Solar just got affordable

[Exnavydiver]

While checking on getting into solar I found that the 500.00$ plus flexible panels I was looking at went from 500 to 234, to 138.02 each.
These are the same units H John Kohl put on his rig and after a phone call to them I was told they have 2500 in the warehouse. Looks like I will be doing solar a lot sooner than I had anticipated... Here is a link to the cells. Now the cells are the least expensive parts of the system by quite a bit...

[DQDick]

Thanks! Bookmarked that for later use.

[8.1al]

Thanks Dave, that's quite a savings

[Recumbent]

What is the reasonable ballpark cost for a complete system similar to that of H John Kohl and not counting any installation costs?

[H. John Kohl]

quote:Originally posted by Recumbent

What is the reasonable ballpark cost for a complete system similar to that of H John Kohl and not counting any installation costs?

$600 = The 4 panels at Dave's price
$75 = 2 splice boxes
$150 = 2 - 6' extension cables with connectors, 1 100' extension cable with connectors and 2 branch connections for parallel operation
$600 = one solar control Morning Star MPPT 60
$25 = router for solar WIFI info
$550 = 4 six volt batteries
$25 = battery box,
$100 = 2/00 wiring and connectors,
$100 = 12 positive and negative bus strips
$50 = 12 volt dual battery switch
$50 = 40 and 60 amp circuit breakers,
$500 = inverter 2500 watt pure sine wave.
Between $2700 and $3000 Prices vary base on web search and availability.
Hope this helps.

[pineranch]

Could a case be made for two honda generators being the more thrifty approach to providing battery charging and 110v?
Mike

[RickW]

quote:Originally posted by pineranch

Could a case be made for two honda generators being the more thrifty approach to providing battery charging and 110v?
Mike

Depends on your RVing Lifestyle. For example the only time we are "off-grid" is for overnights between 2 travel days. So for that solar is not advantageous. We get by on 2 6v batts and a Magnum 2800 inverter for just the night.

But if we were to spend more time off grid than just a night than I would consider solar. Also most people who do have solar also do keep a generator around for cloudy days and such.

[Exnavydiver]

As per John Kohl, he shuts off his converter and just lets the solar charge controller do all the work. He has 4 6 volts, I have two but will be getting more as I solar up. But for 138 each I will grab one panel a month till I have at least 4. John is talking about getting 2 more batteries for a total of 6. I will probably do the same. The costly part now is the charge controller. for the cost of 1 EU2000 I can get 3 panels and the charge controller and still take the wife to dinner several times. I will eventually get a genset or two but as long as the panels are this cheap I am going that route first.

[7.3Ford]

And don't forget the the 30% tax create. I you owe any taxes, that is 30% off what you owe, not gross income. Just be sure to not check the box that it is not for you primary residents. Go to back page and you still get the same credit. In 2010 my solar panels and controller were around 2,000 and I got around $600 of what I owed Uncle Sam.

Solar charges batteries better, and doesn't over charge them, so leave converter off. Only had to run it a few times for 3-4 hours in two years, and only had to use the generator one time since installing them. Don't even bring it now.

[Exnavydiver]

John, I saw your emails to HJK and wanted to know if you still have the link for the 68s, anything shorter than the 144s. None of the sources for them seem to have anything else in stock..

[7.3Ford]

quote:Originally posted by Exnavydiver

John, I saw your emails to HJK and wanted to know if you still have the link for the 68s, anything shorter than the 144s. None of the sources for them seem to have anything else in stock..

Where I got them don't carry them any more. They are on eBay and Amazon, but the Uni Solar 144 Watt ePVL-144 Solar Panel cost less, so that is what I would do today.
http://pvdepot.com/uni-solar-144-wat...lar-panel.html

[Exnavydiver]

I have room for 3 144s but I could get 2 or 3 68s between the ACs..

[Gkerlin]

You can get 68's here http://www.recycledgoods.com/product...lar-Panel.html

I bought 3 144's and can't get a 4th up there so I just bought 3 of the 68's. They shipped the same day that I ordered. They are a bit more per watt than the 144's but still a good value IMO.

so I will have 3 sets of 144w+68w (6 panels total)

I need connectors for the 68's as they have MC3's so that I can tie them in with the MC4 connectors on the 144's. I found those today.

[Exnavydiver]

Greg, here is a link for the 68s with MC4 connectors. These are ePVL68 panels, newer model..

[Gkerlin]

Too late for me as mine are already on the way but thanks...

I'd want to call them first however before I bought them. The panel and connector that they show in the picture is the older style MC3. The dimensions are also the old style PVL. It shows at 15.5" wide. The ePVL panels are 14.5 wide.

They do use the ePVL number however so maybe they just didn't update the other stuff.

I already bought the mc3 to mc4 connectors as well so my total cost per 68 was about $158.

[Sheepdog]

How would those solar panels hold up in a hail storm? Anyone speak from experience?

[Gkerlin]

Here's a link to a post on that very subject

http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...olar%2Cinstall

[Exnavydiver]

Greg, I have been to 4 sites that handle the panels both new style and old and see no dimensions other than 15.5 wide. I couldn't any 14.5 wide.

[Gkerlin]

Go to Unisolars Website and download the spec sheet http://www.uni-solar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/PB_ePVL_Technical_Data_Sheet_EN_(AA6-3624-04).pdf

while there you can also then look at the spec sheet for the older PVL panels and you'll see the diff.

One of the benefits of the ePVL was a slightly smaller footprint. They are a couple of inches shorter and and inch +/- narrower. They just started selling them a couple of months

The sites are either using old specs for the new panels or they are not the new panels. The ePVLs also have MC4 connectors. I think (not sure) that prior to the ePVL they were all MC3

I have 3 of the ePVL's sitting downstairs right now and they are 14 1/2"

[Gkerlin]

Sorry - for some reason the link I pasted wont work. It will take you to thier website however so just click on products - commercial - then on the powerbond products and you can see both spec sheets.