diy solar

diy solar

Is this a good setup?

Wandererrr

New Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2023
Messages
56
Location
New England
We recently purchased a partially converted skoolie that came with 2 100w 12v Renogy solar panels, a 30a Renogy solar charge controller, and a 1500w pure sine inverter.
We bought 3 100ah 12v Renogy LiFePO4 batteries, #10 wires to go from the charge controller to the batteries, #2 wires to connect the batteries to each other and the inverter, and replaced the inverter with a 3000w.

We are probably going to:
-Have a mini fridge on 24/7, maybe unplug it while cooking
-Keep 2 phones and 1 laptop charged- Phones probably 1-2x each each day, Laptop unsure as I'm planning to get a remote data entry job
-Use some sort of small air conditioning or heater- amount varying greatly
-Use hair dryer 5 minutes most days
-Use electric burner 1-2 times a day that's <1500w
-Use toaster oven/air fryer that's <1500w probably once a day
-Power little puck lights
-Use a little hand blender for smoothies a few minutes here and there
-Power an alarm clock
-Charge various other small items like earbuds&bike light here and there/every few days
-We will probably get wifi that will be plugged in most of the time

Does our setup sound like it'll work? We're considering getting a third solar panel if we need to.
 
No, not at all. 200W is miniscule for loads of that size. Air-conditioning, toaster oven, and hair driers on 200W? Not a chance. I'd say a 24V system with at least 1000W of panels would be capable. Are panels mounted flat on the roof? If yes, de-rate their output to just 60% of nameplate.

A good rule of thumb I adhere to is having as many watts of panels as my largest load. If your largest load is 1500W, then have 1500W of panels.
 
Your setup should work for most of your daily needs, but it might be a bit limited for running an air conditioner or heater frequently, as these can be power-hungry devices. Adding a third solar panel would help increase your daily power generation, especially if you plan to use the air conditioner or heater regularly. Keep in mind that you'll need to carefully manage your power consumption to ensure your batteries don't get depleted too quickly on cloudy days or when using high-power appliances. Consider a power monitor to help you track your usage and make adjustments as needed.
 
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