How to choose a suitable panel for off-road travelling and camping

Hi, everyone,

Do you have any confusions in choosing the most suitable solar panels, when you are new to off-road travel, camping?

Please take some time to read this article, then you will definitely be an expert in this field! Please let us show you how you can choose such solar panels.

1, WHAT IS SOLAR POWER

“SOLAR POWER” means:”Free Power from the sun”

Solar panels are the photovoltaic cells. It converts the sunlight into DC electrical charge. This DC electricity converted by the solar photovoltaic cells can then be applied to support other electrical devices, or stored to batteries.

Normally solar panels can be available in a few applications, such as portable kit with batteries. You can take this kit with you in camping. By placing the solar panel under the sun, and connect to the kit, the free power from sun will be stored into the kit, for your applications in the darkness. Also, solar panels can be available in directly charging your devices, such as mobile phones, laptops etc.

2, BENETIFTS OF SOLAR POWER

Clean and renewable energy, environmental-friendly;

Simple for use;

Silent, no noise during operation;

It is the renewable energy, with infinite energy from the sun. Where there is the sun, there will be your source for power.

Simple. Even a untrained person can easily learn how to use.

Silent. So far, the diesel generators that commonly used in charging batteries. But these are noisy, with also a bad smell during its operation. They are hard to transport, and hard for maintenance. For off-road travel, or camping purposes, they are not suitable for camping sites. While, solar panels don’t cause any noise, no smells, can be easily transported anywhere you go.

3, SOLAR PANEL TYPES:

In the market, the solar panels are made of different types of solar cells, such as crystalline solar cells, amorphous solar cells, thin film solar cells, etc. The most commonly found solar panels in off road travelling, camping purposes are crystalline solar panels.

4, HOW TO CHOOSE THE SOLAR PANEL?

Please consider about the purposes you need first. The solar panel power (amorphous solar cell, CIGS solar cell are not discussed here.) normally depends on the sizes, i.e., at the certain convert efficiency of solar cell, the bigger-sized solar panel has a higher power than smaller-sized solar panel.

If you need high portability and just simply charging your digital devices, you can choose a small solar panel product. If you need for large car batteries, etc. Bigger solar panels should be chosen.

5, HOW MANY SOLAR PANELS ARE ENOUGH FOR MY APPLICATION?

Because solar panel power depends on the sizes, the higher power of solar panel will be more expensive. You need to consider two factors before choosing the right solar panel power, batteries, and the appliances you are using, i.e. the solar panels you choose need to match with your appliances and your batteries.

Here is a calculation for your reference:

Please figure out how much power you will need in the day.

Such as a 50W 12V DC fridge (for this power, you need refer to the operational manual of this fridge), you will run it for 8hours. It means in the day, this fridge will consume 400W*hours energy, (i.e., the battery you use, must at least provide this much of energy, in order to maintain the fridge working for 8hours. Do you understand now?)

The solar panel are rated with the maximum power output at the standard testing conditions. (AM1.5,1000W/㎡, 25℃), you need to multiply this power to the hours of direct sunshine available in the day (Must be calculated with direct sunlight, the sunlight that directly to the solar panel).

The calculation:

50W/12V=4.1667Amps, this means the working current of this fridge, and it works for 8hours.

So, totally the fridge needs 4.1667Amps*8hours=33.33AH energy. (Or 400WH energy, calculated by 50W*8hours);

For the solar panel, firstly, the voltage of solar panel needs to be 18V. (Because to charge the battery, the charger voltage must be about 1.5 times higher than the battery voltage.). If you take 5hours of direct sunlight into calculation, it means you need the solar panel to provide enough energy in 5hours. So:

33.33Ah/5hours=6.66Amps. This means,  the minimum current the solar panel needs to supply in an hour.

Then, because the solar panel is 18V. The suitable solar panel power will be: 6.66A*18V=119.88W.

This will be the suitable solar panel power you shall choose, to run this fridge for 8hours. In other applications with LED lights, or other devices, it is the same way. Please take all the power consumption into calculation.

6, HOW TO CHECK WHEN PURCHASING SOLAR PANELS?

The main factors to check in each purchasing are quality, performance and convenience.

During the off-road travelling, or camping, there will be a lot of transporting, abusing involved than the permanent ones built for homes. Because these need to be folded, open-up, transported, moved around, it is necessary to be very good quality materials.

The aluminum framed solar panels that widely found in the market could be too heavy for such applications. Our Lonsem solar company provides with fabric folding solar panels, sewing with heavy duty cloth material, and rugged handles, lighter weight, and easy carrying. Also, for cheaper options, there are rigid aluminum frame solar panels, etc. They are a bit heavier, and sometimes sharp in edges, though. Please also note that you need these to come with well-padded carrying bags, decent hinges and rugged handles for carrying. There are also Flexible Solar Panels etc. they are easy to transport, but even more expensive than the fabric folding solar panels. If you choose this option, we Lonsem solar can also provide you with a qualified solution. And you also need to make sure they are made of sturdy materials, can be folded up neatly and come with a well-designed carry bag.

For the performance, you need to consider about the cells, and also the good quality charge controller, which gives you maximum output and is located as close to the batteries as possible.

Anyway, during such off-road travelling, camping applications, solar power is an ideal solution for you to maintain all devices powered up. And this article only provided you a rough idea in understanding the solar panel function, application etc. We will introduce more knowledge gradually, hope it helps you in choosing the right product for you.