performance was so bad that it nearly put me off solar power forever. Then I invested £60 in a Votronic PWM controller and the difference was measurable and amazing. You can read all day about PWM vs. MPPT on Google but for me for the PWM controller does a good enough job and has been a revelation. About £60 from the same people here, or £10 more for the 220 model:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Votronic-Charge-Controller-Sr-Duo-for-100Watt-140Watt-220Watt-330Watt-530Watt/282051811726

 

This works perfectly well for me (above my expectations at 53 degrees North) although I fully acknowledge that it may not be the state-of-the-art system that other people prefer.

 

Great thanks

 

[Thai Bry]

Wasn't Me - 2019-03-29 2:02 PMGreat thanks.More than I had budgeted for by about £100. 8-) , for the whole lot.

 

I've known Allan at aandncaravan for a number of years now, I trust his expert knowledge on all things electrical especially regarding solar panels..

In my humble opinion, don't go on cheap price, false economy,  but get the best.

[Wasnt Me]

Yes thanks

 

I was hoping for his advice (and others), so I guess I would be daft to ignore it.

 

I will go for the controller he has recommended.

 

The website has lots of detail about fitting which will be invaluable also.

[aandncaravan]

Wasn't me, it is a shame that Solar Regulators are not sold with an independent efficiency star rating as some of the units at the budget end can harvest less than half the power of the best.

That means the best will get the maximum out of a 100watt panel but with the worst regulators it can perform like a 30watt Solar panel.

 

We recently removed a CBE PRS300 that was believed to be faulty and replaced it with a Votronic MPP165 and the charge increased by double, proving that the CBE was faulty.

 

Except the CBE wasn't faulty, we could find no issue at all.

On reverse engineering the circuitry and reading the manual it was clear it was just a terrible design, and we are normally fans of the CBE kit.

It even charges at lower voltages for some reason, as do some of the budget ebay units.

 

On our website are details of a guy in New Zealand who sells the Votronic Mpp165 in huge quantities into Australia (for obvious reasons of sunshine, etc) and as a result gets big bulk buy discounts from Votronic.

If you Email him he always has deals to do and although the current 'listed retail' price is £58 (including shipping), you can normally get significant discounts and exceptions.

 

 

 

[Wasnt Me]

Thanks I will bear in mind.

[aandncaravan]

We have received an email just now about work that was done on Monday, it says -

 

"It was great meeting you yesterday, the Votronic mppt controller is working fantastic, such a massive improvement. Paul W".

 

 

We are used to such comments after replacing the generic eBay style units, but this Votronic MPPT 250 replaced a PWM Schaudt LR1218, which 4 years ago we regarded as the best of it's class and was one of the few Dual battery regulators of it's day..

 

I think that demonstrates how far things have moved on the last few years with Solar and anyone with an older PWM, or earlier technology, Solar Regulator will probably gain 35% to 50% in their Solar harvest during the cooler 6 months of the year by swapping to one of the new high efficiency designs.

 

 

I also fitted a Wattmeter, customer supplied, just in front of the Votronic, also customer supplied, and the information displayed was amazing. But I found this particular screen hard to read, maybe because of deteriorating health?

If i can find time I might try and find an alternative display that still sits in the same sub £10 bracket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aandncaravan]

Just found this potential 'new' Wattmeter that is colour, wireless remote capable (you can put the display anywhere in the vehicle, even on the dash), measures current in both directions, etc, at £21 :

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-DC-0-400V-0-300A-LCD-Digital-Combo-Panel-Volt-Amp-Power-Watt-Meter-UK/264021430776?hash=item3d78e751f8:m:mURIpLzkMxbUop1eit5mZxQ

 

 

Little bit more expensive than the old Wattmeter but lots more functionality. It has 200amp capability so might fit into the main battery cable and measure all power going into and out of the habitation batteries, not just Solar?

It seems to claim it might also monitor battery capacity in real time?

 

If it does what I think, it might be perfect mounted on the dash for British Built motorhomes to show Alternator charge (and battery charge-up time) while driving when the usual display above the door is locked out by starting the engine.

 

I wonder if the termperature sensor can be fixed to the habitation battery clamp to show the battery internal temperature?

 

 

 

Too late for me to evaluate one, but if anyone on here wants to evaluate one, I am sure everyone else would be appreciative and Martin would be happy to put the details on the Solar web pages in place of the old Wattmeter?

 

 

A little more detail :

This is a multi-function DC meter based on 2.4G wireless data transmission technology.

It can measure miscellaneous parameters such as voltage, current, power, charge and discharge capacity, watt-hour, time, and temperature.

It has over-current protection, under-voltage protection, and limited protection and other protection functions.

The instrument can automatically identify the direction of the current, and the battery capacity can be monitored in real time.

The instrument uses TFT LCD display,

 

[Dickybeau]

I’m interested in fitting that Allan but would need guidance on how to do that safely without inadvertently damaging anything :D

[aandncaravan]

Dickybeau - 2019-04-10 8:23 AM

 

I’m interested in fitting that Allan but would need guidance on how to do that safely without inadvertently damaging anything :D

 

 

Then lets hope one of the bright sparks out there will take it on and evaluate one.

We have been looking at another advert of the same device that gives more information and it appears that the unit also has undervoltage protection built in and can shutdown the power if the battery drops below a set voltage, which appears to be programmable.

 

See extra photos on this functionality, plus how to wire it in, on the Solar page ( photos too big to put here) : http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/solar-power.php

[Paul-]

Something to think about,

I bought a steca, a reasonable controller but it malfunctioned and cooked my battery, I bought another Morningstar controller along with a new battery.

 

If Alan recommends a controller for your motorhome, it'll be ok, it'll work and you wont need to by another battery,

[aandncaravan]

Paul- - 2019-04-11 7:55 PM

 

Something to think about,

I bought a steca, a reasonable controller but it malfunctioned and cooked my battery, I bought another Morningstar controller along with a new battery.

 

If Alan recommends a controller for your motorhome, it'll be ok, it'll work and you wont need to buy another battery,

 

 

On the subject of malfunctioning Solar Regulators, this came in Wednesday from Gillian :-

"We bought an autotrail with a solar panel (not sure of voltage poss 100watt. It has Sargent EC325 and Epsolar LS1024 solar charge controller. Today the battery showed charge of 16.8v..............".

 

Much higher than 16.8v and things like Fridge controllers and Truma Heater controllers will be at risk of failing, if they haven't already.

In that instance, 'buying cheap' most certainly wouldn't be the most cost effective option!!

 

 

That is about the 12th Epsolar we have personally heard of, plus more on the Swift forums.

So it isn't just the Steca units that take out batteries.

 

I can't tell you the Votronic will never fail, all chargers can be hit by a poor battery, but the design and build quality is very high.

 

[747]

aandncaravan - 2019-04-09 7:52 PM

 

We have received an email just now about work that was done on Monday, it says -

 

"It was great meeting you yesterday, the Votronic mppt controller is working fantastic, such a massive improvement. Paul W".

 

 

We are used to such comments after replacing the generic eBay style units, but this Votronic MPPT 250 replaced a PWM Schaudt LR1218, which 4 years ago we regarded as the best of it's class and was one of the few Dual battery regulators of it's day..

 

I think that demonstrates how far things have moved on the last few years with Solar and anyone with an older PWM, or earlier technology, Solar Regulator will probably gain 35% to 50% in their Solar harvest during the cooler 6 months of the year by swapping to one of the new high efficiency designs.

 

 

I also fitted a Wattmeter, customer supplied, just in front of the Votronic, also customer supplied, and the information displayed was amazing. But I found this particular screen hard to read, maybe because of deteriorating health?

If i can find time I might try and find an alternative display that still sits in the same sub £10 bracket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Alan, I bought the Schaudt LR1218 from you about 8 or 9 years ago and it has performed very well ever since. I have just fitted 2 new Leisure batteries so I think I will update my Solar Controller also. As usual, I will follow your recommendations. :D

 

Where would we be without you? ;-)

[Wasnt Me]

aandncaravan - 2019-04-10 9:29 AM

 

Dickybeau - 2019-04-10 8:23 AM

 

I’m interested in fitting that Allan but would need guidance on how to do that safely without inadvertently damaging anything :D

 

 

Then lets hope one of the bright sparks out there will take it on and evaluate one.

We have been looking at another advert of the same device that gives more information and it appears that the unit also has undervoltage protection built in and can shutdown the power if the battery drops below a set voltage, which appears to be programmable.

 

See extra photos on this functionality, plus how to wire it in, on the Solar page ( photos too big to put here) : http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/solar-power.php

 

Having read your instructions, please can I just check the method you have described for fixing the panels is suitable for non-metal motorhome roofs also.

 

Thanks in advance