hymer1942 Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Can someone tell me, are all Solar panels the same, e.g. do some perform better than others, is it a case of you get what you pay for or do you just pay for the NAME. Is there a difference in what they are made of. Thoughts please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Yes they are made from different materials. A good one will last around 15 years. To be effective for some off site or no mains camping then the recommended minimum size is 85Watts, plus of course a second accomodation battery. Cost wise Solar panel + regulator around £450 Diy or £650 fitted by a dealer and to charge the engine battery a " Battery Master unit @ £65 ish". Some of our technical wizards will I am sure give you more specific details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 On the other hand an extra leisure battery or two is a fraction of that price, easy to diy install and will recharge on the road if your holiday style is nomadic enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul- Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Not all panels are the same but for a good reasonably priced panel try Kyocera, a 50 watt free standing panel moved to face the sun will give a lot more output than a flat mounted panel. Solar panels are only as good as the charge controller, so it’s more important to ask which controller to buy. Never buy a shunt controller, buy a series or processor type, I prefer the Morningstar sunsaver range as they are very good, & safe to use in hazardous conditions, & position the controller as near to the battery as possible, not only to minimize the voltage drop along the cable but they monitor the batteries state of charge & temperature then adjust the charge accordingly A 50 watt panel & morningstar sunsaver controller (regulator) will set you back about £250 add another £25 for wire & connectors & something to make a stand, the panel has about 20 years output guarantee…………… now imagine how much fuel you will use driving around to charge the battery in that period & the soler way will charge the battery to 100% full not 13.8 volts like the vehicles system If you are fitting it on the roof get an mppt controller or for the cheaper option get an 80 watt panel Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 There are two main types of solar panel: - mono- or poly-crystalline panels; normally each half of the panel consists of cells wired in series to produce the output voltage, the two halves then being wired in parallel. This means that, if a significant shadow falls across just one of the cells, that whole half of the panel effectively 'switches off'. However, crystalline panels do give a higher rate of output per sqare metre than the alternative, which is: - thin film panels, which require a much larger area to give the same output as a crystalline panel. However, because of the way they are wired, they do not have the 'shadow effect'. They also produce a higher percentage of total output in cloudy conditions. For most motorhome uses you will require crystalline panels. All seem to come with a 25 year guarantee these days, but all will also be producing less output by the end of that period - perhaps 10% to 20% less. Personally, I would therefore buy mainly on price - many of the products are produced in the same factory and simply 'badged', so you are often paying extra just for the name. One option is to import from Germany - see the following site: http://tinyurl.com/6bsvdk where a 75 watt panel costs 370Euros inc VAT (19% in Germany) but exc shipping. My favourite UK location ABButt (which sold Kyocera panels at the best prices) has recently ceased trading, so it's a google/yahoo search, I'm afraid. I would never advise having a ground mounted system, unless you're going to stand guard over it! Hence I shall not reveal the source of a £125 motorised ground mount that actually tracks the sun automatically, doubling the output of your solar panel! Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Mel E - 2008-10-22 5:09 PM My favourite UK location ABButt (which sold Kyocera panels at the best prices) has recently ceased trading Really? When did that happen, they've been trading since the early 1930s I think. Andy_C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hymer1942 Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 Thanks everyone for the info, I am having 1 X 130, and 1 X 85 fitted at Clitheroe [kycereoa] I will post how pleased I am with the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Hi, If its leisure tech services at clitheroe, its where they fitted mine. They did an exellent job and I highly recommend them. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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