newbie questions for solar power

[rumplef0resk1n]

im a complete newbie to this.
my wife and i are purchasing a schoolie. its already wired to run off shore power but nothing for solar. would i have to rewire the whole bus or simply just wire in the solar? if theres no transfer switch to switch between solar and shore power, does it matter? i dont want to end up blowing something or starting a fire. ive seen people say it doesnt but to me the just doesnt sound right.

if anybody can point me in the right direction, id greatly appreciate it.

 

[Rucker]

Do you have any 'house batteries' in the bus or is your bus wired for just 120 volt AC?

Are there any 12vdc circuits installed on the bus yet? Not sure from your description so far.

12vdc is not terribly complicated and just takes some planning to integrate with shore power. As you might have seen from reading the other posts (search is helpful) there is a whole spectrum of integration, from totally separate to pretty much automatic.

I recommend making a list of your electrical needs (devices etc) and sharing them here for advice on alternatives.

 

[rumplef0resk1n]

the bus we're getting already has electric and plumbing ready to go. plumbing just needs a water tank. electric is already up and running but theres no solar. its connected to off shore power and i believe the bus battery. it has a mini fridge already, tv, wifi setup, lights, fans, an AC unit for the bedroom. so im sure it has both an ac and dc setup, id have to double check.

im planning on using 3-4 panels, with 4-6 lithium batteries. but as far as doing that im not entirely sure. i want to be able to switch between off shore and batteries.

id like to have options of adding what i need if needed at all (microwave, stove, etc.) i want to put in a water heater, i dont believe it has one. internet is mandatory so suggestions for that would be awesome. im definitely not planning on running everything at once, full blast. laptop during the day, tv and cooking in the evening, lights and maybe space heater or ac when needed at night.

saw videos online about a 12v AC unit, gonna look into that.

tdlr: gotta double check with owner. pretty sure theres both ac and dc power running. outlets, lights, ac unit, mini fridge, tv, all inside. need 4-6 batteries and able to switch between off shore and solar battery power. internet a must, tv, laptop, water heater, possible microwave and stove need adding. would a serial or parallel set up work more properly?


ive been looking around but no matter how much i look, i feel like i find the answers but small bits are missing that connect the dots. so sorry if im being another pain in the butt lol

 

[dzl_]

As others mentioned there are many different approaches, that differ based on goals/needs/budget/competence

One option is to buy an inverter/charger or an 'all in one' with a built-in transfer switch. This simplifies some of the installation and some of the concepts. This would be in addition to panels house batteries and a solar charge controller (in the case of an inverter/charger, an AIO will have that built in already).

You should gather more information about how the bus is currently wired before making plans, or getting too deep into the process, as well as make a list of your specific electrical requirements, to help direct your design.

There needs to be some symmetry between (1) usage/consumption (2) capacity to generate/replenish (3) storage capacity.

 

[Rucker]

Agreed.

Maybe start by identifying (with pictures if possible) where the power comes into the bus. Does it go into a panel?

And confirm whether there is in fact any 12vdc circuits. If they are tied to the chassis batteries, that's something to noodle on--generally the bus should have dedicated chassis batteries (1 under the hood and usually 1 somewhere else) that start the bus and provide automotive 12vdc-running lights etc. but nothing from those batteries powering the 'house' or living space of the bus.

 

[TheHubbardBus]

im planning on using 3-4 panels, with 4-6 lithium batteries. but as far as doing that im not entirely sure. i want to be able to switch between off shore and batteries.

Since panels come in all different sizes - as do batteries - this statement doesn't really mean anything. But even if you had included sizes, this is the wrong way to approach the problem. You don't know what your power requirements will be yet, so you have no basis upon which to make any decision regarding component quantity / sizing.

One of your first steps should be documenting everything you intend to power, how long you anticipate each item running, and how much juice each item draws. Then add it all up to get a very rough, ballpark idea of what you'll need.

If you just copy someone else's system, or base your component selection on whatever fits inside some arbitrary space you've assigned to house it, you're going to end up disappointed.