This will tell you that the polarity is reversed. If you are crimping large wires, such as for an inverter, heat shrink is highly recommended. Most generators cannot be wired directly to the battery bank. Always buy inverter cables that are thicker than what is necessary. This can damage the battery, and hurt you. If it doesnt turn on, you probably switched the positive and negative wires. Paint your RV white: Not as hard as people would think. Now that the positive wire is near the battery bank, we can attach it to the battery bank fuse. Battery Bank Voltage Monitors Knowing the voltage of your battery bank will give you an idea of the current state of charge of the batteries and how much electricity you are drawing from the battery (voltage drops as amp load on the battery increases). If the wire is not completely clean, a complete termination will not occur and you will have a weak joint that can fall apart. Heat shrink is recommended for crimp connectors that do not have insulation, but I like to add heat shrink to all connectors for added protection. Measuring Electricity Electricity is measured with a few metrics: Volts: Energy Potential, or the size of the force that sends the electricity through the wire. 934 0 obj <> endobj Divide the usable watt hours of your battery bank by 6: Battery bank size in watt hours / 6 = Minimum solar array size Your battery bank has a total usable capacity of 1200 watt hours. Things to keep in mind: Buy the proper gauge AC extension cord for your appliance. Solar trailers - enhanced mobility of your PV farm. : Mobile 12 volt off grid solar system design and installation. ^DOWNLOAD-PDF) Mobile Solar Power Made Easy! Option 3: Use a set of drill-free corner mount solar panel brackets and some VHB tape or weather-proof construction adhesive to mount your solar panels. Be careful not to over tighten this screw, especially if it is small. Check Latest Price Pages: 90 Language: English Publication Date: May 15, 2017 Format: Paperback or Spiral-Bound William Errol Prowse IV's book is perfect for those who dream of converting their mobile homes, RVs, off-roador water-based vehiclesto run on solar energy. But typically, having smaller batteries in parallel will be faster). This will give you a total volt rating of 12 volts. Having a fuse block proves useful in this situation. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this book is for general information purposes only. 5. Check it out on Amazon here What is Will Prowse's Website? Do-it-yourself step by step instructions. The technology to create solar panels is now literally moving across the world. Fuse Block- A fuse panel where multiple small fuses supply power to appliances. This is a blueprint for The Classic 400 watt system. Now we need to estimate how much backup power we want to have. If you have a vehicle with preexisting incandescent bulbs, buy a LED replacement bulb. If you heat up a large gel pack or rice bag and go to sleep with it, it will keep you toasty warm. 7. Tools Required for Crimping: Crimp Tool: The crimp tool below is designed to crimp, and it can also cut large wires. 5k'h endstream endobj startxref Each component requires some time and research to select properly so that it will work with your system. If you pull on it, it should feel solid. If they are producing electricity, you should be able to connect it to a solar charge controller. 1. Check it with a volt meter). So be careful and avoid touching the output terminals. Do-it-yourself step by step instructions. This makes the whole process much easier. If it is too hot, drive to the ocean, towards the poles, or find some shade. Typical Sizes are 10 amp, 15 amp, 20 amp and 30 amp. If you have a 1000 watt inverter, jump on the internet and search for a 1000 watt inverter wiring kit. Overview of Major Solar Power System Components Solar Panel: Creates electricity with sunshine. AGM batteries work well and are cheaper up front. What my book is like: Short! : Mobile 12 volt off grid solar system design and installation. Fintech in a Flash is a comprehensive guide to the future of banking and insurance. In the pictures below, I connected a LV6548 (. If you need to power a large induction load, you will need inverter cables that can handle the startup power requirement. 5. The thin material of these solar panels makes them ideal as building-integrated solar products such as solar shingles and tiles. Connect the inverter and fuse block to the battery bank The wires that attach to these components are typically the largest wires in a system and will supply power to all appliances. %PDF-1.6 % Connect solar charge controller to the battery bank 3. The first wire we need to install will start at the negative battery bank terminal, and will connect to the solar charge controller terminal that is labeled negative battery. RV's, Vans, Cars and boats! You can also connect the smart plug to a home assistant smart device so that you can use voice commands to turn on the lights. If your vehicle is stationary and located in a windy location, then set up a turbine! Electronics Made E, 1,063 Official website: http: //www.mobile-solarpower.com Finally an easy approach to mobile solar design and installation: -Add a solar system to your RV, Van, Trailer, Car or Boat -Step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow -Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced methods for calculating your solar system. RV's, Vans, Cars and boats! In order to make an accurate state of charge reading, all appliances that are connected to the battery bank must be turned off. It will weigh around 60 pounds, which is no problem for most roofs and roof racks. This will give you the minimum amp rating of your controller. Now we can connect the battery bank safely to the rest of the system. /dp{B;^S5HF"gaS;~p^yy I52.Al: WcZ3BE(jCpg$ M6cHTT=&SSNGK];"Uqri ffJB82f If you have sealed batteries, the location does not require ventilation. This is not the case with deep cycle lead acid batteries. A 2000 watt inverter can use 200 amps! You can wire multiple female plugs, and mount them in different locations in your vehicle. Download Off Grid Solar Made Easy full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. They are pretty simple to use. The systems above are designed for offgrid use only. [P.D.F Download] Mobile Solar Power Made Easy! These can be LED lights, USB chargers, stereo, microwaves, computers, backup monitors, seat heaters and more! Some components will have a voltage rating and an amp rating. They need to carry more current than any other wire in a solar system. 4.43 (226 ratings by Goodreads) Paperback. by William Errol Prowse IV Paperback $5.39 6. For most solar system wires, any type of insulation will do fine, except for the wires that connect the solar panels to the charge controller. The heavier your vehicle is from carrying a large battery, the harder it is for your vehicle to stop, and the harder the engine and transmission has to work to move the vehicle. You may need to insulate your battery bank compartment. L\M+}VQC ^sEvj6pD[sA3EIm:h7F>BN`/U;Ft[Kv)`~*I,MR\ML45N"HAk,%])H @O4^Spe)7Skm E) eZLc(@O">${=\BO." J?P']DBf8QNJvkOr=D Usually, you do not need to worry about this figure unless your system is very large, or you are wiring panels in series and producing hundreds of volts. Magazine: [P.D.F Download] Mobile Solar Power Made Easy! Inspect and clean the solar panels. There are some appliances that will not work with an MSW, such as electric blankets, photocopiers, and specialized medical equipment. Mobile Solar Power Made Easy! Determines the temperature of your battery bank with a small wired sensor, and allows your controller to charge your battery bank at a safe rate for the current temperature. Attach the solar panels to each other with the safety line. Attention: This book will help you get fast and easy your efficient and cost-effective off-grid or mobile solar power system. All rights reserved. Electrical fuses are required for all electrical systems. If you have a smaller system, you may need to buy a router that can be powered directly from your battery. If the wires supplying the led strip are thick enough to carry 10 amps, then use a 10 amp fuse. 8. How to Crimp Step 1: Select a proper size connector for the gauge of wire that you are using Step 2: Strip the wire so that the wire can fit inside of the connector. When you connect an appliance to a 12-volt system, be sure that it is rated for 12 volts! Do-it-yourself step by . They may create a buzzing noise, but its fine. Because wires cannot blow like a fuse, they will instead become very hot, until something is destroyed. Calculating Solar Array Size How to calculate the maximum solar array size for a battery How to calculate the minimum solar array size for a battery Other solar array sizing tips 4. Low Budget This setup works well if you: Are broke and want a solar system now! So you have two options: AGM sealed deep cycle battery Lithium battery (specifically lithium iron phosphate) The king of solar batteries is lithium, hands down. One wire is positive, one wire is negative. These units are easy to setup and use, but they do require a SIM card from a cell carrier. Ebook | READ ONLINE This step-by-step instructional guide to get you through what is listed in each chapter. There are fake MPPT charge controllers available online. Have the voltage monitor mounted in an easy to see location. Ensure that the wire is clean before and after you strip it. Do not mount it in a closet or in a battery compartment. Should you tilt your solar panels? A wide angle camera is much easier to use. The smart plug can also turn the fans on at certain times of day, or when the weather for your area reaches a certain temperature. Buy a nice flashlight. If the wires in your system are not large enough to carry the power that your solar panels produce, you will have problems. It is wise to buy solar panel extension cables. These need to be UV resistant and made for solar application. Advantages and Disadvantages: Sure, solar power is all the rage, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of using them? Keeping solar system components close to each other will reduce the length of the wire required, which means higher efficiency and lower overall financial cost. 2MB Crimp connector sizes are determined by: Gauge of wire it is attaching to Size of bolt or terminal (size of the hole) Lets say you need to connect a 4 gauge wire to a 5/16 inch diameter battery terminal (read battery manual to find this measurement). After you attach the large bolt-on fuse to your battery bank, you can now add a fuse that will supply the solar charge controller. Swamp Cooler: Bad idea in my opinion. DC powered appliances are then connected to the battery with 2 wires so that they will consume the stored electricity in the battery and put it to work. If your solar array is producing the voltage that you calculated, and the polarity of the wires is correct, you can now connect the solar panel array to the solar charge controller. This is not as good as a crimp connection, but it will do the job if you are desperate. You need to buy the proper tool, or crimping is a waste of time! I mounted the reflector on the side of my RV and would raise it up if I wanted to use it. April 25, 1954: Bell Labs Demonstrates the First Practical Silicon Solar Cell. Adding DC 12 Volt Appliances When you wire a DC 12-volt appliance to your solar system, you have three options: 1. Keep in mind that this can be dangerous. By William Errol Prowse, IV 2017-05-15 Official website: http: //www.mobile-solarpower.com Finally an easy approach to mobile solar design and installation: -Add a solar system to your RV, Van, Trailer, Car or Boat -Step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow -Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced methods for . I recently had to return a flexible solar panel because it over-heated. You can figure out how many watts a system component is producing or consuming by multiplying its amp rating by its voltage rating. PWM (pulse width modulation) Charge Controller: An off and on switch with limited capabilities. So before you install a shunt, be sure to disconnect one main solar panel wire from a terminal on the solar charge controller, and then install the shunt. Fast Method Fill the roof with as many solar panels as possible: Vehicles have a limited roof space for solar panels. Last one Free shipping. DSSCs are emerged as a truly new class of energy conversion devices, which are representatives of the third generation solar technology. If you use a cheap seat heater (usually available for 12-20 dollars online), you will have problems. Many pharmacy stores sell rubber hot water bottles made for this purpose. Flexible Solar Panels If you care about the aerodynamics and gas mileage of your vehicle or the total weight of your system, flexible solar panels will be better than glass solar panels: A typical 100 watt glass panel will weigh 16 pounds. Mobile Solar Power Made Easy! If you have never used heat shrink before, do not be scared! This book contains some of the best techniques to attach solar panels to mobile power stations, cars, vans, RVs, and boats. This chapter instructs readers to create a mobile solar power station that will power batteries in any location. This book give us some . This chapter also explains what is needed for all solar panel setups and what you can expect when you go shopping. These are particularly useful if you use them in combination with peepholes. Most solar systems should not require much maintenance at all besides cleaning the solar panels from time to time. All lead acid batteries have the potential to gas fumes) If you do not plan to power much and do not travel a whole lot, an AGM sealed battery will work and is the most common battery used for mobile solar power systems. Most cables are only 4-6 gauge in size, but for smaller inverters, they work well. RV's, Vans, Cars and boats! Wire the appliance to a male type plug connector, such as an XT-60 plug or Anderson Powerpole connector. The more electricity a component produces or consumes, the thicker the wire has to be to connect it to the system. You should never use pliers to crimp a connection! If you have a lithium battery, you will need this and possibly a temperature cut-off if the batteries get too cold. Estimate the daily load (how much electricity your appliances will consume in 1 day) Use the estimated daily load to calculate the battery bank size Use the battery bank size to calculate how many solar panels you need Use the solar panel array size to calculate the solar charge controller size 1. It is believed that DSSCs are still at the start of their development stage and will take a worthy place in the large-scale production for the future. Solar Array Estimates (no math required): For a single 1200 watt hour lead acid battery (which is a 100 amp hour, 12 volt AGM sealed battery with a max charge rate of 35 amps at 12 volts), use: A minimum of 200 watts of solar panels A maximum of 400 watts of solar panels For a single 1200 watt hour lithium battery (which is a 100 amp hour, 12 volt lithium iron phosphate battery with a max charge rate of 100 amps at 12 volts), use: No minimum solar array size. If not, I would avoid using them. Buying a hotspot SIM card usually has a monthly cost, but it is worth every penny! The reflectors needed to be taken down every time I wanted to drive, or whenever it was windy. Check the voltage. Carrying solar panels on your roof that are not creating usable power is horribly inefficient. This can be a little dangerous, so I recommend seeing a professional electrician to have this done. How to install a solar charge controller 3. Mount and hardwire them into your bed. Read more, 1,109 All things considered, even if I had a lot of electricity, I would use other methods to heat a vehicle. In Parallel: Attach the negative lead of one component to a negative lead of another component, and the positive lead to the positive lead of another component. Generators Many people, including myself, are getting tired of generators. If you have a 12-volt battery bank, you will not be able to increase the voltage (unless you put your batteries in series, which can give you 24 volts, which I do not recommend. If it is a weak connection and feels loose, or the wire falls out, then you will need to re-strip the wire and start over with a new connector. 5. So instead of using a 400 watt solar panel array, you decide to use an 800 watt array and a solar charge controller that has over-paneling protection. Its proponents aim to conduct their lives in ways that are consistent . Paint your RV white: not as good as a truly new class of conversion... 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