Looking for solar panel and inverter opitons

[65BAJA]

if you plan to run a 4000 watt inverter and use it for long or very often you will need several panels to recharge if you are going to use often and several batteries to run long. on my M109a3 i plan to have 4 optima deep cycle batteries, 12 volt altenator, and several panels mounted on the roof to run a 1,500 to 2,500 watt inverter. there is a formula on battery usage in here somewhere one of the SS members posted.

the first picture is my barn and i have 2 heavy duty deep cycle batteries on it and i run lights and charge batteries in my rechargable tools and flash lights about twice a month with the sunforce solar panels. i use the harbor freight panles to charge my "Xantrex XPower Portable Powerpack 1500" which is a complete battery, 1,500 watt inverter, on wheels.

the second is my well house and i use the sunforce solar panels to charge one heavy duty deep cycle battery to run a 1,500 watt inverter to power my well at the back of my place. i have run it for as much as 2 hours but only do so about once a month during the summer.

Do you leave those panels outside all the time? I was under the impression that those 15W panels were not waterproof.

 

[Darwin T]

the sunforce panels (2 at the barn and 1 at the well house) have been outside for 2+ years with no problem. if it was sandy and windy where it could etch the glass i would put up some protection but i have had nothing but good luck. the ones from harbor freight not so much, i had to replace the control box and one panel after a windy day. the others did not even move. as far as i know they are at least weather resistant.

 

[Smokingman]

I put a 24V inverter on the rear passenger wheel well (M1009)and connected directly to the handy 24V power buss. 3500 watt with 7000 watt surge.It is not always on like some inverters(that would drain the batteries in a hurry)it has an on off switch and can also be turned on with a remote control from around 40 ft away. Picked it up on amazon for $350. It has done really well for me,and on a side note the rear tire carrier is great to wrap an extension cord on.I only use it with the truck running.

Amazon.com: Power Bright ML3500-24 3500 Watt 24 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Power Inverter: Automotive

 

[3dAngus]

I'm looking at inverters as well. Be sure, if you are going to run any motors or electronics off of it, to get a pure sine wave inverter. It's unbelieveable how many advertise inverters but don't let you know you are getting a square wave or modified sine wave output. The pure sine wave cost more, but are worth it for power and efficiency, and there is little chance of downline equipment damage as a result.

I wouldn't buy anything else.

 

[mdmorganwife]

We are putting some on the top of the 109 camper. We are going "green," instead of using a generator. We bought the solar panel kit from harbor freight. Still trying to figure out what batteries we want to go with. Is there a certain amperage we need to get on the batteries? We will be running lights, small fridge, small microwave and charge cell phones. We are only putting 2 outlets in the camper. Don't need much. Our water heater runs off propane and the water pump is battery operated. Heat will also be propane.

 

[bones1]

I use a Powerbrite as well with breaker switch and remote, works well.

 

[3dAngus]

Still trying to figure out what batteries we want to go with. Is there a certain amperage we need to get on the batteries? .

Your best bet is a deep cycle fishing trolling battery. Slow discharge.

Your better than best bet is Optima yellow tops.

But even the 6TLs would do if you have a couple of spares. If a 12vdc system, it is better to have two matched batteries in good condition in parallel for longer lasting life throughout the night, especially if you ever get out and use any high amperage power tools on down the road. You're not looking at much of a power draw with what you are doing today, ie, charge cell phones, small fridge, microwave, etc.

Don't forget the coffee pot.

 

[mdmorganwife]

Don't forget the coffee pot.

This year I am going to try and make coffee on the stove with one of those camping thingys. We will see if it works

 

[3dAngus]

I'm still hoping my M109A3 will be ready for the Ga. Rally. Been doing a lot of sanding, grinding, wirebrushing and painting. Looking good, but I need a pure sine wave inverter, microwave, refridge, coffee pot, and a good woman to clean out the shower. JOYCE!!!!!

Have you and Daniel found an inverter yet? My M109 has about a dozen or two dozen outlets in it. Gotta get going on this one too. So are you two bringing your M109 to the Rally?, Or a M35A2? Both?

The Harbor Freight solar panels will put out about 3.5amps under ideal conditions for the 12 vdc batteries. Over a 12 hours period, thats about 40 amps. If you have two batteries, you might want to consider two panels if you get into higher useage on down the road. For now, you should be fine with one, and fully recharge all batteries on a battery charger when you get home.

 

[mdmorganwife]

Yes both will be there. We bought the kit that has 3 panels in it. Glad your wife decided to come too.

 

[tigger]

I have had good luck with 2 6 volt gulf cart batterys wired for 12 volt. I got almost a week out of them at camp with the scouts with only a 10 w solar panel.

 

[3dAngus]

Yeah, I was thinking of running three 8vdc Trojan batteries out of a golf cart for 24vdc, as one possibility.

I guess I'm still looking for a good deal on an inverter and not sure if I'm going with a 12v or 24v source.

Outside of Optima yellow tops or blue tops, golf cart batteries are really tough to beat. At least with the 2 optimas, I can use them as backup in case the deuce battery system fails. Still working on that acquisition as well. I have a source that is suppossed to get them real cheap, but it hasn't happened yet. Shooting for 4 of them.


So tigger, what do you run off the inverter where you get a week out of your batteries? It seems like an extremely light weight load. 10W is less than an amp to your battery, or a trickle charge, so I can assume you're not hooked up to much, correct?

 

[top_prop]

I have the 45 watt harbor freight system on my hunting trailer (can get it for $140 if you find a coupon in the news paper or NRA magazine etc) that recharges the biggest marine battery I could get at Walmart

I regularly discharge it and on a sunny day it recharges the battery in about 4 hrs. total into the system is $230

I found the ease of the walmart battery far outweighed the greater performance of getting any other specialized battery.

That said, if you are going to put the inverter in the truck, why bother with solar... your alternators can run the inverter, or you could add a couple deep cycles in a box in the back to run the inverter and then start the truck to recharge the batterys...

 

[tigger]

Yeah, I was thinking of running three 8vdc Trojan batteries out of a golf cart for 24vdc, as one possibility.

I guess I'm still looking for a good deal on an inverter and not sure if I'm going with a 12v or 24v source.

Outside of Optima yellow tops or blue tops, golf cart batteries are really tough to beat. At least with the 2 optimas, I can use them as backup in case the deuce battery system fails. Still working on that acquisition as well. I have a source that is suppossed to get them real cheap, but it hasn't happened yet. Shooting for 4 of them.


So tigger, what do you run off the inverter where you get a week out of your batteries? It seems like an extremely light weight load. 10W is less than an amp to your battery, or a trickle charge, so I can assume you're not hooked up to much, correct?

4 12 volt led camping lights. 400 wt inverter for coffee pot , blender. and scout masters capp thing for his sleep apnea

 

[3dAngus]

Looks like, based on this, and without help of solar panels, these inverters will not power as long as one would hope for.
A low power draw laptop will run for about 8 hours.
A small space heater in a M109 would not last through the night. (Requires 4 batteries)

Here is some helpful info on inverter and battery draw I captured off the internet by a battery seller:

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=+2]Inverter Applications with Optima Deep Cell AGM Batteries [/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Power inverters are solid state devices that convert DC battery current to AC line current for portable powering of 120V AC devices of all types. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Optima deep cycle batteries are the ultimate portable power source for use with inverters because of their extreme shock resistance, tolerance of repeated deep discharge cycles, and zero acid leakage. Plus, the Optima's design prevents off-gassing in normal operation, eliminating the corrosion of both connectors and surrounding components that's typical of conventional batteries. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Inverters are available in various maximum-watt ratings. The table below shows estimated wattage consumption for various appliances. Be sure to purchase an inverter with a maximum rating no less than the total of your appliance(s.) If you know the amperage rating of your appliance but do not know the wattage, you can calculate the wattage with the formula: Volts x Amps = Watts. An example: A 120V appliance that runs at 10 amps will consume 1200 watts. You need to add about 15% to that, because the inverter itself will consume a bit of power. 15% more than 1200 watts is 1380 watts. To run three such appliances at the same time, you would need an inverter rated for 4140 watts or more, so a 5000 watt inverter would be a good choice.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](Below the table we explain how to determine the size and number of batteries you will need to power your inverter.)[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Appliance[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Estimated Watts[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Appliance[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Estimated Watts[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Cell Phone[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]25[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Table Fan [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]25[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Cell Phone Charger [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]25[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Toaster[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1200[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]VCR[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]40[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Circular Saw[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1250[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Laptop Computer [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]50-90[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Jigsaw[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]350[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Desktop Computer & Monitor [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]400[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1/2" Drill [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]700[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Printer[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]75[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Refrigerator[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]400[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]17" TV[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]75[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Vacuum Cleaner [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]650[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]CPAP Breathing Machine [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]200[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sump Pump [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1000[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Blender[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]400[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]CD Player[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]40[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Space Heater [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1000[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Iron[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1000[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Coffee Pot [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]200[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Satellite Dish [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]75[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Microwave Oven [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1250[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]PS2 / XBox [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]125[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Lights, 100 Watt Incandescent [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]100[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]iPod[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]120[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Lights, Compact Fluorescent, 100 Watt Equivalent [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]30[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hot Plate [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1200[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](Ratings are representative of the various appliance types. Use actual ratings of your appliances for best results.) [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]After determining the size of inverter needed, you need to determine the size of battery (or batteries) required for the running time you want. The storage capacity of batteries is measured in "amp hours" (abbreviated "AH".) The definition of "amp hour" is the ability to provide 1 amp of power for 1 hour. To convert from total watts of load to AH, first use the formula Watts ÷ Volts = Amps. That will tell you the continuous amperage rating of your load. Then multiply that times the number of hours you want to run, and you have the required "amp hours" required from your batteries. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Example: Looking at the table above, you'll see that a laptop computer might require about 70 watts of power (at 120 volts.) So we first multiply 70 watts x 1.15 (to add 15% for the consumption of the inverter) and get 80 watts. Dividing 80 watts by 120 volts = .67 amps of constant load. A mid-size Optima deep cycle battery like the model D34 is rated 55 AH (amp hours) @ 12 volts. Because the inverter will be converting the battery's 12V current to 120V (which is greater by a factor of 10), we divide the battery's 55AH rating by that same factor of 10, and the result is that the D34 battery has a rating of 5.5AH @ 120V. If we then divide that 5.5AH battery rating by the laptop's consumption of .67 amps, we see that the Optima D34 deep cycle battery will run the laptop for 8.2 hours through an inverter. [/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Here's another example: Suppose you're setting up a booth at an outdoor fair and want to run a laptop (70W), which you want to operate continuously, plus a printer that will run 10% of the time (75W x 10% = 7.5W), a table fan (25W) and a 17" TV (75W). Adding those loads together and then adding 15% gives us a total continuous rating of 204 watts. Dividing 204 watts by 120 volts = 1.7 amps of constant load. The D31-series batteries are Optima's largest deep cycle batteries, rated at 75AH @ 12V. Dividing by 10 for the conversion to 120 volts produces a rating, per battery, of 7.5AH @ 120V. If we divide 7.5AH by the combined fair-going load of 1.7 amps, we see that a D31-series battery will operate all the equipment, through an inverter, for 4.4 hours. Connecting two of the D31-series batteries together in parallel would give you 8.8 hours of running time. Optima makes three variations of the D31-series batteries: The D31A with standard automotive top posts, the D31T with 3/8" threaded stainless steel top studs, and the D31M which has both automotive posts and stainless studs on top. Each is rated 75AH @ 12V. [/FONT]​

 

[Darwin T]

try to get as many things 12 volt as you can to avoid the energy that the inverter uses. Dewalt makes a battery charger for its tool in 12 volt, there are 12 volt coffee pots and 12 cords for most lap tops. there are even 12 volt TVs. in my barn i have two 60 watt Sunforce Solar sets of panels going to two Sear's "DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-1 - Group Size 31M". the batteries are in power boxes (the ones with 12 plugs in the lid and batty tests on the lid). i have 12 volt battery charger for AAAs and AAs, 12 volt rechargable flashlights, 12 volt Dewalt Battery Charger for my tools, 12 volt heating blanket for the cold and 12 volt plug in lights for brighter lighting. i have many different solar lights that i leave out to charge when i am not there and use them for area lighting.

when i start the M109a3 inside i will be runniong 4 Optima Deep Cycle with Cranking Power (Dual purpose) to run the 12 volts in back but can pull and use to run the truck in an emergency.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

Ok well my initial plan was to us the inverter in my truck to run saws and my compressor for nail guns so on. I was going to run one additional battery in the rear of the truck to power the inverter connect it to solar power for recharge during day while we were using it and a switch to charge it while driving using the alt. My truck was converted to 12v. I am debating installing a the driver side alt back in to charge the third battery. Just looking for best options. Thanks for all the options you guys are great!

 

[top_prop]

Ok well my initial plan was to us the inverter in my truck to run saws and my compressor for nail guns so on. I was going to run one additional battery in the rear of the truck to power the inverter connect it to solar power for recharge during day while we were using it and a switch to charge it while driving using the alt. My truck was converted to 12v. I am debating installing a the driver side alt back in to charge the third battery. Just looking for best options. Thanks for all the options you guys are great!

I have a finish nailer and a framing nailer that run on butane cells that work wonderfully when working away from AC power or a gas air compressor.... an aircompressor would be a huge draw... once you illminate that, most power tools could be rechargeables that could be charged elsewhere or over a long period using solar cells or while driving....

That leaves u just running a circular saw off an inverter... moving the loads away from the inverter is key to this stuff, just like others have posted.

 

[stampy]

How big of a draw will the saw be?

 

[WARWAG]

You can have one small panel and one small storage bettery. Hook that to an invertor and you will have a very SHORT run time. You can have a small panel and a bunch of batteries. Wait a few days and they will be charged. Then you can run some tools for a while but will take days to recharge. My point is you need to figure out what you power needs will be or set a minimum and design your system to fit those needs.