Солнечные батареи для зарядки аккумулятора 12в: особенности и обзор зарядных устройств

О солнечных батареях для зарядки аккумулятора автомобиля

Часто водителям приходится сталкиваться с тем, что батарея автомобиля начинает разряжаться, когда этого вовсе не ожидаешь. Такое может случиться вследствие разных факторов. Например, водитель оставил магнитолу в рабочем состоянии или не выключил фары, уходя из гаража, и аккумулятор сел за ночь. Кроме этого, холодная погода может стать естественным фактором, из-за которого АКБ плохо держит заряд и теряет свою емкость. Бывает и так, что «прикурить» один автомобиль от другого не получается — если вы оказались в глухой и безлюдной местности. Любая поездка на далекое расстояние может преподнести такой неприятный сюрприз, когда вы этого не ожидаете. Чтобы автомобилисту не оказаться без источника питания в критических условиях, было изобретено такое приспособление, как солнечная батарея для зарядки автомобильного аккумулятора.

Содержание статьи

Чем замечательны солнечные источники питания

Прежде всего, они отличаются компактностью, прочностью и устойчивостью к влаге. Большую популярность в последнее время приобрели варианты портативного плана — например, такие, как батарея марки S-Freedom. Как правило, повредить солнечные батареи сложно, многие модели перед вводом их в эксплуатацию проходят специальные тесты, которые проверяют возможность их применения в экстремальных условиях.

В условиях яркого солнца одно из таких устройств всегда придет вам на выручку. Кстати, определенные модели позволяют проводить зарядку автоаккумулятора даже в том случае, если он полностью разряжен.

Уровни мощности и напряжения солнечных источников питания

Выбрать солнечный источник питания для автомобиля просто, и процесс мало чем отличается от выбора обычного аккумулятора:

• Показатель уровня напряжения — как минимум 13 В, потому что U (в случае, если зарядка АКБ полная), показывает около 12,7 Вольт.
• Мощность источника питания. Бывают портативные панели для зарядки аккумулятора с выходным U 12 вольт и показателем мощности 7 Вт. Соответственно, уровень тока у этой АКБ будет небольшим, примерно полампера. Мощность — условный критерий при инсоляции от солнца в количестве 1000 Ватт на один квадратный метр. Даже если солнце будет светить ярко, при условии нагрузки ток будет составлять меньше 0,3 ампера (от солнечной панели в 7 Вт и 12 В).

Если все правильно рассчитать, окажется, что аккумулятор автомобиля при таких условиях будет стоять на зарядке очень долго: около 100 часов, а может и больше. Следовательно, солнечной панели мощностью 7 Вт вам точно будет недостаточно. И не стоит прислушиваться к заявлению особенно назойливых рекламщиков или продавцов по поводу того, что этого показателя хватит. Для того чтобы полноценно зарядить аккумулятор в максимально короткое время, вам понадобится солнечная панель, как минимум, в 40 Вт мощности.

Также вам понадобится приобрести подходящий кабель и несколько зажимающих устройств- «крокодилов» для правильного подсоединения к аккумулятору автомашины. Схема подсоединения проста: либо через вилку к прикуривателю, либо «по прямой», на клеммы АКБ. Зажим и кабель не всегда входят в основную комплектацию поставки. Чаще всего они покупаются отдельно, либо можно сделать их для вашей батареи своими руками. Кстати, солнечные панели Freedom — одни из немногих, которые укомплектованы и кабельными шнурами, и «крокодилами».

Нужен ли контроллер?

Многие водители, которые серьезно заинтересовались приобретением солнечных панелей для автомобильного аккумулятора, спрашивают, насколько целесообразно будет купить контроллер уровня заряда.

Все зависит от того, для какой цели вам нужна солнечная панель. В случае ее покупки только для того, чтобы подстраховаться, не подсоединяя надолго к АКБ автомобиля, контроллер покупать непринципиально. Если же планируется длительный отдых, и вам не хочется ежедневно запускать мотор для подзарядки панели от него, ее можно как раз присоединить к контроллеру и поставить на крышу автомашины. В этом случае можно не заводить мотор на протяжении всего периода отдыха, слушать в машине музыку, а аккумулятор будет постоянно заряжаться от солнечной панели, которая стоит на крыше.

Контроллер помогает предотвратить перезарядку панели, или же, напротив, ее глубокий разряд. Оптимальный показатель тока для работы контроллера — 10 Ампер.

Несколько полезных рекомендаций

Перед приобретением важно понимать, что за короткое время зарядить АКБ автомобиля с помощью солнечного источника питания не удастся, даже если у вас есть батарея, имеющая показатель мощности 40 Ватт. Время, в течение которого аккумулятор полностью зарядится, в данном случае, обычное. Оно такое же, как при использовании стандартных зарядных устройств. Минимальный срок зарядки — от 9 до 11 часов. Чаще всего солнечные АКБ приобретаются именно с той целью, чтобы подзарядить батарею автомашины в экстренном порядке, что немаловажно при поездках на далекие расстояния.

Как уже было сказано, солнечную систему больших размеров и высокой мощности часто устанавливают на крышу автомашины. Но есть и более компактные варианты, которые поместятся, к примеру, на приборной панели. Они предназначены для того, чтобы немного разгрузить АКБ, питая приемник, телевизор или другие приборы в салоне.

Важно перед покупкой внимательно осмотреть товар на предмет надежности корпуса. Не стоит вестись на слишком дешевые китайские панели из хлипкой и легкой пластмассы, которая легко расплавляется, если на нее действует прямой солнечный свет.

Зарядка аккумулятора от солнечной батареи примечательна тем, что не отличается большой силой тока. Это отличает ее от стандартных зарядных устройств. Показатель тока у солнечной панели максимум 2 Ампера, так что риска перезарядить аккумулятор нет. Зарядка будет осуществляться медленно, но надежно и безопасно, а в это время вы сможете спокойно отдыхать, не беспокоясь о том, что может случиться перезаряд.

Качественные модели солнечных батарей

Уже упоминавшаяся в статье марка S-Freedom всегда выпускается со всеми необходимыми аксессуарами. Линейка представлена моделями, имеющими мощность 40, 65, 80 и даже 120 Вт. Чем выше показатель мощности, тем больше будет скорость зарядки.

Солнечные источники питания фирмы Sunsei — тоже хороший вариант. Например, портативная панель SE-500 идет в комплектации с влагоустойчивым чехлом и штативом, на который она надежно устанавливается. Такая АКБ может питать аккумулятор автомашины в течение нескольких часов при заглушенном моторе. В комплект входят клеммы и вилка для автоприкуривателя. Мощность у нее небольшая, но всегда есть возможность размещения на крыше нескольких батарей.

Канадская панель SunForce отличается оборудованием более высокой мощности — при 150 Ватт сила тока составляет 8,7 А. В комплектацию входят контроллер, вилка и клеммы. Панель прекрасно помещается на крыше автомашины или даже небольшой яхты. Эта модель отличается тем, что может работать в условиях туманной и дождливой погоды.

Панель ТСМ 15-F — портативная и удобная разновидность с гибким, но прочным корпусом. Уровень мощности — 15 Ватт при токе в 1 Ампер. Удобна в транспортировке и размещении, фиксация надежная и крепкая.

Таким образом, солнечная батарея для зарядки аккумулятора, без сомнения, полезное и нужное устройство, которое всегда может помочь автомобилисту в непростых условиях дороги. Если у вас установлено такое устройство на крыше авто, оно всегда окажется полезным в пути. Конечно, придется быть готовым к тому, чтобы постоянно следить за тем, как конструкция закреплена на крыше. Особенно, если панелей несколько. Для того чтобы солнечная АКБ прослужила гораздо дольше, стоит приобретать товар только у проверенных производителей и обращать особое внимание на прочность материала, из которого изготовлен корпус.

О том, как завести машину, если сел аккумулятор, а солнечной батареи нет, читайте здесь →

90000 Everything You Need to Know About Solar Chargers 90001 90002 90003 90004 90002 Rain or shine we get a huge number of calls about solar power each day. We’ll attempt to answer the questions asked most often so we can save you a phone call. 90004 90002 Before we get started, you should know that solar power is not the cure-all for replacing spent energy. For example, some people are trying to recharge batteries for a trolling motor, boat, RV, house, electric scooter, backwoods cabin, etc., And they want it done in very short time, usually in just a few days. Assume you take a discharged 100-amp hour battery and charge it with a 30-watt solar panel under ideal summertime light conditions. After a full week, the battery will be just about fully charged. Using this example, you can see that it will take at least 100 watts of solar power to recharge a 100-amp hour battery in a few days. 90004 90002 Also, keep in mind that it takes direct sunshine on the surface of the panel to produce the maximum-rated power of a solar panel.Conditions such as an overcast sky, shadows, improper mounting angle, equatorial direction or short winter days will reduce the actual solar panel output to below the rated values. 90004 90011 VOLTAGE RATING 90012 90002 Most solar chargers are designed for 12 VDC, but we do have limited availability on a 24-volt panel. Typically, when 24 volts or greater is needed, solar panels may be wired in series, or we can special order solar panels that are made to deliver more DC Volts such as 24V, 36V, 48V etc.90004 90011 CONTROLLERS 90012 90002 90018 Anytime you use a panel that is over 5 watts rated output, we recommend using a solar charge controller. Actually, a charge controller is a good idea in a majority of applications, as it can provide several benefits such as preventing overcharge, improving charge quality, and preventing battery discharge in low or no-light conditions. Some solar panels are made with blocking diodes pre-installed that prevent battery discharge during low or no-light conditions.In most cases where a 6-watt or larger solar panel is installed, the use of a charger controller is highly recommended. In a nutshell, a solar charge controller acts like an on and off switch, allowing power to pass when the battery needs it and cutting it off when the battery is fully charged. Something to be aware of when selecting a controller is that they are typically rated in amps, while photovoltaic panels are typically rated in watts. That means a solar charge controller such as the Morning Star SS6L, 6-amp controller will work with nearly every panel we sell, right up to about 70 watts.90004 90011 POWER RATING WATTS AND AMPS 90012 90002 90023 Solar panel manufacturers rate solar output in watts. As a rule of thumb, a rating of 15 watts delivers about 3,600 coulombs (1 AH) per hour of direct sunlight. As an example, the Pulse Tech SP-5 panel can output .33AH per hour of direct sunlight. This is a very popular panel for maintaining single and dual batteries for stand-by and storage applications. 90004 90011 HOW DO I FIGURE SOLAR PANEL SIZE 90012 90002 The first thing to remember about solar power is that it is all a matter of numbers.The power you require vs. the power the panel can put out. Before you can even get started when purchasing a panel, you need to know how many amp hours or watts you’ll need to produce in a set period of time. This figure could be measured in hours or days. Since there are 24 hours in a day, we suggest you use that as a baseline. First, determine your total electrical consumption in that time period. Then figure the amount of direct sunlight the solar panel will receive in that time period and come up with a total amount of watt hours needed.You should always err on the side of caution and over-estimate your power needs. Typically we see an average of 4 hours of usable sunlight in the winter, and 6 hours of usable sunlight in summer. Granted, there are exceptions to these averages, but erring on the side of caution creates a more reliable solar system. These averages also help compensate for variables like shade, clouds, panel angle, etc. Once you have a good handle on your power requirements, I suggest you go to our Solar Calculator.90004 90011 OUTPUT CONDITIONS 90012 90002 Solar panel ratings are calculated in bright direct sunlight. Conditions such as indirect sunlight, overcast and partial shade conditions will decrease the output. We always recommend over-sizing the size of your solar array, as these conditions occur often. Also, remember that the length of daylight in summer vs. winter can make an impact. 90004 90002 One of the biggest errors commonly seen is when a solar array is designed in summer using summer daylight hours, but then it’s also used in the winter.The first complaint is often related to the batteries no longer holding up under load. This is a gradual process that begins when you lose daylight hours, and you start taking the battery pack beyond a 50% depth of discharge. When this happens, the batteries start to sulfate at a much quicker rate, and begin to no longer hold under load. As you can imagine, this is an expensive mistake! The solution generally involves more panels and new batteries with a higher Amp / Hr reserve. Therefore, we advise our customers to be conservative when accounting for daylight hours.Also, if you plan to utilize a solar array year-round, then you need to factor in your daily solar input for winter. 90004 90011 OPERATING A DEVICE DIRECTLY FROM A SOLAR PANEL BATTERY CHARGER 90012 90002 90038 We carry several foldable / portable solar panels for backpacking that come with a female cigarette lighter adapter. This adapter allows you to power 12v accessories that commonly use a 12v DC plug. In order to connect directly to a panel, the device can not be sensitive to voltage variation-otherwise they may shut down.To solve this problem, it’s best to use a small battery as a storage vessel for energy that will provide constant source of stable, reliable power. To do this, we recommend using a solar charge controller, Y-connector with a battery inline on one leg, and the female cigarette socket on the other leg. 90004 90011 ARE SOLAR PANELS WEATHER PROOF 90012 90002 Nearly all solar panels are designed for outdoor installation, as this is where they will receive the best, most direct exposure to sunlight.Remember that anything less than that will cause the panel to produce less than its full-rated power. 90004 90011 DO I HAVE TO MAINTAIN SOLAR PANELS 90012 90002 A periodic inspection to remove dirt, debris and check electrical connections is all that is needed. Keeping the panel clear of snow and debris will allow for better results. 90004 90011 HOW LONG DO SOLAR PANELS LAST 90012 90002 Performance from a solar panel will vary, but in most cases guaranteed power output life expectancy is between 3 and 25 years.This guaranteed life expectancy rating is usually 80% of the published rating of the solar panel. Of course, this will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and as always, you typically get what you pay for. Watch out for those cheap panels made in Paki-china-nam-istan. 90004 90011 USE OF A POWER INVERTER 90012 90002 90055 Many folks use a DC to AC power inverter to convert 12 VDC to 110 VAC. Since they change power from one form to another, inverters are power-gobbling monsters and should be avoided when possible.If you have a choice of a 12-volt, DC-powered device or 110-volt AC device, go with the 12-volt DC device. There are DC devices on the market that either step down or step up DC power, and these also use significantly more power. 90004 90011 FORMULA DC to AC via an Inverter 90012 90002 90060 Formulas and Examples for 12- & 24-Volt DC Systems 90061 90004 90002 This «rule of thumb» is intended as a general guide for estimating the DC amps required operating a DC to AC power inverter. Since the calculations yield approximate values, an appropriate safety factor should be considered when designing and specifying system components, such as wire, size and length.This basically means «oversize your system.» 90004 90002 90060 12-Volt DC Systems 90061 90004 90002 90060 Formula: 90061 12-volt inverters require approximately ten 10 amps DC input for each 100 watts output power used to operate an AC load. 90004 90002 90060 Example: 90061 How many DC amps will a 12-volt inverter require to operate 90060 three 90061 500-watt quartz lights, or a 1500-watt electric heater? 90004 90002 90060 Answer: 90061 90004 90083 90084 1) Total watts = 1500 90085 90084 2) 1500 watts / 100 (from formula) = 15 90085 90084 3) 15 X 10 amps (from formula) = 150 amps.90085 90090 90002 This is the DC current the inverter will use to operate the 1500-watt load. 90060 Note: 90061 90094 If these 150 amps are drawn from the battery for one hour, 150 amp hours of battery power will be used. 90095 90004 90002 To support 150 amp hours of battery power, 300 amps of battery capacity should be used for maximum battery life and performance. 90004 90002 90060 24-Volt DC Systems 90061 90004 90002 90060 Formula: 90061 24-volt inverters require approximately 5 amps DC input for each 100 watts output power used to operate an AC load.90004 90002 90060 Example: 90061 How many DC amps will a 24-volt inverter require to operate three 500-watt quartz lights, or a 1500-watt electric heater? 90004 90002 90060 Answer: 90061 90004 90083 90084 1) Total watts = 1500 90085 90084 2) 1500 watts / 100 (from formula) = 15 90085 90084 3) 15 X 5 amps (from formula) = 75 amps. 90085 90090 90002 This is the DC current the inverter will use to operate the 1500-watt load. 90060 Note: 90061 90094 If these 75 amps are drawn from the battery for one hour, 75 amp hours of battery power will be used.90095 90004 90002 To support 75 amp hours of battery power, 150 amps of battery capacity should be used for maximum battery life and performance. 90004 90002 Ready to harness the power of the sun? Shop for a solar charger and accessories. 90004 90002 90134 Solar Calculator 90004 90002 Whether you need a solar battery charger for boat, solar trickle charger for car battery, or a solar ac charger, we have the right chargers for any application. 90004 90002 90060 Choose Your Solar Charger 90061 90004 90002 90143 Was this information helpful? Sign up to Get Updates and Offers.90144 90004.90000 Solar Panel FAQs — 12V Solar Panels 90001 90002 Below is a list of 30 of the most common Solar related questions we receive from customers that could help answer some of the queries you may have. Click to view more information or contact our Support team and discuss with a REDARC team member today. 90003 90004 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What are Watts? 90004 90005 90002 The Watt is the basic unit of power.It is named after the eighteenth-century Scottish inventor James Watt. Power = Voltage x Current, so Watts = Volts x Amps. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What are Volts? 90004 90005 90002 Volts is a unit of electromotive force, the volt measures how much «potential» there is in an electric circuit. The higher the voltage, the more electrical current will flow in the circuit. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What are Amps? 90004 90005 90002 Amperes (or Amps), is the measure of electric current.One Amp is equal to a number of electrons passing a point in a circuit each second at a certain voltage. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What are Amp hours? 90004 90005 90002 Amp hours is a measure of stored power. Amp hours is the number of Amps drawn, for the amount of time in hours that you draw that current. Amps x hours = AH 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How are Solar panels created? 90004 90005 90002 Solar panels (Mono or Poly crystalline) are created from multiple ‘wafers’ of silicon connected together in series and / or parallel to form a solar ‘module’.These wafers are created from silicon ingots. The ingots are either block-cast from multiple silicon crystals (poly-crystalline) or grown to form a single crystalline structure (mono-crystalline). The ingots are cut into slices around 180 to 350 micrometers thick to form the wafers. The ingots are generally made from p-type doped silicon, and n-type silicon is then applied as a surface layer to the wafer. This creates the n-p junction which allows the flow of electrons. Anti-reflective layers are then applied to the wafer before metallic connections are made in a grid-like pattern on the front side of the panel and a plate across the full area of ​​the wafer on the back side.These metallic connections are screen printed using a silver paste on the front and an aluminium paste on the back. The wafer is then fried at a few hundred degrees celsius to create contact between the silicon and the metal electrodes. The wafers are now ready to be connected to form the solar module. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How many watts do I need? 90004 90005 90002 The number of watts or the amount of Power you need is determined by the requirements of your system with regards to both charging and to running particular loads.90005 90002 The power rating or wattage of your panels determines the rate at which you can deliver charge to your system. You need to ensure that you have enough solar panels to cope with the amount of power you plan to use. A good rule is to overrate your system so that it can cope with cloudy days and unexpected power usage. 90005 90002 The power rating of your inverter determines what appliances you can run from your inverter. If you want to run a1800W microwave from your inverter you would need at least an 1800W inverter.It is important to keep in mind that running an appliance such as this from an inverter will drain your battery bank considerably. As a general rule of thumb, if you divide the amount of watts an appliance uses by 10 for a 12V system or 20 for a 24V system, this will give you the current draw on that system. For example, an 1800W microwave will draw 1800/10 = 180A from a 12V system. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What is the difference between amorphous and crystalline silicon panels? 90004 90005 90002 Amorphous type solar technology uses Silicon in a non-crystalline, random form.It can be deposited onto many different substrates to give effects like flexibility for use in different applications. Amorphous type solar technology falls under the ‘thin-film’ category of solar modules. Amorphous type solar panels have a typical efficiency of around 6 — 7%. 90005 90002 Crystalline silicon type solar technology refers to monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels. These panels are created from silicon in a tetrahedral lattice type structure. This structure gives crystalline silicon type solar modules a higher efficiency per square meter than amorphous type modules.90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How many solar panels do I need? 90004 90005 90002 The amount of solar panels you require will be determined by the amount of charge that you need to return to your system during the sunlight hours of each day. For a 12V system, if you need to replace 100A / h of charge to your batteries each day, and you have 8 sunlight hours in each day you will need … 90005 90002 100AH ​​x 12V = 1200WH 90005 90002 1200WH / 8H = 150W of solar panels. 90005 90002 In reality it is recommended that you always overrate your requirements by at least 20%, therefore you would need 180W of solar panels.90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How do I connect my panel to my battery? 90004 90005 90002 Your solar panels should always be connected through a regulator and then the regulator connected to the battery / s. A regulator is required to ensure that none of the high voltages present at the output of a solar panel during good light level conditions can damage the battery / s. Each panel / regulator comes with a set of instructions outlining how the panel / regulator should be connected to the system.If after reading the instructions you are still unsure of how to connect your devices please contact a qualified auto-electrician or REDARC electronics on (08) 8322 4848. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What sized wiring do I need for my system? 90004 90005 90002 The wiring size for your system is determined by the overall length of cable involved in the system, and the amount of current drawn over that length of cable. The amount of current drawn by the system is related to the amount of current your solar panels can output for the cable between the solar panels and the battery, and is related to the amount of load you are planning to use for the cable between the battery and your loads.Required cable thickness can be easily worked out using our cable size and voltage drop calculator. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What type of battery do I need for my solar setup? 90004 90005 90002 The type of battery you choose depends on the application for which you are using it. It is recommended that a deep cycle battery be used as an auxiliary battery because generally an auxiliary battery is discharged to a lower level and then recharged as opposed to a starter battery which is generally kept at a particular charge level.90005 90002 It is important to ensure that your regulator is designed to charge the type of battery you plan to install in your setup. Most regulators will have specific charging profiles for the four different types of automotive batteries commonly used today. 90005 90002 It is also important to consider where the battery is mounted. If you plan to have the battery inside a caravan for example, you must get a sealed battery because an unsealed battery will generate harmful gases during charging.90005 90002 Your best bet is to contact a battery supplier and discuss your requirements with them. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 Why do I need a regulator? 90004 90005 90002 A 12V solar panel is designed to output at least enough voltage to charge a 12V battery under worst case conditions (low light level, high temperature etc). A 12V battery needs at least 13.6 volts to charge, therefore under worst case conditions a solar panel needs to output at least 13.6 volts.This means that in perfect conditions a 12V solar panel may output around 17V or more. If you plug a solar panel, which is generating 17V, straight into your battery it is easy to understand how this can cause damage. Solar regulators are designed to accept the voltage from the solar panel, and output a voltage that is safe and useable to charge a battery. A good regulator will incorporate a 3 stage charging output. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What can I run on my 80 Watt Panel? 90004 90005 90002 An 90003 80W solar panel 90004 can realistically supply between 4 and 5 Amps on a sunny day, for most of the sunlight hours of the day.If we assume that only 1/3 of the day is sunlight hours then it is safe to assume that the panel can supply between 4 and 5 Amps for this period. 90005 90002 Given that there are 24 hours in a day, an 80W panel can effectively run a load of around 1.5A continuously throughout the day / night running at no loss. 90005 90002 Let’s assume that the solar panels are charging a 100A / h battery. You wish to run a 50L Fridge which draws on average 3A, and 2 x LED camp lights which draw 0.25A each when running.You want to run the fridge 24 hours a day, and the camp light for 6 hours each night. 90005 90002 Fridge: 3A x 24h = 72Ah 90005 90002 Lights: 0.25A x 6h = 1.5Ah x 2 lights = 3Ah 90005 90002 Total: 75Ah per day. 90005 90002 90005 90002 Your panels can supply: 90005 90002 4.5A x 8h = 36Ah each day. 90005 90002 90005 90002 Therefore the battery is being discharged by: 90005 90002 75Ah — 36Ah = 39Ah each day. 90005 90002 90005 90002 So you could run your fridge and lights for: 90005 90002 100Ah / 39Ah = 2.5 days without any other form of charge. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What can I run on my 120 Watt Panel? 90004 90005 90002 A 90003 120W solar panel 90004 can supply between 6 and 7.5 Amps on a sunny day, for most of the sunlight hours of the day. If we assume that only 1/3 of the day is sunlight hours then it is safe to assume that the panel can supply between 6 and 7.5 Amps for this period. 90005 90002 Given that there are 24 hours in a day, a 120W panel can effectively run a load of around 2.75A continuously throughout the day / night running at no loss. 90005 90002 Let’s assume that the solar panels are charging a 100A / h battery. You wish to run a 50L Fridge which draws on average 3A, and 2 x LED camp lights which draw 0.25A each when running. You want to run the fridge 24 hours a day, and the camp light for 6 hours each night. 90005 90002 Fridge: 3A x 24h = 72Ah 90005 90002 Lights: 0.25A x 6h = 1.5Ah x 2 lights = 3Ah 90005 90002 Total: 75Ah per day. 90005 90002 90005 90002 Your panels can supply: 90005 90002 6.75A x 8h = 54Ah each day. 90005 90002 90005 90002 Therefore the battery is being discharged by: 90005 90002 75Ah — 54Ah = 21Ah each day. 90005 90002 90005 90002 So you could run your fridge and lights for: 90005 90002 100Ah / 21Ah = just under 5 days without any other form of charge. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What do I need to run my Fridge? 90004 90005 90002 This depends on the size of your fridge, how long you plan to stay away from any other power sources and the size of your battery bank.Please refer to the Typical Usage Calculator for more accurate information. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What do I need to run my Inverter? 90004 90005 90002 This depends on the size of your inverter, how long you plan to stay away from any other power sources and the size of your battery bank. Please refer to the Typical Usage Calculator for more accurate information. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What is a typical setup for my camper trailer? 90004 90005 90002 The typical setup for a camper trailer would involve a 80L fridge and a couple of LED lamps.We would recommend 2 x 90003 80W solar panels 90004 mounted on the roof of the camper trailer if the space is available. If not we would recommend a 90003 solar kit 90004 such as a 2 x 90003 120W Folding Solar panels. 90004 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What is a typical setup for my caravan? 90004 90005 90002 The typical setup for a caravan would involve a fridge, inverter, television, lighting and possibly some other equipment. We would recommend 3 x 90003 120W solar panels 90004 mounted on the roof of the caravan.90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What is a typical setup for camping? 90004 90005 90002 Typically a camper would require a 40 — 50L fridge and a couple of camp lights. We would recommend an 90003 80W solar pane 90004 l, or a 90003 112 watt Amorphous folding blanket 90004 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How long will it take to recharge my battery? 90004 90005 90002 The time needed to fully recharge your battery with solar depends on 1) how much stored energy you need to replace in your battery / battery bank, 2) the efficiency of your solar regulator and the charging method it uses and 3) the amount of solar energy you can provide.For the following example we will assume the regulator is 100% efficient. 90005 90002 Let’s say you need to replace 50A / h of stored energy into your battery via 300W of solar panels. 90005 90002 300W @ 12V = 300/12 = 25A 90005 90002 50A / h @ 25A = 50/25 = 2 hours 90005 90002 So as a rough estimate it would take around 2 hours to recharge your battery. In a real life situation you would need to take into account the efficiency of your regulator and its ability to charge the battery to 100% (multi-stage charging), and the fact that the charger will output at least 13V to charge the battery ( not 12V).90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 Where do I place my panel with regards to the sun? 90004 90005 90002 Ideally your solar panel should be in direct sunlight for best performance. This means that as much as possible your solar panel should be perpendicular to the direction of the sun rays. In practice this is not easily achievable or convenient and so we recommend that you orient your panels so that they are facing north at about a 45 ° angle. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 What’s the best time of day to use my panel? 90004 90005 90002 Your panels will provide the most power at peak sunlight.This requires no cloud cover and occurs at the middle of the day. Your panels will continue to provide power at a reduced rate before and after this peak sunlight period at any time whilst the sun is out. Your panels will obviously not provide any power before dawn or after dusk. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 Can I leave my panel out in the weather? 90004 90005 90002 Both REDARC thin film and rigid type panels are protected against the elements and will be fine if left out in the weather.REDARC solar panels are tested to handle rain and hail, and our portable panels can be tied or pegged down so as not to lose them in windy conditions. Having said that, generally when the weather is stormy, rainy or there is hail, sunlight levels are not high enough to generate power from your solar panels. Therefore if possible it would be best to bring your panels out of the weather during these conditions. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 Will my panel work when it’s cloudy? 90004 90005 90002 Solar panels do generate electricity in cloudy weather although their output is diminished.The output can drop to as low as 10% of the full sun intensity. The use of a MPPT regulator will help get the most out of your panels during these conditions. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How do I clean my solar panels? 90004 90005 90002 You should clean your solar panels on a regular basis for best performance as anything that may be blocking sunlight from the photovoltaic material will reduce the efficiency of the panel. Panels should be cleaned using a microfiber cloth as scratches may reduce the performance of your panels.90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 Can I upgrade my solar system? 90004 90005 90002 REDARC solar modules are designed to be upgradable and expandable. All REDARC panels, thin film, portable or fixed, are designed to be interconnected regardless of their type. There is also adaptor plugs available should you wish to add REDARC solar modules to an existing non-REDARC solar setup. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 My panel has stopped working, what do I do? 90004 90005 90002 If your panel has stopped working please run through the steps outlined in the troubleshooting guide.If after completing the troubleshooting guide you have not solved the problem, please contact REDARC on (08) 8322 4848 for further assistance. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 Can I charge with my solar panels partially in the shade? 90004 90005 90002 When a solar panel is partially shaded the cells that are in the shade will not output any power. A solar panel with bypass diodes will ensure that if a cell is in the shade and not providing any power, the other cells and therefore the panel as a whole will still provide an output.Panels without bypass diodes will lose all power when partially shaded. 90005 90002 Each cell in an 80W solar array provides about 0.5V output. Therefore every 2 cells lost will mean a 1V drop in output. An 80W panel will output around 16V — 18V, which means that if more than about 6 cells are shaded the panel is less likely to charge a 12V battery. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 How long will my solar panel last? 90004 90005 90002 REDARC rigid solar panels are designed to resist environmental conditions such as rain, hail and strong winds.REDARC rigid panels come with a 5 year warranty to back up this claim. REDARC rigid panels also offer a 12 year 90% efficiency warranty and a 25 year 80% efficiency warranty to ensure a useable output for years to come. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 90002 90003 My solar panel gets very hot when I leave it out in the sun, is this normal? 90004 90005 90002 Solar panels when left in the sun will get hot for two reasons. Firstly, the sun beating down on the surface of the panel will cause the panel to increase in temperature, as it will with most surfaces.Secondly, free electrons that do not flow to generate electricity, after being excited by sunlight will actually release heat as they return to an unexcited state. 90005 90002 90005 90002 90005 .90000 Charging Batteries with Solar Power or a Wind Turbine 90001 90002 90003 Learn about charging your batteries from renewable resources and what it costs. 90004 90005 90002 Folks concerned about the environment gravitate towards using renewable energy. The sun provides peak power of about 1,000 watts per square meter (93W / sq ft) and a solar panel transforms this power into roughly 130W per square meter (12W / sq ft). This energy harvest corresponds to a clear day with the solar panel facing the sun.Surface dust on the solar panels and high heat reduce the overall efficiency. 90005 90002 Generating electricity by sunlight goes back to тисячі вісімсот тридцять дев’ять when Edmond Becquerel (1820-1891) first discovered the photovoltaic effect. It took another century before researchers understood the process on an atomic level, which works similar to a solid-state device with n-type and p-type silicon bonded together. 90005 90002 Commercial photovoltaic (PV) systems are 10 to 20 percent efficient. Of these, the flexible panels are only in the 10 percent range and the solid panels are about 20 percent efficient.Multi-junction cell technologies are being tested that achieve efficiencies of 40 percent and higher. 90005 90002 Global warming will affect solar panels negatively. A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reveals that a one degree Celsius increase in temperature reduces the photovoltaic power output by 0.45%. Like a battery, heat also reduces the lifespan of solar cells. 90005 90002 At 25 ° C (77 ° F), a high quality monocrystalline silicon solar panel produces about 0.60V open circuit (OCV).Like batteries, solar cells can be connected in series and parallel to get higher voltages and currents. (See BU-302: Series and Parallel Battery Configurations) The surface temperature in full sunlight will likely rise to 45 ° C (113 ° F) and higher, reducing the open circuit voltage to 0.55 V per cell due to lower efficiency. Solar cells become more efficient at low temperatures, but caution is necessary when charging batteries below freezing temperatures. (See BU-410: Charging at High and Low Temperatures) The internal resistance of a solar cell is relatively high: with a commercial cell, the series resistance is typically one ohm per square centimeter (1Ωcm2).90005 90002 A solar charging system is not complete without a charge controller. The charge controller takes the energy from the solar panels or wind turbine and converts the voltage so it’s suitable for battery charging. The supply voltage for a 12V battery bank is about 16V. This allows charging lead acid to 14.40V (6 x 2.40V / cell) and Li-ion to 12.60 (3 x 4.20V / cell). Note that 2.40V / cell for lead acid and 4.20V / cell for lithium-ion are the full-charge voltage thresholds. 90005 90002 Charge controllers are also available for lithium-ion to charge 10.8V packs (3 cells in series). When acquiring a charge controller, observe the voltage requirements. The standard Li-ion family has a nominal voltage of 3.6V / cell; lithium iron phosphate is 3.20V / cell. Only connect the correct batteries for which the charge controller is designed. Do not connect a lead acid battery to a charge controller designed for Li-ion and vice-versa. This could compromise the safety and longevity of the batteries as the charge algorithms and voltage settings are different. 90005 90002 A lower-cost charge controller only produces an output voltage when sufficient light is available.With a diminishing light source, the charge controller simply turns off and resumes when sufficient levels of light are restored. Most of these devices can not utilize fringe power present at dawn and dusk and this limits them to applications with ideal lighting conditions. 90005 90002 An advanced charge controller tracks power by measuring the voltage and adjusting the current to get maximum power transfer with prevailing light conditions. This is made possible with 90023 maximum power point tracking (MPPT) 90024.Figure 2-25 illustrates the voltage and current source from a solar cell with varying sunlight. Optimal power is available at the voltage knee where the dropping voltage line meets the vertical power line. MPPT determines this point. 90025 90005 90027 90028 90029 90030 90025 90003 Figure 1: Voltage and current from source a solar cell at varying sunlight. 90004 90025 MPPT finds the best power point which is at the crossing point of the vertical power line. (V x A = W). The top horizontal line gets the most light.Wind turbines have a lower internal resistance than PV and the MPPT differs. 90025 90036 90037 90038 90039 90002 90025 It should be noted that not all MPPT circuits function equally well. Some are coarse and do not respond immediately to light changes, causing the output to fall or turn off if a shadow falls on the panel. Other systems drop off too early and do not fully utilize low light conditions. 90005 90002 A common MPPT method is 90023 perturb and observe (P & O) 90024.The circuit increases the voltage by a small amount and measures power. If the power increases by the equal amount, further voltage increases are applied until the optimal setting is reached. P & O achieves good efficiency but it can be sluggish and result in oscillations. 90005 90002 Another method is incremental conductance that computes the maximum power point by comparing current and voltage deltas. This requires more computation but has an improved tracking ability over P & O. 90023 Current sweep 90024 is a method that observes the current and voltage characteristics of the PV array to calculate the maximum power point.90005 90002 Solar panels are normally connected in series, each providing about 20V on a sunny day. The controller reads the overall string voltage but if one panel gets shaded, the MPPT loses effectiveness. Advanced systems process each panel or group o 90005.