Solar panels

[Gerrie]

What is the best way to harness the power of the sun when camping?
Wat is die beste manier om die son se krag te gebruik terwyl jy kamp?
Sonpanele, reg? So wat is die beste opsies hier?

[Royco]

Ek het myne van Renzo gekry: http://www.bushpower.co.za/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Good info on his web site, excellent service and good prices.
Might be a good place to start....

[OOOOMS]

Gerrie, nog info hier:
viewtopic.php?f=102&t=16938" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

En nog suppliers hier: @ R16.90 + Vat per watt
http://www.rectifier.co.za/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Gerrie]

Thanks OOOOOMS! So terloops, geluk met die kleinding!

[OOOOMS]

Thanks OOOOOMS! So terloops, geluk met die kleinding!

Tx Gerrie

[GI Jane]

Am also looking at solar panels for the trailer and have looked at the website you suggested Royco. Are you still happy with the products you bought from them, and are there prices comparable to those around our area and Cape Town. Have a 90litre national luna fridge freezer and am not too worried about using the trailer lighting ie. led's but it would be handy occassionally specially cooking at night. Have 2x105 deepcycle batteries like yours and found it a mission in Richtersveld, with the fridge dictating when we had to leave due to no additional power source. Was very careful about opening the fridge only once early morning and cool late evening but could only go 7 days without electricity and went into the red on the evening before we left. Would you suggest that the 130W solar panel would be sufficient for our setup? I have space to pack it on the trailer. Also chatted to someone on our trip and he said he did not have regulators etc for his solar panel, he just connected it to his trailer plug that he plugs into his car electrics with a long cable and the solar panel on the end.

[Royco]

I'm happy with my setup, and can recommend Renzo - Bushpower.
Regulators are very important! In my opinion the most important item in the setup.

The thing I will suggest is that you get a regulator that's greater than 2x the solar panel's output.
For example: the solar panel's output is 7.5a don't go less than a 20a regulator.

The 130w will definitely be enough.

[Niel]

Also look at Tenesol and Setsolar as well in CT

[GI Jane]

Have spent the last view days woking through the solar panel issues, and found this interesting site that gives some great information, for me anyway, being a solar panel newbie....
http://www.4x4powersolutions.co.za/sola ... idges.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ChrisF]

still on my wish list ....

We still do more driving than parking, so not needed at this stage.

[ChrisF]

I have been looking for a solar solution for the some time now.

As mentioned previously the regulator is THEE compnent to get right !! The mppt regulators are almost three times the price of the standard regulators, BUT no energy is wasted - as much as 21% more current yield to the battery from the same panel !

As for the panels .....

the solid plate panels are the cheapest, but to big and bulky for what I want (I want backup power for the odd occasion that we are camping away from a powered site - maybe 2 or 3 days a years, and mostly the battery will carry us through untill the next powered site.)

You now get foldable panels that fold up like a blanket. The packed away dimensions are small ! but EXPENSIVE !! 7k for a 60W panel ! And even at these prices there are no stock in the Cape !

The flexible (roll up) panels are not cheap either, and packed away they are still bulky.

I have now also seen 30W flat/thin panels - these can fit under our bed, and just stay there for the odd occasion when we need solar power. Will be more than R4,5k for 60W !! (excluding a regulator ! ) But nobody has stock.....


Megaworld even has no stock of regulators in the Cape .....



here I am crying about the price of these items and the suppliers are running low on stock ...... seems there are still some buyers out there.



PLEASE let me know if you know of places with stock.


Best option thus far was to get two off 30W panels - these panels are roughly 770x400x25 (not 35mm thick). But the supplier cant get more stock ..... all the other panels are 550x???x35. It might not sound like much, but it makes is difference for fititing into our existing setup.



anders moet ek maar net n dc to dc charger koop om die battery vinniger te laai ..... maar mens wil mos nou nie gejaag word om te "moet" ry wanneer mens lekker kamp nie.

[Family_Dog]

Chris, I believe we have stock of the 30A regulators, used for our high-sites. It's not something we sell every day, we normally just keep them for ourselves.


-F_D

[ChrisF]

Thanks FD - will keep that in mind.


I was SO happy when I found the small 30W panel today ... just to get the call later that the supplier only has the one demo model and that he cant source more of these ......



PS - I DID consider putting an 80W panel ontop of the canopy and put this topic to bed once and for all ... BUT then Elders will stand more than 2,1m tall. Thus I cant use our parking at work anymore, nor a lot of other parking around town.

[george]

PS - I DID consider putting an 80W panel ontop of the canopy and put this topic to bed once and for all ... BUT then Elders will stand more than 2,1m tall. Thus I cant use our parking at work anymore, nor a lot of other parking around town.

But you only going to use it when you go touring.So remove it when you are wheeling around town.

What was the best deal you could find on a 80watt panel

[Niel]

where do you buy a device that will automatically track the sun and position the panel to its optimum in relation to the sun - so I don’t have to turn it myself.

[george]

where do you buy a device that will automatically track the sun and position the panel to its optimum in relation to the sun - so I don’t have to turn it myself.

is jy nou al weer lui ou grote

[SuidWes]

Hi Chris, just had a look at Elders on the other post - Nice setup

Why not install the panel on top of the cab Two loadbars and you're sorted... This will also not increase the height of the vehicle which means that you will still be able to use your parking

[Haboob]

Try Alu-cab in Cape Town

[ChrisF]

GEORGE - I was looking at for two off 30 watt panels. Solid panels starts at about R800 for a 30W panel. R2300 for a 30W "thin plate" (not the one that rolls up - NICE size to fit under the matress ... but no stock .... I almost think Safari Centre had an 80W panel for R2400 (?) Do yourself a favour and contact Loekie at GW Store in Wellington though - GOOD service and GOOD prices !! (just a pity he cant get stock of what I want, but nobody else can either) And he can deliver in the Western Cape.


Niel just get your wife to turn the bakkie .....


Jaco I did consider fitting it above the cab, but have not gotten as far as looking into the pricing of proper Thule bars etc .... ek weet dit gaan duur raak ...


EDGE why alucab ?? If I change the canopy I start the whole build from scratch .....

[Johan Kriel]

n Yskas trek omtrent 3.5 Amps vir hoeveel uur?, se 6 hours deur die nag , gee jou 21Ah, na die battery verloor jy heelwat energie, se die helfte so jy moet 42Ah verwek. So 42Ah x 12Vollt x 6 ure son = 504 Watt , deel met 6 ure son per dag is 84Watt paneel, net vir die yskas per nag.

Sit n paar ligte ens by, so n 100watt paneel dalk en n battery wat groot genoeg is, so om 60 Ah te stoor dan moet die baterry 100Ah wees (60% kapasiteit)

En dan kort jy nog omtrent die helfte van die krag om die yskas deur die dag aan te dryf. So jy kyk na 2 x 75 Watt panele.

Maar kom ek los dit vir die ouens wat die goed verkoop, hulle maak geld daar uit en weet dalk beter.

[OOOOMS]

n Yskas trek omtrent 3.5 Amps vir hoeveel uur?, se 6 hours deur die nag , gee jou 21Ah, na die battery verloor jy heelwat energie, se die helfte so jy moet 42Ah verwek. So 42Ah x 12Vollt x 6 ure son = 504 Watt , deel met 6 ure son per dag is 84Watt paneel, net vir die yskas per nag.

Sit n paar ligte ens by, so n 100watt paneel dalk en n battery wat groot genoeg is, so om 60 Ah te stoor dan moet die baterry 100Ah wees (60% kapasiteit)

En dan kort jy nog omtrent die helfte van die krag om die yskas deur die dag aan te dryf. So jy kyk na 2 x 75 Watt panele.

Maar kom ek los dit vir die ouens wat die goed verkoop, hulle maak geld daar uit en weet dalk beter.

Johan, jy is 100% reg

Maar aan die einde van die dag gaan dit oor die spasie wat die paneel/e op neem, en spasie is 'n issue of word 'n issue.

[Johan Kriel]

Reg.

Ons kry hier panele van R15.50/watt, VAT incl, behoort by julle ook te kan wees.

[OOOOMS]

Reg.

Ons kry hier panele van R15.50/watt, VAT incl, behoort by julle ook te kan wees.

Daai is 'n baie ordentlike prys ivg met wat die 4x4 retailers ouens vra

[george]

Reg.

Ons kry hier panele van R15.50/watt, VAT incl, behoort by julle ook te kan wees.

Hi Johan.Daai is 'n goeie prys.By wie kry jy dit?

[GI Jane]

Thanks FD - will keep that in mind.


I was SO happy when I found the small 30W panel today ... just to get the call later that the supplier only has the one demo model and that he cant source more of these ......



PS - I DID consider putting an 80W panel ontop of the canopy and put this topic to bed once and for all ... BUT then Elders will stand more than 2,1m tall. Thus I cant use our parking at work anymore, nor a lot of other parking around town.

Not sure if I understand properly, Are you wanting to keep the solar panels permanently mounted on top of your vehicle?.... Surely you will only put it on your canopy while travelling on holiday...

[Johan Kriel]

Reg.

Ons kry hier panele van R15.50/watt, VAT incl, behoort by julle ook te kan wees.

Hi Johan.Daai is 'n goeie prys.By wie kry jy dit?

Soltec, is n plaaslike besigheid, spesialiseer op solar installasies.

[george]

OK.So I bite the bullet and gat myself a panel from http://www.setsolar.co.za/
I paid R14(B grade) a watt(excluding vat). I got an 85watt panel.I also got the Stecca 20amp(LED) controller for R728(excluding). I really got good service from them.The ladies was very friendly and helpful.They weren't to technically minded but that was fine since I knew what i want.
Unfortunately there was this irritating guy calling her all the time and bickering about priceing and group buys. The world is getting to small. :wink2:

Anyhows.one thing I did not know is that you get different grades of solar panels:
grade A=R15.50 a watt. Showroom condition
grade B=R14 a watt. Cosmetic deficiency(I can not see anything wrong on mine)
grade C=R12 a watt. Cant remember what the deficiency was but they did not recommend it

[SuidWes]

Lekker George -85w is perfek vir daai 40l Engel!

[george]

Lekker George -85w is perfek vir daai 40l Engel!

Ek hoop hy kan die Tafel's koud hou

[Family_Dog]

Monocrystalline is the right way to go!


-F_D

[ChrisF]

I typed a nice long reply .. but it did not load .... short version -

I bought the foldable panel - in the end the packing space was the decider. got it at just over 6k in the end, as apposed to the 7k of the other outlet. still R100 per watt !! I still think the price is insane, but like so many others the space argument won me over.

now to buy a mppt regulator.

[Niel]

Ek hoop hy kan die Tafel's koud hou

seker hy sal. my 90 w het die 80l NL op n 105 deep cycle vol gehou deur die dag, Die idee is dat die paneel hom vol hou van die begin af want as n deep cycle eers n nock gevat het vat dit n hele tyd voor hy die battery weer vol kry.

[ChrisF]

I fitted the regulator, and ran a charge lead inside the Hilux. Also made up a 7m charge, with another 15m charge lead to be made up later.

And finally I got to test the solar panel. :)

I LOVE how small it packs away !!

[george]

nice Chris.Will be interesting to see the results

[ChrisF]

I am very tempted to rig up a voltmeter setup, whereby I can monitor the volts of the battery, solar panel volts and charging volts ....