by Arne » Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:20 am
Green is good if it works for you. I have a honda eu2000 for a/c and heat. If I have shore power available, I use that... right now, the only way I'd go with panels was if I stayed put a lot, and could build them into the roof.
Solar panels are bulky and not all created out of the same mold. Here is a bit about h/f 45w panel kits........ for now, I'll stick with campground 115 and my gen...
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List price is $249, but almost always on sale for $199. This works out to $4.00/Watt, a very good price. However, they do take up a lot of space for the energy they put out. I have 2 sets that I use to power my station, charge rechargeable items (like cell phones, etc), and run several 12VDC halogen lights. Don't use the included "charger" as it will likely ruin your batteries (See my review of the Steca Sigma, if looking for a controller). The lights are a little too blue shifted for my taste, but I use them on cloudy days as needed.
The panels themselves are made by Topray, a Chinese company (at Harbor Freight!?!). They are Amorphous solar panels (hence the somewhat weak output and cheap price), putting out 15Watts @ about 22VDC open circuit in full sunlight. The kit includes a mounting bracket that will hold all 3 panels. I cut up a 2X4 to make a simple frame and weighed the whole thing down with a few 5 gal buckets filled with sand. This arrangement has stood up to wind gusts of 30+MPH without moving an inch.
I have been using the current setup for about a month. Prior to that I had one set, but they were not enough to charge the bank (2 100Ahr gell cells), hence the second set. Before that I was using a small panel and 17Ahr battery using a different controller.
We'll see how they perform in December, but for summer use, they can't be beat. Again, the only reason to buy these over monocrystalline panels is for the price/Watt. If you have some space available and don't need bleeding edge technology, these are a good way to go.