Best solar charger?

[Bear44]

If roof mounted is an option, do it! Why not? I would in a heartbeat.

$$$$$$

 

[GeauxLSU]

$$$$$$

A lot of the incentives, tax credits, rebates, whatever, I guess have expired, but at one point, the payback for the right system was not bad at all. Since then the tech has improved making them much more efficient but yeah, it's not exactly cheap. I'd still do it if my layout was conducive and I kknew I was in a home long term. If I could be totally off the grid I would. Even if the economics were a bit negative I'd still do it for the satisfaction of being independent.
Having said all that, if you just want to power a few things and couple panels and a battery bank I'm sure will fulfill your needs especially short term. There is TONS of DIY info on the web about it (and of course contractors that specialize in exactly that).[/QUOTE]

 

[Don231s]

This is the way to go. https://rgspowerhouse.com/

Not this...

 

[ADAduckhuntr]

Cool stuff at Northern Tool and Harbor Freight.

 

[Flip853]

If you're looking for panels check out Renogy. I bought 2, 100 watt units to charge the battery bank on my little off-road camper. Tie these to a Victron solar controller in a series setup (48 volts in 12 volts out) and you'll have more than enough renewable power to run water pumps, led lights, recharge electronics, etc.

I know it all seems a little daunting at first but once you get into it it's a pretty simple process and very easy to put together. You just need to understand what your power needs / wants are and purchase the appropriate solar components and number of batteries.

Most everything I bought came from Amazon.

 

[diacnik]

View attachment 1698445 If you're looking for panels check out Renogy. I bought 2, 100 watt units to charge the battery bank on my little off-road camper. Tie these to a Victron solar controller in a series setup (48 volts in 12 volts out) and you'll have more than enough renewable power to run water pumps, led lights, recharge electronics, etc.

I know it all seems a little daunting at first but once you get into it it's a pretty simple process and very easy to put together. You just need to understand what your power needs / wants are and purchase the appropriate solar components and number of batteries.

Most everything I bought came from Amazon.

Cool - what was approximate cost ? How much daily sunlight do you need for this setup?

 

[kingdaddy3247]

This thread sounds like "What's the best gun to buy?"

Savage model 24

 

[Flip853]

Cool - what was approximate cost ? How much daily sunlight do you need for this setup?

The panels are about 1.26 per watt = 250
Solar controller = 225
2 Trojan T-105 (6) volt golf cart batteries wired in series for 12v = 300
Cabling from panel to charger is about 1.00 a foot. I just used a heavy gauge drop cord and coverted one end to plug into my panels.

This is really all you need for a basic system but I went a few steps further and added some neat tech to be able to monitor the state of charge and other stats from an app on my cell phone. You can certainly do this cheaper and more expensive but at the end of the day I would say just put a small cheap system together and you'll really have a better understanding of how easy it is to set one up.

 

[diacnik]

The panels are about 1.26 per watt = 250
Solar controller = 225
2 Trojan T-105 (6) volt golf cart batteries wired in series for 12v = 300
Cabling from panel to charger is about 1.00 a foot. I just used a heavy gauge drop cord and coverted one end to plug into my panels.

This is really all you need for a basic system but I went a few steps further and added some neat tech to be able to monitor the state of charge and other stats from an app on my cell phone. You can certainly do this cheaper and more expensive but at the end of the day I would say just put a small cheap system together and you'll really have a better understanding of how easy it is to set one up.

Thanks. One more question- why two 6 volt batteries instead of one 12 volt?

 

[Flip853]

Thanks. One more question- why two 6 volt batteries instead of one 12 volt?

There are 225 amp hours in a single 6 volt T105 batt vs 140 amp hours in a single 12v and golf cart batteries are designed to be discharged to a lower state of charge and recover better unlike a conventional 12 volt batt, even the deep cycle ones. Theses batteries weight 62 pounds each which gives you a good idea of how beefy the lead plates are.

They do make 12v golf cart batteries but for me it came down to space and available amp hours.