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Harnessing solar power in your RV opens up a world of possibilities for sustainable off-grid living. With the right system, you can transform your RV experience into a sustainable, fun-filled adventure while enjoying all the comforts of home.
This article explores the various types of solar panels, also called photovoltaics, available for RVs, including roof-mounted and portable options. We’ll also delve into what you can run with your photovoltaics, including calculations to help you determine your unique energy needs and solar output.
Let’s dive in.
Roof Mounted Solar Panels
Roof-mounted photovoltaics are an excellent option for motorhomes because they’re low maintenance and will charge your batteries whether you are parked or driving. Installing photovoltaics on your motorhome is very convenient because they’re hardwired into your RV’s battery system, so they don’t need to be set up each time you park.
It allows you to maximise your energy production, which is essential for comfortable off-grid living. It also allows you to run your DC and AC electrical systems efficiently.
Depending on your roof, you can mount high-output 400W rigid panels to the top, although that will require drilling into your roof. Another option is flexible photovoltaic panels, which are an excellent choice for the curved front surface of your RV. The EcoFlow 100W Flexible Solar Panels are easy to install, maximise your surface area for energy production, and look fantastic on your motorhome roof.
Portable Solar Panels
Portable photovoltaics are another great option for their ease of setup, affordability, and flexibility. Since you don’t have to mount them to your motorhome, you can set them up anywhere the sun is shining.
It means you can optimise your energy production by placing them where the sun is directly overhead, which is not always an option when mounted. They’re also an excellent option for those with refrigerators and air conditioners who probably won’t have enough surface area on their roof to meet their higher energy needs.
EcoFlow’s Portable Photovoltaics come in different size options, allowing you to choose the best portable photovoltaics to customise your setup to suit your needs. You can get models that produce as much energy as rigid panels will, making them a suitable option for high energy needs.
Another choice for those who may not have much room for panels is EcoFlow 220W Bifacial Portable Photovoltaics. These panels collect light from the front and back and boast an impressive 25% conversion efficiency, making it the perfect option for tight or tricky spaces to maximise output.
What Can I Run on RV Solar?
There’s no real limit to what you can run on solar in your RV, it all depends on your motorhome’s photovoltaic system.
Most RV photovoltaic systems easily produce enough power to run things like lights, coffeemakers, blenders, TVs, and other small appliances. They’ll also charge any of your electronic devices like phones and tablets.
However, if you have a refrigerator, and especially if you want to run air conditioners or heaters, these need more power than a single panel could ever produce. If you have a lot of power-hungry appliances, you should consider both roof-mounted and portable photovoltaic options, along with a large enough battery bank.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need to Run My RV?
To determine how many photovoltaic panels your motorhome needs, you first need to know how much power you need. Your energy needs vary widely depending on the motorhome, the type and number of appliances, and how often you use them.
To figure out your energy needs, make a list all of your appliances. Next, look at each appliance and locate the amps or watts it uses. You need the values in watts, but if it’s given in amps or volts you can convert them using this formula:
Watts = Amps x Volts
For example, say you have a 6 amp pressure cooker that runs on your 120V AC power. The watts it uses are:
120V x 6A = 720W
Now that you know how many watts, you need to factor in how long it is used each day. Let’s say you use it for 2 hours.
720W x 2h = 1,440Wh or 1.44kWh
Now, what about a coffeemaker?
Let’s say it draws about 5 amps on a 120V AC system.
120V x 5A = 600W or 0.6kWh
However, you might only use it for 30 minutes. Therefore, the amount of watts in a day would be:
600W x 0.5h = 300Wh or 0.3kWh
Now, do that for each of your appliances and add up all those watt-hours they need in a day, and that will determine your daily energy needs.
However, to keep it simple, let’s just assume we only have that pressure cooker and coffeemaker.
Then we need 1,440Wh + 300Wh = 1,740Wh or 1.74kWh.
Now we know our energy needs, what about our solar output?
Let’s just say you have one 400W rigid photovoltaic panel installed on your roof.
People sometimes assume you simply multiply the number of watts by the number of daylight hours, like 400W x 10 hours of summer daylight = 4000Wh, but that is not how it works.
The sun is not always directly overhead, which is called peak sunlight, so often, you only get less efficient diffuse sunlight. Furthermore, nothing is 100% efficient, so power is lost as it travels from the panels to the battery and the inverter that converts the DC into AC power. Therefore, you need to multiply it again by about 0.75 to account for losses.
You can use this formula:
Solar output = rated power of panel x # peak sunlight hours x 0.75
Fortunately, Australia gets a lot of peak sunlight hours, let’s use a good average of 6 peak hours. So, for our 400W panel our solar output is:
400W x 6h x 0.75 = 1,800W
So, as you can see, that one panel will supply enough energy to run those appliances and a little extra to charge your phone. However, if you add other appliances, you’ll need more panels.
Final Thoughts
Integrating solar power into your RV is an excellent way to enhance your off-grid lifestyle, allowing you to travel sustainably while enjoying all the comforts of home.
You can power a wide range of appliances by assessing your energy needs and choosing the right number of roof-mounted and portable photovoltaic panels. For optimal performance, consider EcoFlow Solar Panels to meet your motorhome’s unique energy needs.