solar chargers in the Northwest

[dreadcptflint]

I have scanned through different threads and am still left looking. Is there anyone here with a solar panels that camps in the trees? I know that shading greatly reduces the panels' ability to generate electricity. My question is how did you compensate. Did you use more panels or more batteries?

I am not looking to creat an indifinite source of energy. I am just looking at runing my CPAP and a couple of lights at night for around a week. I can be miserly with the lights however the CPAP is another story. I am leaning on going with two batteries with a smaller panel. Does anyone see any problems with that?

[mikeschn]

I see a problem with that.

When the solar panel is in the shade, it shuts off completely. So if you can not get your panel in the sun during the day, you're not going to get your batteries charged up at all.

You've got two options.

1) Carry a spare battery (fully charged)

2) Carry a generator, to charge up the batteries every afternoon that you didn't get a good charge from the sun. (I bought a $99 generator from Northern tools, but any small generator should work.)

Mike...

P.s. Oh yea, it goes without saying, you need a good way to test your battery level.

[dreadcptflint]

When the solar panel is in the shade, it shuts off completely. -Mike

Well that sucks. I was hoping for a diminished effect and not a complete shut down. I was hoping that shade was kind of like cloudy day and that I could make due with another panel or two.

[TPMcGinty]

I was looking on Northern Tools web site at a 5 watt solar battery charger. The people who reviewed it said it worked even on a cloudy day. I don't know if it would work in the shade, but at least in the shade there is some light. It's on sale for $50, so I think I might give it a try.

[emiller]

Solar panels do work in the shade just not very well. Last IRG 1.0 my 33 watt had a hard time keeping up. It was a little foggy in the am and shaded in the afternoon. My wife likes watching the DVD on the 15" TV at night or I would have done ok. If your in the shade alot I would look for another power avenue.

[madjack]

I was looking on Northern Tools web site at a 5 watt solar battery charger. The people who reviewed it said it worked even on a cloudy day. I don't know if it would work in the shade, but at least in the shade there is some light. It's on sale for $50, so I think I might give it a try.

Tim, keep in mind that a 5w chargers is more of a maintainer than a charger...if you are wanting to extend your stay, you need a bigger charger like Ed's 33w unit...Harbor Freight sells a 45w unit, complete with a solar charge controller for around 220 bucks..... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=90599

Dread, have considered making the unit portable and getting a 12ga, 100' extension cord to feed the solar charge to the battery.....
madjack

[TPMcGinty]

Tim, keep in mind that a 5w chargers is more of a maintainer than a charger...if you are wanting to extend your stay, you need a bigger charger like Ed's 33w unit...Harbor Freight sells a 45w unit, complete with a solar charge controller for around 220 bucks..... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=90599

madjack

Wow Madjack! That looks very nice but it seems to be an aweful lot of solar cells to have to mount to the tear or setup each time.

[Joseph]

Solar panels are like swamp coolers - they work best in the desert southwest.

My tuppence, FWIW.

Joseph

[dreadcptflint]

Madjack, What about the line loss with running that much extension cord? Would a 33 be enough? I am starting to think that a 45 with an extension and two batteries might be enough to do the trick.

Has anyone used the flexible panels?

[madjack]

Dread, I can't speak specifically to the line loss but that is why i said 12ga wire...I noticed on the spec sheet of the HF 45w model that it is wired with 14ga so the 12 is a step larger to help compensate for line loss...from what I have read, the flex panels don't live as long as the rigid ones.......

Tim, I agree it is lot to carry/setup but for the price it may be worth it...I have seen single panel setups that went as high a 75W and higher...with a commensurate increase in price...my main point was the fact that the smaller 5-15W panels may not do what you want...I don't have any solar experience but my research has indicated to me that a 30-45W panel is about the minimum I would want to extend my stay in the boonies...for example, a 45W panel with 8hrs of solid sun would yield you around 24-30Ah of power feed into your batteries...quite a bit for our basically minimalist needs......
madjack

[brian_bp]

...for example, a 45W panel with 8hrs of solid sun would yield you around 24-30Ah of power feed into your batteries...quite a bit for our basically minimalist needs......

I think that's solid sun... at the equator, in midsummer, at noon, with no clouds, no dust on the panel, and perfect panel alignment. From what I've read, I'd divide by two for more realistic conditions, even without considering shade. But then, maybe I'm just a pessimist.

[TPMcGinty]

Tim, I agree it is lot to carry/setup but for the price it may be worth it...I have seen single panel setups that went as high a 75W and higher...with a commensurate increase in price...my main point was the fact that the smaller 5-15W panels may not do what you want...I don't have any solar experience but my research has indicated to me that a 30-45W panel is about the minimum I would want to extend my stay in the boonies...for example, a 45W panel with 8hrs of solid sun would yield you around 24-30Ah of power feed into your batteries...quite a bit for our basically minimalist needs......
madjack

What you say makes a lot of sense. One of the reasons I am building a teardrop is to take as little with me as possible and still be comfortable. I guess I was hoping the 5-15 watt small panels would be enough to top off my battery during the day. I guess not. I can't see myself hauling around a bunch of solar panels. I guess it kind of defeats the minimalist concept. Heck, a small 1000 watt generator and a small gas can would take up less room and I already own one.

On another note, I'd love to get one good residential solar panel and hook it up. The company I work for even has a branch that makes some of the most advanced solar panels around.

http://www.sunpowercorp.com/

The problem is that even if I could get a company discount, they would still be way too expensive!

[mikeschn]

I have a 65 Watt solar panel and am planning on mounting it on top of the ET. 65 watts will take all day in full sun to put my amps back in the battery. And it's only for the lights, the fan and the TV for a couple hours.

I expect I'll be hooked up to the grid most of the time. But if I am not, and end up in the shade, my $99 generator will come to the rescue.

I wish there was an easy simple affordable answer, but just like cars, there's no cheap way.

Mike...

[Alphacarina]

Solar panels are like swamp coolers - they work best in the desert southwest.

They also work very well in the southeast . . . . where swamp coolers don't work at all

Actually, they work very well anyplace the sun shines alot - Having been raised in the Pacific Northwest, if you must have power (such as to run a medical device like a CPAP machine) you should look at a generator unless you want to carry a weeks worth of fully charged batteries into the woods - Nio amount of solar panels are going to give you a source of dependable energy where you live

Don

[madjack]

...for example, a 45W panel with 8hrs of solid sun would yield you around 24-30Ah of power feed into your batteries...quite a bit for our basically minimalist needs......

I think that's solid sun... at the equator, in midsummer, at noon, with no clouds, no dust on the panel, and perfect panel alignment. From what I've read, I'd divide by two for more realistic conditions, even without considering shade. But then, maybe I'm just a pessimist.

Brian, please note that I did say "solid sun"...I can't take into account everyones situation.................................