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09-21-2007, 11:47 AM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Minden
Posts: 7
M.O.C. #5416
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Solar Panel Question
We are thinking of adding solar panel(s) to our Montana. We currently have an Onan 3500 propane generator, three batteries and a 1000 watt inverter. All we are powereing with the inverter is the TV and satelite box but it seems that we need to run the generator about 1 hour each day to keep the batteries up for several hours of TV watching. Looking for input on what size solar panel is required or any other suggestions. Thanks in advance for your advice.
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09-21-2007, 12:36 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sunshine
Posts: 1,445
M.O.C. #538
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You may want to check out this site:
http://jmayer6.tripod.com/
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09-21-2007, 06:44 PM
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#3
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Anthem and Munds Park
Posts: 212
M.O.C. #6687
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You need at least 3 solar panels, one for each battery, and a voltage regulator. The largest panel you can find. All 3 panels can be put in a rack together flat on the roof and screwed to the trusses on the roof. The solar panels will probably only have full output between 11 and 1 because they are mounted flat on the roof.
You can drill through the sewer vent pipe on the roof and run the wire down the pipe and drill another hole in the sewer vent pipe in the basement and run that wire to your batteries. The voltage regulator is needed so that the voltage regulator will shut off the solar panels when the batteries are fully charged.
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09-21-2007, 08:15 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: St.Maries
Posts: 1,010
M.O.C. #7329
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Most people running on solar power that I have seen are using 2 pannels on the roof and one that they set up on the ground when the daylight hours are shorter. Even with three pannels they sometimes have to start the generator during the playoffs.
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09-24-2007, 04:10 PM
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#5
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Maurice
Posts: 224
M.O.C. #7633
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we used one large solar panel on the ground while vacationing in Colorado for a few weeks in August. It worked well, only ran the generator a few mornings to get some heat going. We turned it as the sun moved. It traveled on the bed when we were on the road.
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09-24-2007, 04:44 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sunshine
Posts: 1,445
M.O.C. #538
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Used two 80 watt panels on the ground for about 18 months. They are on the roof now. Too much work.
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10-24-2007, 03:02 PM
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#7
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Manakin-Sabot
Posts: 371
M.O.C. #5540
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We have four panels equivelent to 130 watts each, which power four golf cart batteries. This is supported by a 2000 watt Magnum Inverter and Solar Boost, a system which coverts our 44 cell panels rated at 100 watts at 24 volts to 14 volts or so to increase the amps actually reaching the batteries. This system works very well and re-energizes fairly quickly, even though this is slow charge system for the deep cycle batteries. I suggest you go with as many panels as your number of batteries, which seems to be the standard. Good Luck. Any problems in installation please let me know and I will help you or direct you to others on this and other sites that can help. There is a lot of help available in this area. John Weber
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10-24-2007, 05:17 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
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Our setup is much like gojodo's except that we have two Lifeline D8 AGM batteries that provide us with 510 amps of storage. We also have a 2000 watt inverter but we have four solar panels (44 cells each) and we can run both computers, a printer, scanner, and the TV flawlessly during the day. At night we are a little more frugal since there is no sun up. I do take exception to what one poster said about only getting full output between 11 and 1. That's true for FULL output but the batteries will charge through the solar panels as long as there is daylight.
We installed our panels on the roof, flat (though we could have put brackets on them so they could be tilted). I don't like climbing on the roof any more than I have to at 75 years of age. We didn't drill any holes to run the wire down from the roof. We ran it down through the refrigerator vent and then went through the two walls to reach the inverter (the batteries are charged through the inverter). One thing else I did was to disconnect my converter so that there would be no kind of interference between the charging circuits of the converter and the inverter. This means that my batteries are always kept charged by the solar panels. Additionally they can be charged by being connected to shore power through the inverter panel.
Orv
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