I am going to fit a 120w Solar panel onto the roof of my Caravan can anyone advise which solar panel controller would be the most suitable to keep the battery topped up for mainly tv and usb top ups usage
Post last edited on 04/02/2024 13:18:06
------------- Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow
A 12 watt panel won't need a controller and in all probability won't do what you want it for.
We use a 50 watt panel to maintain the battery in storage and add a further 100 watts when away off-grid.
Quote: Originally posted by Newtoabbey on 04/2/2024
I am going to fit a 120w Solar panel onto the roof of my Caravan can anyone advise which solar panel controller ...
Greatly depends on your budget, you could opt for a decent PWM type controller, of which Voltanic Solar do a good range, see here.
Personally, I prefer the efficiency of MPPT controllers and currently use a Victron 15a controller, as per this at Amazon. These offer Bluetooth monitoring and you can tweak for best performance too, and even add a remote module to monitor battery temperature. This could be better in the long run, you may find you become more reliant on solar use.
** If you do opt for Victron, aim for their SmartSolar range as opposed to their BlueSolar controllers, the Smart type have bluetooth monitoring built in as standard, but the BlueSolar range require an additional module to allow full monitoring.
Avoid the offerings on FleaBay, I've known of various issues with the budget brands you may find there.
Quote: Originally posted by Newtoabbey on 04/2/2024
... is the MPPT controller difficult to set up and use ...
Not particularly, most are plug-n-play, and the Victron, although you have options to tweak it, they will run pretty well at their default setup once connected, so you could just fit and forget.
Ok thanks I’ll see how I get on when I get one, I use my van mainly for Vintage and Steam rallies and they are all off grid so Solar is a must rather than a generator
------------- Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow
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Topic: Solar panel controller
via mobile 04/2/2024 at 1:12pm
