Solar array plan?

[gzimmerman372]

So I'm starting to look more at solar and specific planning. I'm thinking 600W in panels and 4x Trojan T-105 6v@225aH batteries in 2-2 series/parallel for a 12v@450aH bank.

The spot I'm kind of hung up at is the panels. I'm going to be mounting to a roof rack so not a huge concern about space. Should I go with a 6x 100W array, 4x 150W array or 2x 300W array?

Pros of the 6x 100W that I'm seeing is that if one goes down the others will continue to generate power so it's not as detrimental. Con is that 600W this way appears to be more expensive as the increased watts per panel, the price per watt seems to be slightly to considerably less, depending on the panels.

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[JDOnTheGo]

Originally Posted by gzimmerman372

The spot I'm kind of hung up at is the panels. I'm going to be mounting to a roof rack so not a huge concern about space. Should I go with a 6x 100W array, 4x 150W array or 2x 300W array?

I am a huge fan of the big, high-voltage residential panels (as in 300-400 watts) and MPPT controller. Not everyone is and that's ok. If nothing else, the larger the panel (output) the fewer the electrical connections. They can be more difficult to source so that is a negative.

Assuming shading is not an issue, I would go with the highest output panels you can get and will fit in the available space.

[joeblack5]

2x300 watt, never put the last panel on Bought the panels cheap without a frame since I wanted to stay as low as possible and wanted a frame to attach the an awning at the same time.




Good luck,

J

[joeblack5]

These 300 watt panels give you max watts on my vans roofs. I spaced them so that you can step over them if you need to. Turns out 600 watt is enough to run our 12V fridge, a 12 volt box freezer and induction stove / 600 watt microwave. The third panel was more a backup and solar shield.
We got side tracked with Dory and I had used 75 watt panels left over. But the power on Dory with much more racking effort and hardware cost is less then on the van. The form factor was better for Dory.

Good luck,
J

[gzimmerman372]

So it seems like the smaller quantity, higher power is the better option. I'm looking at these: http://sepbatteries.com/sw-325-watt-...yABEgJxJvD_BwE

This would end up giving me 650W power feeding to the 4 batteries.

Is the Trojan T-105 the consensus on the battery I should use? 6V, 225-230aH. Would be 2-2 wired giving me 12v, 450-460aH. I'm seeing they're around ~$140/battery. How do they compare to the Duracell (DEKA, from what I've read)? https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sligc115

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by gzimmerman372

So it seems like the smaller quantity, higher power is the better option. I'm looking at these: http://sepbatteries.com/sw-325-watt-...yABEgJxJvD_BwE

This would end up giving me 650W power feeding to the 4 batteries.

Is the Trojan T-105 the consensus on the battery I should use? 6V, 225-230aH. Would be 2-2 wired giving me 12v, 450-460aH. I'm seeing they're around ~$140/battery. How do they compare to the Duracell (DEKA, from what I've read)? https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sligc115

Trojan make two different T105 batteries.

The one you want is the T105 RE (Reserve Energy). They are the ones specifically for storing the energy from solar arrays. They cost a bit more and are a bit heavier, but they have a 5-year warranty and an expected life of 8 to 10 years.

I'm sure that batteries from other manufacturers are decent too, but Trojan have established themselves as the gold standard.

[JDOnTheGo]

From my observations, it does seem that Trojan's are the industry standard.

Whether or not they are worth the extra expense is up to the owner. They can be destroyed just as quickly as the less expensive options. If you are going to abuse them, get the cheap ones then the every year or every other year replacement cost won't hurt as much. On the other hand, if you are going to have a proper monitor and take care of them, they may prove to be worth the added expense.