PRVCA Explore PA 2022 | Page 27

Solar Panels are now manufactured in both rigid and flexible styles . The rigid type works great on an RV with a flat roof , and is probably the most rugged . But if you have an Airstream or Teardrop trailer with a curved roof , you ’ ll definitely want the flexible style that can be bent to fit the curve of your RV ’ s roofline .
You can get solar panels in various sizes from 50-watts to 200-watts + each , and they can easily be connected together to increase the power . Let ’ s say you get a pair of 200-watt solar panels . They would add together provide 400-watts of solar . And if you bought five of the 200-watt panels that would add up to 1,000-watts of solar .
Solar panels can be hooked up in series or parallel , each of which configuration has its advantages and disadvantages . But most small solar panel arrays are hooked up in parallel , which dictates the type of solar charge controller you can use .
How much energy can they provide ?
Be aware that a 100-watt solar panel doesn ’ t produce 100-watts of energy all the time . That number would only be at high-noon on a cloudless day with the sun directly overhead of the perpendicularly mounted panels . Life isn ’ t perfect , so generally the most we can expect to get out of a 100-watt panel is around 300 to 400 watt-hours per day . The definition of watt-hours is how many watts of power a panel is providing times the number of hours it is providing energy .
If your RV is parked under a shady tree you get less sunlight ( and fewer watt-hours of energy ). Same goes for in the winter , early
www . prvca . org | largestRVshow . com spring and fall when the sun is never directly overhead . You will get a lot less energy during those times , and the exact amp-hour number has a lot of variables . So your mileage will vary ( as they say ) and that 100-watt panel energy output could vary from 100 watt-hrs per day in the winter without direct sunlight , to maybe 600 watt-hours per day if you ’ re camping in the desert with a lot of sun . But 300 watt-hrs of energy output per 100 watts of solar panels is a good average for basic calculations .
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