Portable solar kit

[Sylvain]

Hello everyone,
I was thinking about adding a portable 100w solar panel to our camping equipment.  Can the solar gurus of this forum tell me if this is a good choice! 

https://www.amazon.ca/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Foldable-Waterproof-Controller/dp/B079JVBVL3/ref=sr_1_8?crid=5QIVUVF3IGYY&keywords=foldable%2Bsolar%2Bpanel&qid=1589991755&sprefix=Foldable%2Bsol%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-8&th=1

[DavidM]

The kit is ok- Renogy makes good stuff, but you can buy individual components- panel and controller on Amazon for less than half, but you wouldn't get the adjustable  mount.

David

[Sylvain]

Ok thanks David.  I'll have a look at the individual components.

[Merlin]

Every time I see $ followed by cdn I gasp a bit. Things are so much more $ in our neighbor to the north!  I agree with David's points and would add one more. Note the weight of the suitcase style portable panels. I tried one a couple years ago (a Samlex) and returned it in part because it was too heavy for me to regularly haul around the campsite and stow/deploy. Your situation may be different. I went with a Renogy 100 watt flexible panel with long cables and a separate charge controller right in my battery box. There are quite a few threads on solar on this forum so run a search or 2 to get some ideas.

[DavidM]

Also check out the solar panel article in the November 2017 newsletter. A couple of corrections due to later developments:

200 and 150 watt 12v nominal panels are now available on Amazon at a reasonable price.

Renogy sells some decent controllers, both PWM and  MPPT (MPPT delivers 10-15% more power) at good prices.

David

[Sylvain]

Every time I see $ followed by cdn I gasp a bit. Things are so much more $ in our neighbor to the north!  I agree with David's points and would add one more. Note the weight of the suitcase style portable panels. I tried one a couple years ago (a Samlex) and returned it in part because it was too heavy for me to regularly haul around the campsite and stow/deploy. Your situation may be different. I went with a Renogy 100 watt flexible panel with long cables and a separate charge controller right in my battery box. There are quite a few threads on solar on this forum so run a search or 2 to get some ideas.

You are so right Merlin.  Everything here is soooo expensive here in Canada.  Very frustrating.  This solar panel kit that I posted a link of was 299$ CDN at the moment I posted the link.  One day later the price went up to 522$ CDN ?  Go figure.  I'm not going to pay 522$ for this thing.  I also agree that the weight is on the heavy side.  It might be annoying to deal with that.

[Sylvain]

Also check out the solar panel article in the November 2017 newsletter. A couple of corrections due to later developments:

200 and 150 watt 12v nominal panels are now available on Amazon at a reasonable price.

Renogy sells some decent controllers, both PWM and  MPPT (MPPT delivers 10-15% more power) at good prices.

David

Thanks again David,
I will sure have a look at this.  We already have a 185W panel on the roof of our trailer.  I want a portable kit to improve our solar capacity when boondocking.

[Sylvain]

One more question to the solar experts!  I read David's article on solar and it was very instructive.  We now have our portable solar panel.  I would like to have a 25-30' cable to move the panel around.  I know 10/2 cable would be the best but it would be easier for me to get some 12/2 from the local store.  So is a 25-30' 12/2 cable enough or should I really go with the 10/2?

Thanks again......Sylvain

[Merlin]

The 12-2 from the local store would be ok electrically at 25 or so feet. However, I suggest a longer run so you have some flexibility to get that portable panel in full sun. Here's what I got and I've found 50 feet to be the sweet spot between ease of storage and flexible use. Keep in mind too the 12-2 from the local store may have a ground wire that is superfluous and the wire will be very stiff. Whatever you do, don't get standard solid wire; you have to use stranded wire to get good connections. What I've linked to has regular MC4 connectors making it very easy.

https://www.amazon.com/WindyNation-Gauge-Black-Extension-Connector/dp/B01D7VBNMM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3B0L1DZQLZ4X8&dchild=1&keywords=mc4+extension+cable+50+ft&qid=1592328528&sprefix=mc4+ex%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-3

[DavidM]

I second Merlin's comments that 50' is the sweet spot. 25-30 is too short to get to many sunny spots and anything longer than 50' is unwieldy, although you can hook together two 50' coils of wire to get 100' using MC4 connectors.

Also a 100 watt panel will be fine with 12 gauge wire. 50' results in about a 1/4 volt drop which is fine.

David

[Sylvain]

Thanks again for your help guys.   No worries Merlin, the local wire is 12/2 not 12/3 and is flexible stranded wire.  The option that you suggested is not availaible in Canada.  I wonder if this could be great?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0149VC5CG/ref=dp_cerb_3

[DavidM]

That 10/2 stranded wire is a heckofadeal. I presume it is copper. But 10 is overkill for a 100 watt panel and is heavy. I can't imaging why you would want 10/2 for a car audio system. You would probably need a 5,000 watt inverter to power the amp and five foot diameter speakers.

But look for 12/2. That would work fine for up to 100' of cable and a 100 watt panel.

David

[Merlin]

Sylvain, I would take David's sage advice and go with your local 12AWG wire. That home audio wire you linked to probably wouldn't hold up to the rigors of camping.

[Sylvain]

That 10/2 stranded wire is a heckofadeal. I presume it is copper. But 10 is overkill for a 100 watt panel and is heavy. I can't imaging why you would want 10/2 for a car audio system. You would probably need a 5,000 watt inverter to power the amp and five foot diameter speakers.

But look for 12/2. That would work fine for up to 100' of cable and a 100 watt panel.

David

You're right David, that cable seems wayyyy overkill for a audio system.

I forgot to mention our panel is 120 watt but I don't think that 20 watts makes a difference anyway.

Thanks again guys.......Sylvain

[Merlin]

That 10/2 stranded wire is a heckofadeal. I presume it is copper. But 10 is overkill for a 100 watt panel and is heavy. I can't imaging why you would want 10/2 for a car audio system. You would probably need a 5,000 watt inverter to power the amp and five foot diameter speakers.

But look for 12/2. That would work fine for up to 100' of cable and a 100 watt panel.

David

Side note.......when I first looked for large capacity DC fuses for a wind energy system I set up at my cabin, the place I found them locally was a car audio store. They had fuse holders with 200A fuses in stock for car audio installation, along with 4/0 wire and connectors. I left with my fuses, but ignorant of why car audio needs that capacity because I sure wasn't going to ask. 10AWG would be a pittance in the world of super stereo for cars.