60w or 120w Solar Panel?

[banksey88]

Hi,

Just put a deposit down on a fully converted T32. The converters are offering me a single 60w solar panel or 2 x 60w panels (120w) as optional extras.

Can anyone enlighten me if 60w will be ample to top up my leisure battery while I don’t have 240v hook up?

Thanks for your replies.

 

[Pete C]

Depends what you are running from the leisure battery, but I would go with 120 to give you future flexibility.
There are people on here with a lot more than that too !

Pete

 

[Phil_G]

Impossible to say without knowing the load you're going to be running
You cant have too much solar, go 120

 

[Lord Mfwic]

I would say 120.
I run 200 and only run a compressor fridge off my leisure battery.

 

[Martin Gibson]

Yep,the bigger the better,rather have an oversized panel than an undersized one that ends up being inadequate for your needs further down the line

 

[Martinf]

I’ve just changed mine from 110 to 210. Depending on what you power off it, the 60W option might be enough if it’s full on sun. But it isn’t normally like that!

 

[Dellmassive]

Bigger the better....

**************************************

SOLAR:

• Solar Pwm & Mppt Controllers - How I Done It -
• Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -
• What Solar Panel & Controller?
• Solar Panel Cutting Hole In Roof !!!
• 300w Solar Club -- How I Done It --
• Solar Sheds & Other Non-t6 Solar Projects - How We Done It -

*******

 

[Phil_G]

Incidentally, using two separate panels for only 120w seems an unnecessary cabling faff , I'd go for a single, larger panel.
100, 120, 150 are readily available sizes. Much higher and you're into high voltage controllers.
In our experience 100w and mppt runs a compressor fridge, TV, led lights etc just fine.

 

[VanDamMan]

Hi,

Just put a deposit down on a fully converted T32. The converters are offering me a single 60w solar panel or 2 x 60w panels (120w) as optional extras.

Can anyone enlighten me if 60w will be ample to top up my leisure battery while I don’t have 240v hook up?

Thanks for your replies.

Hi @banksey88 .. as @Dellmassive said Size matters....I’ve got 2 x 150 ( but mobile)

Good light / high sun....will produce higher output
Low light/ low sun....lower output

so if you rely on winter solar your need to compensate and use more or bigger panels than the summer months....but it will all depend on what you plan to power

Ps 60w panel will generate at max 2.5 to 3 amps ..so if you consume 30amp..it would take over 10hrs ( as example ) to replace

 

[banksey88]

Depends what you are running from the leisure battery, but I would go with 120 to give you future flexibility.
There are people on here with a lot more than that too !

Pete

Depends what you are running from the leisure battery, but I would go with 120 to give you future flexibility.
There are people on here with a lot more than that too !

Pete

Thanks for your reply. I think it will be mainly just a fridge, charging phones and possibly a heater in the winter. Suppose the majority of the time we will have hook up, but will give is more flexibility if we get more power from solar.

 

[banksey88]

Impossible to say without knowing the load you're going to be running
You cant have too much solar, go 120

Thanks for your reply. Think it will be just fridge, phone charging and maybe a heater in the winter. But think to be on the safe side I’ll go for the bigger.

 

[banksey88]

I would say 120.
I run 200 and only run a compressor fridge off my leisure battery.

Thanks for your reply. Ok that’s good to know, think I should definitely go bigger then. I think they are quoting £429 for 60w, and £699 for 120w.

Does that sound abit steep? I suppose it’s the best time to get it fitted while it’s being converted so I’m not having to mess with the wiring later down the line.

 

[banksey88]

Yep,the bigger the better,rather have an oversized panel than an undersized one that ends up being inadequate for your needs further down the line

Thanks for your reply. Good point, think I’ll regret it if I don’t spend the extra and be scrimping later down the line.

 

[banksey88]

I’ve just changed mine from 110 to 210. Depending on what you power off it, the 60W option might be enough if it’s full on sun. But it isn’t normally like that!

Thanks for your reply. Yes I think 60w would be fine in decent sun, but may not be the best in the UK! Probably best go bigger.

 

[banksey88]

Bigger the better....

**************************************

SOLAR:

• Solar Pwm & Mppt Controllers - How I Done It -
• Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -
• What Solar Panel & Controller?
• Solar Panel Cutting Hole In Roof !!!
• 300w Solar Club -- How I Done It --
• Solar Sheds & Other Non-t6 Solar Projects - How We Done It -

*******

Thanks for the info, I’ll have a good read through before I commit to anything.

 

[Martin Gibson]

@banksey88 ,thats ridiculous money they are quoting you there pal, i paid a lot less than that 120w for a 300w as have a few people on here that have bought the large panels from Photonics Universe

 

[banksey88]

Hi @banksey88 .. as @Dellmassive said Size matters....I’ve got 2 x 150 ( but mobile)

Good light / high sun....will produce higher output
Low light/ low sun....lower output

so if you rely on winter solar your need to compensate and use more or bigger panels than the summer months....but it will all depend on what you plan to power

Ps 60w panel will generate at max 2.5 to 3 amps ..so if you consume 30amp..it would take over 10hrs ( as example ) to replace

Thanks for that, makes a lot more sense when you put it like that. So if I had 2 60w panels, it but be half the time.

 

[banksey88]

@banksey88 ,thats ridiculous money they are quoting you there pal, i paid a lot less than that 120w for a 300w as have a few people on here that have bought the large panels from Photonics Universe

I thought it sounded steep but haven’t done much research yet. Is it a reasonably easy job to do myself?

Thought it may be difficult once the conversion is complete running cables on and fitting to the pop top?

 

[VanDamMan]

Thanks for that, makes a lot more sense when you put it like that. So if I had 2 60w panels, it but be half the time.

Just as a comparison....I paid £130 for 150w panel from Alpha batteries.....Solar is free energy..but shouldn’t cost the earth to setup

 

[banksey88]

Just as a comparison....I paid £130 for 150w panel from Alpha batteries.....Solar is free energy..but shouldn’t cost the earth to setup

That’s a hell of a saving. As I said in my reply above, is it a reasonably straight forward job to do myself after the conversion has been completed i.e. running in the cables, fixing to a pop top and setting up?

Just trying to get in my head how this is done. Would it be 2 wires from the controller direct to the leisure battery, and then connect the panel to the controller?