How Do You Use A Solar Battery Car Charger
Simply place it on the dashboard of your automobile and plug it into the car DC adapter. It will then utilize sunlight to generate the power bank you need for your vehicle. To ensure the charge is present, the Solar Car Battery Charger has an L.E.D. light that indicates when it is on. It’s that simple.
Check out our products above to find the solar car charger that fits your needs.
Why Is Renogy Our Favorite For 12 Volt Solar Battery Chargers
Renogy holds the first spot on our list of the best 12 volt solar battery chargers for RV camping in 2021 simply because it offers a remarkable combination of manufacturing quality, latest solar technology, power reliability, andaffordability!
Yes, Renogy has the best price for solar chargers at the moment. Sorry competitors, but thats the truth!
The advanced technology and the companys efforts to constantly improve their products puts Renogy on the cutting edge of RV solar gear. We were really impressed especially with the performance of the Renogy 200W Suitcase Kit and considered that the investment was well worth it for the massive solar output performance this solar charger kit provides.
All Renogy solar charger systems utilize top-of-the-line solar panels for maximum light absorption, while minimizing power drop caused by cloud cover or shaded areas. You can really see the manufacturing quality when you handle these panels closely.
According to Renogy, their solar modules can withstand high winds and snow loads . We didnt run any tests in such conditions yet, so if you did leave a comment below and tell us the results.
The panels themselves are fixed in a corrosion-resistant aluminum frame making them very lightweight and easy to move around. They can be mounted and secured on the roof of your RV as they come with pre-drilled holes on the back of the panels, or they can be mounted on the ground.
Calculate Your Daily Power Consumption
Heres what you need to do in order to estimate your daily average amp-hour power requirements of your RV:
Step 1. Find out the amp-hour rating of your RV battery bank.
Step 2. Set on a boondocking trip without using a generator or any other power source. Go only with your fully charged battery bank. Also, make sure you have a multimeter with you.
What you need to do is find out how long does it take for the batteries to be half drained when powering your RV under normal usage conditions.
Step 3. Check the voltage of your battery bank with the multimeter before using it. It should indicate a voltage of 12.60+ for a 100% charge. Use this chart to see the charging state percentage that corresponds with the measured voltage.
Step 4. Use your RVs 12-volt battery system as you normally would on a camping trip. After 24 hours, check your battery voltage. If you have more than 50 percent battery, use it one more day.
Step 5. After another 24 hours, check your battery voltage again. If the batteries have enough capacity left for another day, go for it.
When your battery bank capacity reached 50 percent, its time to do some simple math calculations.
Step 6. Lets assume you have two group 27 deep-cycle batteries, with a 90 amp-hour rating each , that were fully charged before setting on the trip.
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Why Solar Panel Batteries Are A Must
Whenever people get solar panels for the first time, they arent quite sure why they need a battery, to begin with. Although this question is a natural one, the answer is rather easy to understand.
As you know, solar panels only provide electricity whenever the sun is out. Therefore, on a cloudy day or nighttime, the solar panels may not produce enough electricity to provide your setup with the power required to go about your regular activities.
That doesnt mean you cant use solar panels. On the contrary, you can continue to use solar panels, but you need a solar panel battery to keep the power coming even when the sun is down.
The purpose of a solar panel battery is to provide you with solar energy, regardless of the suns status. Your solar panels will harness the suns energy to power your setup during the day, but your battery will kick in during the night.
Is There An Alternative To Solar Power Battery
If you find it difficult to do the math and best predict what solar panels to get with your 12 Volt battery, you might want an alternative instead.
Solar power generators are great alternatives because they are easy to use and convenient, especially for beginners.
Instead of buying all parts separately, the solar power generator comes with the battery, inverter, and solar controller. As a result, you dont have to buy all the parts separately, ensuring they go together perfectly.
You dont have to buy special solar panels when using a solar panel generator, either. The same panels that power your battery will power the generator.
There are some downsides to using a solar generator. First, the price is much higher since it is more convenient and you cant shop around for individual parts.
The high price and lack of customization are why many expert solar panel users opt for their own battery system. However, the convenience of generators may be ideal for beginners who are still trying to figure out the solar world.
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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using A 12v Solar Charger
Now you may be considering owning a solar battery charger for a car for yourself. That would be the right choice. Now to help you make up your mind, here are some of the advantages that a 12-volt solar charger has to offer.
Eco-friendly
Lets start with the fact that a 12v solar battery charger is the best way of maintaining your battery is an eco-friendly way. This portable device utilizes energy from the sun to top-up your batteries.
Now, not only is this good for the environment but ultimately advantageous for you, especially when you are on a trip or outdoors with no other electrical source. You can now do away with your worries of dealing with a dead battery on your trip.
Portable and compact for easy transport
As mentioned, you never have to worry about a dead battery on a trip. Solar chargers usually have a compact and lightweight design allowing you to easily carry and bring along this charger every time you go on trips or camps.
Easy to use and install
What makes a 12v solar battery charger more appealing is its simplicity in operation and installation. Conveniently portable, this charger can be installed on your windshield or dashboard. Usually, they also come with suction cups for easy mounting.
The plug and play design of solar battery chargers also make life generally easier. Everything is simple and easy to figure out. You just connect the charger, and then with enough sunlight, your battery will now charge.
Reverse charging protection
Extends battery life
Why Should You Trust Nancy Gonzalez
Nancy Gonzalez, a Nancy Gonzalez senior commerce editor, tested the product in The Lab. Shes researched all our products thoroughly. She knows how these 12 volt solar battery charger kit tests were designed and conducted and where each product excelled and failed.
She scoured brand and retailer websites for the 12 volt solar battery charger kit, considering price, reviews, features, and design. She researched new technologys practicality and real-world applications.
If you think that anything we present here regarding 12 volt solar battery charger kit is irrelevant, incorrect, misleading, or erroneous, then please let us know promptly! Were here for you all the time. Contact us here Or You can read more about us to see our vision.
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What Size Solar Panel Do You Need To Charge A 12v Battery
You can charge a 12V battery with many different solar panel sizes.
Knowing this, the question then becomes:
How fast do I want to solar charge my 12V battery?
Based on the above charge times, we can draw some conclusions:
5W and 10W solar panels are good for slow, trickle charging 12V batteries. Theyre a good size solar panel for maintaining a 12V batterys charge, and will slowly charge it up over the course of weeks maybe even months depending on the weather and size of the battery.
20W and 50W solar panels are good for fast charging small 12V batteries. For example, a 20W solar panel can charge a 20Ah 12V battery in around 17 hours of direct sunlight. A 50W panel can do it in around 8 hours.
80W and 100W solar panels are good for fast charging large 12V and car batteries. If its a 50Ah battery, they can fully charge it in around 12 hours or less of direct sunlight.
For more help on finding the right size solar panel for your solar charging setup, check out my post on what size solar panel will charge a 12V battery quickly.
Tip: You can reduce these charge times further by upgrading from a PWM to an MPPT charge controller. MPPT charge controllers are much more efficient, but theyre also much more expensive.
Conscious Power Consumers Lifestyle
Here a rough breakdown of the amp hours used by the conscious power consumers in an average day:
one overhead light for six hours water pump running for one hour charging a phone for two hours charging a laptop for two hours running a vent fan for five hours watching a 12-inch TV for one hour or using a stereo for two hours other miscellaneous items such as clock, carbon monoxide detector, etc.
Total consumption: 54 Ah
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About Deep Cycle Batteries
You need to understand what we mean when we talk about solar panel batteries. The type of batteries we are talking about are not the kind that power toys or that you can fetch easily from your storage closet.
Instead, solar panel batteries refer to deep cycle batteries. By appearances, deep cycle batteries look like car batteries, but they are completely different.
Whereas car batteries provide energy in short bursts, deep cycle batteries are designed to discharge energy repeatedly.
There are different types of deep cycle batteries available. The primary options include:
- Flooded lead-acid
Each of these deep cycle battery varieties come with their own benefits, drawbacks, and ideal usage.
What Is Deep Cycle Battery Best?
So, which deep cycle battery is best? Knowing the different types available means nothing if you dont understand their differences.
Generally speaking, lithium iron phosphate batteries are considered more efficient and have a faster charge rate than both other varieties. These two facts make them the best deep cycle battery in terms of performance.
Because lithium iron phosphate batteries are so efficient that they can be expensive and outside of some peoples price range, there are drawbacks to using this top deep cycle battery.
Even though lithium iron phosphate batteries are considered the best, all three of the deep cycle batteries mentioned in this article are considered great optionsmany people like lead-acid batteries for their affordability.
W Solar 12v Battery Charger Wiring Diagram
Heres the circuit diagram for using a 5W solar panel to charge a 12V battery:
And heres what I call the real-world wiring diagram, which shows what it looks like in real life:
Notes about this wiring diagram:
- Safety best practices are to place a fuse between the charge controller and both battery and solar panel.
- For most charge controllers, you connect the battery first and then the solar panel. Consult your controllers manual for the manufacturers recommended connection order.
- Make sure to get a 12V 5W solar panel. If it is a lower voltage 5W panel it wont work with a 12V charge controller.
- Make sure your charge controller is compatible with your batterys chemistry. For example, some charge controllers only work with lead acid batteries. Others work with lead acid and lithium batteries.
- I recommend a PWM charge controller for this project because theyre cheap, and because the PV voltage likely wont get high enough for an MPPT charge controller. For an MPPT controller to work, the PV voltage usually has to be 4 or 5 volts above the battery voltage.
Tip: This circuit diagram would work for many other solar panel sizes as long as its a 12V solar panel and you use the appropriate wire gauge and fuse size for the current.
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Connect The 12v Battery To The Solar Charge Controller
Connecting a battery to a solar charge controller requires wires, wire connectors, and an inline fuse.
You can use your own wire and connectors, or you can buy some to make the process a little easier. I ended up buying something called the NOCO GC018. Its a 12V plug adapter that comes with an inline fuse and ring terminals the right kind for my 12V battery.
To start, I cut the 12V plug off the NOCO GC018 with my wire cutter.
Then I just pulled the wires apart a little bit and stripped the ends.
Now my wires are ready. I can connect them to the battery terminals using the ring terminals. And I can connect them to the charge controller terminals using a screwdriver.
So thats what I did:
I first connected the positive and negative wires to their respective battery terminals. Like so:
Then I used a screwdriver to connect the stripped wire ends to the charge controllers battery terminals. My controllers terminals have a battery icon on them, as well as a plus and minus, to help me know where each wire goes.
When all the wires were connected, my charge controller turned on to indicate that it was properly connected to the 12V battery.
Consult your charge controllers manual for instructions on how to program it for your battery type. Mine defaults to sealed lead acid batteries, which is the battery type I was using.
Sunapex 12v Solar Trickle Charger
First of all, this slim solar panel comes with a blocking diode that prevents the battery from being discharged in reverse.
Therefore, even when the weather is very overcast, keep the panel linked to avoiding any loss of payment. It also stops the battery from being discharged at night.
Second, building efficiency is very critical to any solar consumer.
As a result, you might be pleased with the quality of this panel building. It is made of plastic ABS and does not break or bend under pressure.
On the same note, the panel comes with pre-drilled holes on the side to make installation simpler. Third, in the box, youll find everything you need to start using this SUNAPEX trickle loader.
For example, a 12V car lighter adapter is available. There are also crocodile clips for the battery terminals and four suction cups. As far as affordable solar panel battery chargers are concerned, this one could meet your needs.
It still has a few downsides, however, like any other product. For example, when you startup, you need to detach the wire from your car battery so that it doesnt harm the panel. Its too much hassle to pop the hood every time you start a car.
Pros:
- Comes with a 12-month warranty
- Simple to use with the minimum installation necessary
- Resist all forms of weather, including hail, rain, etc
Cons:
- There have been a few reports that this solar panel has drained the battery
Bottom line:
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What Are The Different Types Of 12 Volt Solar Battery Chargers
There is a long list of available options for a 12-volt solar battery charger in the market today. Every year, manufacturers manage to come out with new and improved models for their customers. To aid you in choosing one best for you and to help you understand your equipment, it is essential to know the different types of solar battery chargers.
Generally, they are classified according to the solar panels they sport. The panels are the ones responsible for harnessing energy from the sun for charging your batteries. It is a more efficient panel, the better.
Concentrated PV Cell
This type uses optical concentration to collect light. It is ideally intended for large collectors. It tends to run hot and would consistent solar tracking.
Those are the types of solar panels you can mostly see on a 12v solar battery charger. You can choose one that you think is more fitting to your intended use and need.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels
The second type is the polycrystalline solar panels. This type is the product of newer technology. Although regarded as inferior compared to its monocrystalline counterpart, with the recent advancements in technology, it manages to be almost on par with regards to its efficiency with the monocrystalline one.
They are a more economical option and are also more durable than monocrystalline panels. However, they tend to be more sensitive when exposed to high temperatures. They also have shorter life spans.
Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Panels
Key Terms To Know Before Getting Started
Throughout this article, we use various technical terms that may be a bit confusing at first. However, here are the key terms we will use and what they mean:
- Amp-hours: How many amps the battery offers in a one hour span.
- Amp rating: Often another word for amp hours, but sometimes refers to amperage and wattage.
- Charge controller: A device that controls when your solar battery is charging, almost like an on/off switch.
- Inverter: Connects to your solar panel to convert unusable DC energy into usable AC energy for your home.
- Solar system: All of the parts used to power your home by solar energy, including the PV panels, connectors, inverter, battery, etc.
- Voltage : Tells you the potential output of your solar panel or battery.
- Wattage: The operating power of solar panels or batteries.
Now that we have gotten the technical jargon out of the way lets dive into solar panel batteries, why you need them, and how to select the right system for your needs.
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