diy solar

diy solar

Mini van solar power

3rdeyechakra

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Joined
Mar 21, 2020
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I'm new at this and have a few question...
I have 2 Blueetti 1500's generators in case the power goes out. I live in an apartment and have decided to use my Kia minivan to mount solar panels on top to recharge the Blueetti's.
The Blueetti states that it can charge 500 W from solar panels. I've decided to purchase 4x 100 W rich solar panels and mount them on top of my van.
The 1st question I have is do I need 4X 100 W solar panels or could I just use 2X 200 W?

When mounting the solar panels do I just bring the wiring through the side door and plug them in to the Blueetti's?

I've heard different facts in regards to how long it would take for the generators to recharge with solar panels.
How long would it take to charge a Blueetti generator from my system and could I recharge both of my generators at the same time and how much longer would it take?
I realize that weather influences the time for recharging but I'm just looking for a ballpark figure.
Lastly, I can't remember the video, but I watched something in regards to using solar panels to recharge your generator in a vehicle and simultaneously using the vehicles charging capabilities to charge my generators quicker, is that possible?
Let me know, thank you!
 
Yeah, you can go to 200-watt panels if you don't have more voltage than your generator can handle. As to the wiring, you can only go so far before wire loss comes into play. You want the generator as close to the panels as you can, and yes, you can use it while charging; it will take longer to charge, but you already understand that. How long, do the math, how many watts are you using compared to charging watts. You have to make 1500 watts divided by how many hours you're putting x number of watts back in, and there is your time. And yes, if you're driving with panels on the roof, you can have both the alternator and solar charging simultaneously. You will need a DC to DC charger (for the alternator) made just for this purpose.
 
Thank you for getting back to me in a timely manner…. That was great advice!
A few more question though.
Do you know any way, without using normal electricity or a vehicle alternator, to charge, and most importantly to speed up the charging on generators?
Could I charge by Blueetti generators with lithium batteries?
My thinking is that the lithium batteries are quicker to charge, is this even possible?
Thank you!
 
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