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Outdoor & Recreation
Campers, Vans & 4WD's
Solar Panels - Information and Questions
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<blockquote data-quote="condor22" data-source="post: 345561" data-attributes="member: 1932"><p>Rule of thumb in calculating a system size - </p><p></p><p>1. Work out what AH you use i.e. Lets say your fridge uses 25 AH per day (in Winter) and that's all you use.</p><p>2. If you are using this amount all day every day then it should be 25% of your battery capacity to maximise battery life - Therefore your battery should be a minimum of 100 AH. For Occasional use then up to 50%.</p><p>3. If solar is the only charging source and depending on your location and quality of panel/controller, you would need 2 to 3 times the AH of the battery in Watts output of the solar bank i.e. 200 to 300 W.</p><p></p><p>The same calculation needs to be done in Summer, as your fridge will use a lot more AH, but the panel should also produce more.</p><p></p><p>Once setup occasional extra load or reduced panel output is usually acceptable, but extended increases will mean an undercharged battery.</p><p></p><p>The best way of overcoming this is to have an optional second charging source i.e. 240V charger from a genny or from a vehicle. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </p><p></p><p>My opinion is; When running a 12 VDC fridge, 100 AH is the minimum battery size to chose for a small 30 lt fridge. Bigger fridges, especially if duel zone with a freezer need bigger batteries. </p><p></p><p>Note; a 130 AH AGM battery has a similar footprint to a 100AH and is not much different in price, so why skimp.....</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="condor22, post: 345561, member: 1932"] Rule of thumb in calculating a system size - 1. Work out what AH you use i.e. Lets say your fridge uses 25 AH per day (in Winter) and that's all you use. 2. If you are using this amount all day every day then it should be 25% of your battery capacity to maximise battery life - Therefore your battery should be a minimum of 100 AH. For Occasional use then up to 50%. 3. If solar is the only charging source and depending on your location and quality of panel/controller, you would need 2 to 3 times the AH of the battery in Watts output of the solar bank i.e. 200 to 300 W. The same calculation needs to be done in Summer, as your fridge will use a lot more AH, but the panel should also produce more. Once setup occasional extra load or reduced panel output is usually acceptable, but extended increases will mean an undercharged battery. The best way of overcoming this is to have an optional second charging source i.e. 240V charger from a genny or from a vehicle. :) My opinion is; When running a 12 VDC fridge, 100 AH is the minimum battery size to chose for a small 30 lt fridge. Bigger fridges, especially if duel zone with a freezer need bigger batteries. Note; a 130 AH AGM battery has a similar footprint to a 100AH and is not much different in price, so why skimp..... [/QUOTE]
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Outdoor & Recreation
Campers, Vans & 4WD's
Solar Panels - Information and Questions
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