Solar charging

Just getting to know our new Kingham, just wondered what rate of charge should solar panel be showing on sunny bright winter day?

How many people can you get in a mini?  Obviously it depends how big the people are  etc etc. With the information given it would be impossible for anybody to tell you. They would need to know the wattage of your combined solar array, is it tracking the sun,  the size of your battery bank and what type of batteries, and weather the starter/engine, primary battery is included on say, a split charger, how discharged your battery bank is at the start of the day, also what type of solar panel regulator you have, at what time of day is there cloud and how long, where you are. The list goes on. You have to very specific just to get a rough idea. Anybody who can quote you what you want to hear with the info given would be a little misleading.

Taking all on board what biffobear states, if I was to visit the van today (in storage) in full view of the sun say midday, I would expect to see approx 1.6 amps registering from our 80w SP. Currently PSU disengaged from starter battery (charging only leisure battery) which is receiving charge from AA SP on dashboard aimed more directly at sun. By end of March will revert to smart charging.......Long history of starter battery failures in the deep gloom of winter hence the addition of AA SP set up.

As biffobear says, but for example, just now in bright sun but low in sky with 80w panel, both batteries read 13.0v and current 0-0.1A ie both batteries in good condition and near full charge with an EC325 system.

Perfect for me but meaningless to any other van/location.

Today I am getting 1.3A at noon with clear view of bright sun in Hampshire on my 2 * 30W panels. (I should have 80W but it seems I got downgraded by having a AC fitted).
It drops significantly by late afternoon.
That's today 25th Feb.  I would expect 0.1A on 21st Dec.

It might need ideal conditions to reach the 80W i.e. on 21st June at the tropic of Cancer at solar noon.

I think the main variables are time of day, time of year, lattitude and size of your panels.

Hope that helps. Tell us what solar amps your getting?

AutoSleepyDon wrote:

I think the main variables are time of day, time of year, lattitude and size of your panels.

Tell us what solar amps your getting?

Looking from the back, mine and other older coachbuilts have a 'u' shaped roof so the panel is below the sides and the period of effectiveness is shorter than on newer coachbuilts and panel vans.

AutoSleepyDon wrote:Today I am getting 1.3A at noon with clear view of bright sun in Hampshire on my 2 * 30W panels. (I should have 80W but it seems I got downgraded by having a AC fitted).
It drops significantly by late afternoon.
That's today 25th Feb.  I would expect 0.1A on 21st Dec.

It might need ideal conditions to reach the 80W i.e. on 21st June at the tropic of Cancer at solar noon.

I think the main variables are time of day, time of year, lattitude and size of your panels.

Hope that helps.   Tell us what solar amps your getting?

I have air con on my Sussex (standard fitment on the Sussex), I hope I don't get downgraded to 2 X 30w panels when I go down to AS end of March to have an 80w panel fitted (Mark quoted me for the 80) I'm not sure 60w is enough.

Paulmold wrote:I have air con on my Sussex (standard fitment on the Sussex), I hope I don't get downgraded to 2 X 30w panels when I go down to AS end of March to have an 80w panel fitted (Mark quoted me for the 80) I'm not sure 60w is enough.

My van is specd with an 80W panel. I think it normally goes where they put the AC.
It was only when someone challenged my solar panel output that I checked and found the 2 * 30W panels. So, I am guessing, they moved the panels forward and shrunk them.
Space is tighter than you might imagine on a LWB 6m van.

Your roof layout looks very different to mine. I believe on mine the panel goes between the air con (which is central where the middle roof light is) and the rear roof light. Forward of the air con I have the aerial and washroom roof light and the front roof light so no room forward of the air con. Looks like your aerial is above wardrobe, mine is on opposite side and over kitchen. Also your Truma air con unit looks much bigger than my Dometic one.

Out of interest I looked at the state of the batteries at 3pm today as we have had clear blue sky all day and van is in a sunny position in the drive.

The 120w solar panel giving 1.5a was switched to L on the EC500 and leisure battery showing 13.2v, so far looking good, but when I looked at the Vehicle battery it was at 12.2v, so switched the power off and on and charge from solar went to V and vehicle now showing 12.6 and rising.

Ec500 is set to smart charge and I have had EHU pugged in until early today after the last 5 days.

I would have thought both batteries should be fully charged.

This subject seems to attract most of the comments/questions on the forum and I am just amazed that we have these problems in this day and age. May be the next generation of vans will be supplied with a charging system that not only works but is reliable and not one that takes more out than puts in, ref. other topics.

I think Paramedic has found a way with the AA portable panel, which I also have but it is sitting in the Fiesta keeping it charged.

Never had a problem with the 2007 Topaz with flat batteries and they were still good when I P/X in 2015!

------------- 
Richard

Paulmold wrote:Your roof layout looks very different to mine. I believe on mine the panel goes between the air con (which is central where the middle roof light is) and the rear roof light. Forward of the air con I have the aerial and washroom roof light and the front roof light so no room forward of the air con. Looks like your aerial is above wardrobe, mine is on opposite side and over kitchen. Also your Truma air con unit looks much bigger than my Dometic one.

The Sussex Duo doesn't sound like it's an exact replica of a Warwick Duo.
The image below is a Warwick Duo without AC and with the 80W panel. You can see there is no room for an AC. AS must know this, they advertise vans as compatible with Truma AC and they dont qualify it by saying the panel needs to be downgraded

I asked at the NEC if they could fit an AC to the Symbol (MWB so shorter) and still keep the 80W panel and the guy said no problem, he was a dealer salesman not AS.

Its a little off topic but may interest people thinking about habitation AC.

I think it's more to do with changes through the years. Mine is a 2010 and I know they now put TV on wardrobe wall whereas earlier ones had a drop down small TV under locker, as mine does. The photo of the Warwick without air con shows no central roof light, earlier ones certainly did. Designs evolving all the time.

Paramedic wrote:Taking all on board what biffobear states, if I was to visit the van today (in storage) in full view of the sun say midday, I would expect to see approx 1.6 amps registering from our 80w SP. Currently PSU disengaged from starter battery (charging only leisure battery) which is receiving charge from AA SP on dashboard aimed more directly at sun. By end of March will revert to smart charging.......Long history of starter battery failures in the deep gloom of winter hence the addition of AA SP set up.

Hi - excuse the novice question, but here goes....

Will the AA solar panel that sits on the dash trickle charge the engine battery enough to prevent it going flat when it’s only getting a little use.  My long term plan is to get a solar panel fitted on the roof, but as a single mum I’m on a budget.  My van (a Warwick Duo) will sit unused for a month or more at a time, certainly this first year, so my initial concern is only the engine battery. 

Once everything is sorted I’ll move to a solar panel that charges both the engine and leisure battery, but for now, I’m wondering if this panel is a budget option that will work.  Any comments, especially from those thatuse one specifically for for this reason, would be most appreciated.

If the principle is good but another make or manufacturer is better, that’s good Info as well.

Many thanks
Sally
X

Sally wrote:
Will the AA solar panel that sits on the dash trickle charge the engine battery enough to prevent it going flat when it’s only getting a little use.

Generally the answer is yes. But sometimes it's no.

Provided you park it somewhere where the panel can get direct sunlight whenever it's sunny, a panel rated at say 5W should be able to keep the vehicle battery charged.

However... there may be things about your van specifically that mean that it can't. The typical candidates are alarms, trackers and badly fitted aftermarket radio headunits. If it has the original factory-fitted radio and any alarms and/or trackers have been professionally fitted, you should be Ok.

Thanks for your responses, looking at Autosleepy Don photo makes me feel easier as that is roughly what my readout shows, going from 1.1 -1.8A.

-mojo- wrote:

Generally the answer is yes. But sometimes it's no.

Provided you park it somewhere where the panel can get direct sunlight whenever it's sunny, a panel rated at say 5W should be able to keep the vehicle battery charged.

However... there may be things about your van specifically that mean that it can't. The typical candidates are alarms, trackers and badly fitted aftermarket radio headunits. If it has the original factory-fitted radio and any alarms and/or trackers have been professionally fitted, you should be Ok.

Thanks Mojo

The van will be parked outdoors where it will usually get sun.  It doesn’t have a tracker, the alarm was fitted professionally and it still has the factory fitted radio.  So it might be worth trying short term.  It charges through the EOBD port so that’s good.  It’s only £25 so might be worth trying as a short term temporary measure.

Sally
X

Hi Sally, the reason we got the AA panel is because of the EOBD port as no more needing the cab floor up to connect to battery terminals. But also just as important is the little panel charges in very poor light conditions displayed by means of blue LED. Full on indicates maximum charging, when flashing still putting in charge when low light. It is not designed to charge a flat battery but gives  maintaining charge to 12.5 volts. Regards

Paramedic wrote:Hi Sally, the reason we got the AA panel is because of the EOBD port as no more needing the cab floor up to connect to battery terminals. But also just as important is the little panel charges in very poor light conditions displayed by means of blue LED. Full on indicates maximum charging, when flashing still putting in charge when low light. It is not designed to charge a flat battery but gives  maintaining charge to 12.5 volts. Regards

Hi Paramedic

I want it solely to keep the battery topped up while I’m not there, so I must admit it sounds right for me, to give me a little time to save up for a full on panel. Using the EOBD port makes it so much easier, and discussing it with people like yourself that have actually used on is very helpful.  Many thanks for your input (and everyone else on here obviously).

All the best
Sally
X

Sally wrote:
Hi - excuse the novice question, but here goes....

Will the AA solar panel that sits on the dash trickle charge the engine battery enough to prevent it going flat when it’s only getting a little use.  My long term plan is to get a solar panel fitted on the roof, but as a single mum I’m on a budget.  My van (a Warwick Duo) will sit unused for a month or more at a time, certainly this first year, so my initial concern is only the engine battery. 

Once everything is sorted I’ll move to a solar panel that charges both the engine and leisure battery, but for now, I’m wondering if this panel is a budget option that will work.  Any comments, especially from those thatuse one specifically for for this reason, would be most appreciated.

If the principle is good but another make or manufacturer is better, that’s good Info as well.

Many thanks
Sally
X

N.B. It will only work if you have a permanently live 12V socket, as well as the caveats about alarms and radio drains.

I thought that the EOBD port was permanently live!  Apparently that’s one of the benefits of this panel. I believe that the panel will trickle charge the amount lost by the alarm etc. But to be honest, at £25, it’s worth a try as a temporary stop gap.

What is an EOBD port ? I understand the OBD, on board diagnostic but what is the 'E' please

Hi  

willconquerer wrote:What is an EOBD port ? I understand the OBD, on board diagnostic but what is the 'E' please

European Standard!

It means that what ever vehicle you have it works in the same way in the whole of Europe.

Brod.

Thanks Brod