we have had a panel for a year now and have no problems with it, used it while away for 14 nights last summer with no ehu and didnt have any worries.
why is it, when it comes down to getting 12 v power a heated arguement always happens from those qouting facts and figures from there books and trying to drown the rest of us in this, all you need to to know is, when you have no other way of rechargeing your battery they work! everybody usage is different so a direct comparison cannot be made, however last summer the camping and caravan club did a test to try to settle this for once and all, they used equipment a certain number of times - varying stuff the battery lasted 4 - 5 days they then replaced the battery with a fully charged one and connected a solar panel and used the equipment exactly the same number of times and the battery held out for 10.
we have no worries about using ours and will continue to do so.
Dick has a pair of panels from a previous project, which have served us well this summer (running 12v strip light and small fridge) and as they were not an extra outlay for us it has meant FREE electricity, which is better for us, and no use of fossil fuelled mains supply, so better for the planet too!
we brought an 18w panel off the internet and tried it last week while we were away without ehu, our panel kept the battery charged up all week and we had no worries at all.
it has opened our eyes that why pay for electric when the panel supplies it, we know now that we can go away for any amount of time without ehu and not worry at all.
by the way i paid £52 for mine and it will save me money in the long run.
The issue with Solar Panels is not that they dont work, since clearly they do, but they are a very expensive solution to a simple problem.
Take the example that someone mentioned of a real test in a real magazine where a battery lasted 5 days without a solar panel and 10 days with.
If the battery is a 110Ahr one (fully charged) then the useage is 22Ahr per day.
If you want extend the battery life to 10 days you need to provide a total of an extra 110Ahr over 10 days or 11Ahr per day. That will require in the typical UK summer a 50W Solar Panel which from a reputable dealer will cost around £300. In winter you would need a Solar Panel of around 150W, costing around £800.
So the cost of providing your 10 days of power are;
Summer - 110Ahr battery + 50W Solar Panel = £350
Winter - 110Ahr battery + 150W Solar Panel = £850
Summer - 2 off 110Ahr batteries = £100.
Winter - 2 off 110Ahr batteries = £100.
So which is the most economic way of providing 10 days of power ?
another one that is going to quote facts and figures untill blue in the face and poo poo every test and person saying that they do work! if the article is in the c & cc mag which is where i read it (and after i got mine btw) was wrong dont you think they would have had a long list of claims against them? for reccomending something that didnt work. buy and use a solar panel then come back and tell use that it doesnt work cause i know mine does
Quote: Originally posted by tentmad on 04/09/2005
another one that is going to quote facts and figures untill blue in the face and poo poo every test and person saying that they do work!if the article is in the c & cc mag which is where i read it (and after i got mine btw) was wrong dont you think they would have had a long list of claims against them? for reccomending something that didnt work. buy and use a solar panel then come back and tell use that it doesnt work cause i know mine does
You missed the point I was making, read the post again, the costs I quoted above are the typical costs of the solution you quoted from the magazine.
I dont dispute the information you quoted at all, quite the reverse, I merly worked out what the cost of the c & cc mag solution was for typical summer and winter use.
i bought ours from maplins last year, they had a promotion on them then but i cant find the same one now just checked, but ours is 10 watts and if you have a fully charged battery to start with and connect the panel from the beginning of use it can cope well for a fortnight
Some good points here, sorry I came in late. I use solar panels, when I arrive on a site my battery is about 13.5 volts charged from car. when I leave a site after 1 week or 2 and after using lights TV etc etc the battery is 14.8ish
I would forget the maths and try a panel before poo pooing them, solar power and regulators have improved a lot.
In all the facts and figures no one has stated what type of regulator they use, if they are p.w.m. or even trackers
I suppose mobile phones, are just something to fill your pocket, hard work carrying the suitcase around with the battery, besides you cant get a signal unless you stand near a shop etc with the rabbit sign, (and we are no longer charged to receive calls)Dolly tubs have also gone they replaced rocks to clean our clothes on
Go on try a new multy crystalline panel, with new generation hybrid regulator. 40/50 watts to be on the safe side
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Solar Panels
our little lady
