I've found a solar panel but is it any good?

[JaseyB]

OK guys, I have been looking around for a decent value solar panel that I intend to use in either a 12 or 24 v system (I'm gonna worry about that later on when I select my MPPT) The panel that I have found (beside others) is this one:

Solar Panel 310W Monocrystalline Silver Frame, Off Grid, On-Grid, High Efficiency 20% : Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

Solar Panel 310W Monocrystalline Silver Frame, Off Grid, On-Grid, High Efficiency 20% : Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science

smile.amazon.co.uk

I was hoping someone here who knows what to look for will be able to tell me if these are of decent specification as they appear, to me, to be very good value for money but I don't want to be buying something that might have problems with later on down the road.

If these seem OK to you guys to use on my campervan conversion I intend to use 3 of these panels on my roof (probably in a 24v setup).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[mikefitz]

It seems you are in the UK, have a look at,

Panels & Mounts

Suppliers of solar panels and solar kits for caravans, motor homes, boats, farms, homes and businesses.

www.bimblesolar.com

They use a specialist carrier to reduce the chance of damage. Reports of good service and quality panels.
12v or 24v.
Unless you will be using an inverter at over 2000 watts its easier to stay with a 12v system.

If you want to use 3 similar panels in series you will need a 150v input MPPT controller.

Mike

 

[RCinFLA]

A single sixty cell panel will not likely work with 24v battery on an MPPT controller because there is not enough overhead voltage.

You would have to put at least two in series.

 

[JaseyB]

Unless you will be using an inverter at over 2000 watts its easier to stay with a 12v system.

If you want to use 3 similar panels in series you will need a 150v input MPPT controller.

Mike

I will probably be looking at a 3000W inverter to allow for my shower.

I will also need to look at how to connect these later but I just need advice about the technical spec.
To me, just comparing output and efficiency to cost, they seem to be very good value. I was hoping to get an "expert" opinion on them.

 

[mikefitz]

to allow for my shower.

I have not seen any 3kw electric showers.

I was hoping to get an "expert" opinion on them.

Nobody here is an expert, just offer advice based on experience. A 300 watt panel is a 300 watt panel, efficiency does not have any effect, it is what it is.
The company I recommended sell branded panels, not eBay/Amazon junk. JA, LG, and Canadian Solar are reputable companies.

Mike

 

[JaseyB]

I have not seen any 3kw electric showers.

Nobody here is an expert, just offer advice based on experience. A 300 watt panel is a 300 watt panel, efficiency does not have any effect, it is what it is.
The company I recommended sell branded panels, not eBay/Amazon junk. JA, LG, and Canadian Solar are reputable companies.

Mike

I appreciate your advice. I will take it on board. There are other branded companies and panels I have already had a look at also.

What I was looking for was a knowledgeable and educated look at the panels suggested to help me in my purchase. To claim everything on Amazon and ebay is "junk" seems a little biased already, if you don't mind me saying. These panels seem great value but maybe I'm missing something that you experienced guys will notice?

 

[Rednecktek]

Looking at the specs on the sticker, you COULD run 3 panels in parallel on a 24v system if you had to, but being in Britain I'd highly recommend getting a 150v+ MPPT controller and setting them up in series so you get more usable power out of your panels in the overcast.

The specs look perfectly fine, and at less than $210 that's a pretty ripping good deal for a new panel. To put it in contrast it would cost about 200+ GBP to buy 3 individual 100w panels so a much better bang for the buck.

The only complication you might run into is the physical dimensions of 165cm x 100cm and how well that'll fit on the roof.

In short, that's a pretty darned good deal. The company has been around since 2005 so they have some experience at least.

For a 3kw system you're going to want at least a 24v system, if not a 48v (if possible). Either way you'll have to get a buck transformer involved if you need to feed any 12v pre-existing in the vehicle, but those are pretty easy (as I've started learning).

 

[mikefitz]

is "junk" seems a little biased already, if you don't mind me saying. These panels seem great value

My apologies , I jumped in without researching the panel 'junk' was over the top, there are reputable companies that sell on eBay and Amazon.
There is increasing evidence based on issues reported on this forum that some sellers on these platforms are being less than honest with the specification of their solar panels.

The panel in your link is ET solar brand from a large company and as such should be a good buy

ET Solar - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

the panel is available from other sellers.

Solar Panel 320W Monocrystalline high efficiency 19.19% EGing | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Solar Panel 320W Monocrystalline high efficiency 19.19% EGing at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

you can get direct from Voltacon

Solar Panels

Whether You Need Solar Panels or Solar Power Systems, We Have Them Here. Contact Us Today. From Solar Panels to Power Systems, We Have Them Here. Contact Us for Any Inquiries. LED Street Lights. Batteries & Storage. Protection & Monitoring.

voltaconsolar.com

Mike

 

[JaseyB]

Looking at the specs on the sticker, you COULD run 3 panels in parallel on a 24v system if you had to, but being in Britain I'd highly recommend getting a 150v+ MPPT controller and setting them up in series so you get more usable power out of your panels in the overcast.

The specs look perfectly fine, and at less than $210 that's a pretty ripping good deal for a new panel. To put it in contrast it would cost about 200+ GBP to buy 3 individual 100w panels so a much better bang for the buck.

The only complication you might run into is the physical dimensions of 165cm x 100cm and how well that'll fit on the roof.

In short, that's a pretty darned good deal. The company has been around since 2005 so they have some experience at least.

For a 3kw system you're going to want at least a 24v system, if not a 48v (if possible). Either way you'll have to get a buck transformer involved if you need to feed any 12v pre-existing in the vehicle, but those are pretty easy (as I've started learning).

Thanks @Rednecktek at least it's possible Is there any way you could recommend a suitable MPPT so that I know what I'm looking for and the price point of these? Just so I can balance out the cost savings of the panels against the cost of the larger MPPT.

Thanks.

 

[JaseyB]

My apologies , I jumped in without researching the panel 'junk' was over the top, there are reputable companies that sell on eBay and Amazon.
There is increasing evidence based on issues reported on this forum that some sellers on these platforms are being less than honest with the specification of their solar panels.

The panel in your link is ET solar brand from a large company and as such should be a good buy

ET Solar - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

the panel is available from other sellers.

Solar Panel 320W Monocrystalline high efficiency 19.19% EGing | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Solar Panel 320W Monocrystalline high efficiency 19.19% EGing at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

you can get direct from Voltacon

Solar Panels

Whether You Need Solar Panels or Solar Power Systems, We Have Them Here. Contact Us Today. From Solar Panels to Power Systems, We Have Them Here. Contact Us for Any Inquiries. LED Street Lights. Batteries & Storage. Protection & Monitoring.

voltaconsolar.com

Mike

Thanks @mikefitz Yeah they seemed a decent company and decent panels and great value but with so little reviews I didn't have a lot to go on so turned here for advice. I am a complete beginner at this so don't know what to look for or how to set these things up yet.

Happy to take all recommendations from you guys tho. I could be leanign heavily on you in these coming days (weeks lol).

Thanks again

 

[Rednecktek]

Well, it depends. If you're looking for an All-In-One charge controller/inverter and you have the space to stick it, either the MPP2424 or the Growwatts 3k are viable options as they top out at 145VoC input.

If you're wanting to have a separate charge controller and inverter then there are options like the EPEVER 150v, or the top shelf units like the Victron 150/85 or the MidNite Solar "The Kid" that would all hold it down just fine. I did a search for MPPT 150v in Amazon and found those right out the gate.

Now, that may assume a 48v battery bank. I know the 2 PowMr controllers I have both have different voltage input ranges based on the battery voltage, so keep that in mind and check the manual fully before you pull the trigger.

Granted, going 48v is probably a good idea if you have the battery space.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

What exactly are you doing for a shower that needs 3kw inverter? Are you heating water electrically?

 

[mikefitz]

For 3 panels I would use the Victron Smart 150/45 MPPT solar controller and the Victron Multiplus 24/3000/70 inverter/charger( this has shore power assist). In addition a Victron battery monitor, either the Smart Shunt or the BMV712 so accurate battery voltage and temperature are reported to the other Victron units.

Mike

 

[JaseyB]

What exactly are you doing for a shower that needs 3kw inverter? Are you heating water electrically?

That's the plan, yes. I'd like to avoid gas in the van.

 

[JaseyB]

Well, it depends. If you're looking for an All-In-One charge controller/inverter and you have the space to stick it, either the MPP2424 or the Growwatts 3k are viable options as they top out at 145VoC input.

If you're wanting to have a separate charge controller and inverter then there are options like the EPEVER 150v, or the top shelf units like the Victron 150/85 or the MidNite Solar "The Kid" that would all hold it down just fine. I did a search for MPPT 150v in Amazon and found those right out the gate.

Now, that may assume a 48v battery bank. I know the 2 PowMr controllers I have both have different voltage input ranges based on the battery voltage, so keep that in mind and check the manual fully before you pull the trigger.

Granted, going 48v is probably a good idea if you have the battery space.

This is a thing that still eludes me and perhaps should be in a new thread.
What factors dictate whether I should have a 12, 24 or even 48V system? Is this just how the battery bank is wired up? Can I mix and match solar panels of say 24V to power a battery setup of 48V? Is this managed by the MPPT? If I do go over 12V for my battery, can I still get charge from the alternator in the van?

 

[12VoltInstalls]

With an mppt you can set up panels to be 48V and charge into 48, 24, or 12V batteries. Or 24V panels can charge into 24 or 12V battery bank. Or 12V panels into 12V batteries.
You can’t practically use 24V panels to charge 48 V batteries.

There are up-voltage chargers to charge 24V batteries from 12V

The issue you have is can you actually do effective hot water demand with 3000W inverters? There’s a couple of ways you could make hot water (even with 12V!) but it ain’t gonna be fast

You need to describe your plan quite fully to get useful opinions.

 

[JaseyB]

With an mppt you can set up panels to be 48V and charge into 48, 24, or 12V batteries. Or 24V panels can charge into 24 or 12V battery bank. Or 12V panels into 12V batteries.
You can’t practically use 24V panels to charge 48 V batteries.

There are up-voltage chargers to charge 24V batteries from 12V

The issue you have is can you actually do effective hot water demand with 3000W inverters? There’s a couple of ways you could make hot water (even with 12V!) but it ain’t gonna be fast

You need to describe your plan quite fully to get useful opinions.

Ah thanks, That is starting to make some more sense to me.

As far as water goes I don't really need "hot" water, just warm water (or just water that's not cold). This goes for doing dishes or having a wash. My intention is to get a 2.5kW (or thereabouts) on-demand, tankless water heater and pump. If I need to get one with a tank and turn it on in advance then so be it.

 

[Rednecktek]

That' going to bring your inverter right to it's raggedy edge power wise. Fortunately you're already dealing with 220v out there so you don't have to worry about split phase but you might consider looking for a more powerful inverter. You'll probably need to step up to 48v to make it happen.

Fortunately stepping up from 24v to 48v actually makes doing the wiring easier since higher voltage = lower amperage = thinner wire. For example with the 3Kw system at 24v that's going to want to draw about 125a which would require 50mm2 or 70mm2 wire (2AWG). Feeding the same power at 48v is only 63a which is 16mm2 (6AWG) wire. Much easier to run and cheaper!

As to charging from the alternator, you'll need a DC-DC converter to take the 12v of the van and kick it up to the 24v or 48v of your battery bank, especially important if you're using Lithium batteries since they're a bit picky about their voltages.

Someone correct me if my conversions are wrong, I'm trying to translate English to English.

 

[mikefitz]

Going 'all electric' in a Euro sized panel van is a challenge when relying on solar, with UK weather and short winter days.
Unless you are converting a truck, small passenger bus or similar, there is just not enough room on the roof. Once you have rooflights for light and ventilation, fitting more than 600 watts of panels become more complicated due to lack of room.
if you do manage to fit 900 watts of panels, a daily yield on a sunny day in summer will give 3 to 4 Kw, on a day with heavy cloud expect less than 500 watts.
Unless you fit an additional high power alternator to the van engine you are limited to around 600 watts per hour from the stock alternator on common Euro panel vans, to stay within the manufactures recommended limits.

100 Ah of lithium batteries will store about 1.2 Kw of energy if you keep away from the bottom few % of the SOC.

Do the sums and relate to your projected power usage for cooking and water heating, and with the style of 'motor camping' you will be undertaking.

Consider also the safety aspects in the installation of 230v ac equipment in a van.

Mike

 

[JaseyB]

Thanks for the responses guys. based on what I've read here these panels are about to be purchased giving me 960W of solar panels. I might even see if I can manage to fit another panel on the roof to increase this.

So on to step 2.

Would this be deciding on the array for parallel or series (series seems to be recommended already) and buying the MPPT or would this be deciding on my battery bank first?

Thanks again