[Guide] Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -

[DaveCrampton]

Thanks again Dell, these updates are very useful.

I have a Shuttle and don't want to modify too much, so originally considered a couple of non flex 100W panels on a roofrack at the rear of my LWB. This would leave the front mounts for my kayaking roofrack.
But I saw today people (YouTube) fitting a flexible panel to a California camper and considered this as it is more streamlined and Renogy offer a 175W kit for just under £300.

But after reading your flexible panel wows, and how portable the suitcase is, I think I might just go for something like that. I've yet to see the spec, but understand a MTTP gives better efficiency than a PWM solar controller, so may look at what they offer or may just buy separate parts.

I have the Victron battery charger (after reading your review) and do like it's usefulness so might investigate a Victron 75/15 smart to see if it fits my needs.

At the mo I have a simple AGM leisure battery which will supply usb to the rear and power for my diesel heater once I fit it.

Edit. Ok it appears the kit at £275 is the same price as the suitcase without controller, so might just opt for the kit, and then buy the Victron 75/15 and see what cabling I need after that.

 

[DaveCrampton]

Ok, took advantage of the discounting and 5% off the first order.

I have bought the 200W solar suitcase with solar controller, plus extension pair so I can move the panel into the sun in case of over head cover (we are going to France to camp in a wooded site).

Cheers for the tip Dell.

 

[Dellmassive]

This is the tech spec afaik. Cheers!

Technical Specifications - PV logic MPPT PRO User Manual [Page 7]

PV logic MPPT PRO Manual Online: Technical Specifications. Nominal System Voltage Battery Voltage Range Rated Battery Current / Solar Current Self-consumption Operating temperature Overall dimensions Mounting hole size (in case) Terminals Net weight The below information is based on a...

www.manualslib.com

View attachment 161722

View attachment 161724

The spec sheet is basic and just mentioned 15A max.... No VOC mentioned?


So I'd be safe and upgrade that controller to a decent mppt unit.

Then add your mobile panels to it.

 

[chearmstrong]

The spec sheet is basic and just mentioned 15A max.... No VOC mentioned?


So I'd be safe and upgrade that controller to a decent mppt unit.

Then add your mobile panels to it.

Cheers again @Dellmassive for the response - what should I be looking for? Should it handle the total voltage of all panels when added together.

Just noticed on page 1 of that instruction manual though:

"Maximum PV input voltage: 40V DC"

 

[Dellmassive]

@chearmstrong

lol . . . dont know how i missed that.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


as you rightly say, PV input is 15-40v . . . and 15A max

so you might be good for up 200w - 300/400w

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL

Specification Summary​

• Nominal system voltage: 12/24VDC*
• Maximum PV input voltage: 40V DC
*The controller will recognise the system rated voltage upon first
connection. If the battery voltage is lower than 16V, it will recognise the
system as 12V. If the battery voltage is greater than 16V, it will recognise
the system as 24V. You can charge a 12v battery from a panel rated from
15v up to 40v (VOC)





++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[DaveCrampton]

My Renogy suitcase has arrived! I ordered a 6m extension also, so I can site the panels out of the shade if needed.



The pack comes with croc clips but I may see if I can buy a set of male Victron connectors and then I don't have to keep clipping on the crocs each time.




But so far so good, the nearly full leisure battery is taking 1.4 to 2.0 amps with output from the panels around 14volts.




I did consider a flexible panel but I actually like this as it is very portable and comes as a premade up kit, so you just unpack setup and plug in.

Cheers Dell!!

 

[DaveCrampton]

I have a couple of Solar questions which I hope the forum can help me answer.

@Dellmassive is the 'suitcase' ok to leave out if it rains?
Do you pack it away if you are not in the van, incase anyone steals it? I'm wondering about leaving it hooked up, laid flat on the roof of the van, when we are stationary. (Would lay on an old roll mat).
Is it ok to leave connected to my AGM battery for a few days? Not sure if you can over charge an AGM battery?
AGM batteries, how much can I allow it to discharge? I have a multimeter btw. No less than 12V or 50%?

Many thanks

 

[Dellmassive]

@Dellmassive is the 'suitcase' ok to leave out if it rains?

- yes, the Renogy suitcase and flexible panels are fully weather proof. and can be left outside in the rain. - leave them out 24/7 if you wish . . but id teather them down so any high wind dont take them away. (I use tent pegs and cable ties with mine if there is any wind about)

the fold out fabric style smaller ones are shower proof for morning due or the odd shower - but they arnt to be left out for extended time as the material element will be degraded and go mouldy or sun damaged, - so these are more day/weekend use and then to be but away. ( i leave them out for a 5day camping trip, them clean, dry and store )

..

Do you pack it away if you are not in the van, incase anyone steals it?

- personally i don't - i just leave up ( but pegged into the ground ) - i suppose it depends on where you are and the site . . . if i felt iffy about the location i would fold up and store inside while i was out.

+

I'm wondering about leaving it hooked up, laid flat on the roof of the van, when we are stationary. (Would lay on an old roll mat).

- you can do this if you wish - but make sure its tethered as the wind will get it at some point causing possible damage . . . in this application i use flexible panels or fold out panels and use strong neodymium magnets to sandwich the panels to the van - this stops the wind taking them. I've also seen bungee cords being used . . . and volcro.


+

Is it ok to leave connected to my AGM battery for a few days? Not sure if you can over charge an AGM battery?
AGM batteries, how much can I allow it to discharge? I have a multimeter btw. No less than 12V or 50%?

yes you can leave connected 24/7 provided you are using a solar controller.

yes you can over charge a AGM battery, but the solar controller prevents this and ensures the battery is properly charged.

all SLA batterys ( inc AGM ) will be damaged if run to low ( below 50%) so a good indicator will be 11.99v off load ( just sitting there with no draws) - look at upgrading the battery to a lifepo4 in the future, as they dont suffer from this problem and you will have twice the run time and power for the same size battery - eg 100Ah.

++

enyjoy your new solar panels and power freedom.

post loads of pics of your setup for others to see.


.

FYIW - i love the Renogy suitcases,

i now have two 200w kits and a 100w kit - they are defiantly the most durable kits i run. - if not the lightest or smallest to store.

and worth every penny imho.

 

[DaveCrampton]

The shade provides comfort relief from the forecast 34 degrees but it's not great for my charging.
Thank goodness for the Victron battery charger to supplement at night.

 

[Nigel W]

I bought, after reading all this, the Renogy 100watt suitcase and wired through a Victron 75/15 mppt controller which all works beautifully.
Unfortunately when in the shade the panel can not keep up with the fridge etc so I want to add another panel and I am confused about the max size I can add (not unusual)
I appreciate that the Victron says max 200watts but in practice could I get away with adding a Renogy 175watt panel. This panel is on sale at the moment and my thought was to use the 175 as the new default and then add in the 100 suitcase when it was dull and cloudy.
I do have a second 100watt Renogy suitcase which I did plug in and it looked as if it could easily have managed more than the combined 200w even when the sun did eventually hit both sets.

 

[evans1089]

Oh Jeeze . . . . i done it again.


I've just got a second 200w Renogy suitcase kit.



+++++++++++++++

200 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Suitcase

The Renogy 200W 12V Folding Suitcase is perfect for the adventurous traveler, providing both convenience and dependability when venturing off the grid.

uk.renogy.com

View attachment 159749


+++++++++++++++


there is a reason . . . but ill explain that later. . .


for now lets have a look at the kit.

its similar to the previous model, but slightly diferent.


View attachment 159750


.


it come in the hard shell storage box / bag.

View attachment 159752


with the Voyager 20A controller and a extension lead with fused crockodile clipos . .


View attachment 159753


the extension lead comes with an MC4 conection - which im not a fan of . . . so will swap that battery connection out for a 50A Anderson connector.


View attachment 159754

..


size wise its 200w so a fair size . . .


View attachment 159755

spec wise we have this . . .


View attachment 159756

..


here we can see the 5-Busbar cells, which is the same as before . . . but the cells look slightly smaller.


View attachment 159757

the included controller is a cracking little unit. . .

i have had one of these from the start. . . . very capable and has Lithium profile and a back light screen.


View attachment 159758



getting it out in the sun for a quick test we see . . . . . 173W ( plugged into the Bluetti that has an internal MPPT controller and Lithium battery pack)

that not bad at all for a 200w panel in the UK.

im very happy with that.





View attachment 159759


...

so why buy a second one?



well we have just been on a camping trip for 5 days . . . and took the AC200MAX. - SOLAR GENERATORS - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --


and the Renogy 200W kit - [Guide] Mobile Solar Panels ? . . . - How I Did It -


we have a couple of sunny days . . . and a couple of rainy days . . .
both bits of kit done a great job.


but it was evident that if i wanted to run 24/7 off grid id need more solar.


View attachment 159760

...


so being me i decided it was a good idea to double the solar and get a second 200w Kit . . . to run together with the other 200W - 400W total ( the AC
200MAX can take 900W )


..



what i wasnt expecting was that they have changed the panel slightly.


here they are together . . . the new unit on the left:



View attachment 159761View attachment 159763View attachment 159762

++++


running both kits together in series and direct into the AC200MAX is was getting 385W. . .


that's awesome - from a 400W setup.

View attachment 159764



...............

so there we go,

that 2x 200w kits

and 1x 100w kit

plus the fold out 100W kit

The Renogy Kit continues with the same quality and performance as expected.


i believe @Skyliner33 also has the 200W kit . . . that he plugs into his Victron MPPT in the van to run a Renogy Lithium.



.

Lee,
You said somewhere in the thread that you'd need a controller from Solar Panel to leisure battery.
Do the panels not come with a controller?
If i were to buy one, I'd simply want it to just clip/plug into my leisure battery and that be it. Simple and quick.

Or am I being thick? lol

 

[Dellmassive]

I bought, after reading all this, the Renogy 100watt suitcase and wired through a Victron 75/15 mppt controller which all works beautifully.
Unfortunately when in the shade the panel can not keep up with the fridge etc so I want to add another panel and I am confused about the max size I can add (not unusual)
I appreciate that the Victron says max 200watts but in practice could I get away with adding a Renogy 175watt panel. This panel is on sale at the moment and my thought was to use the 175 as the new default and then add in the 100 suitcase when it was dull and cloudy.
I do have a second 100watt Renogy suitcase which I did plug in and it looked as if it could easily have managed more than the combined 200w even when the sun did eventually hit both sets.

Yes you can over panel the controller.


Provided you don't exceed the max VOC.... Which is 75v in your case.


I've put 300w worth of panels across a 75/15 with no issues. (3* 100w panels in series)





It will just go up to the max current of 15A. ..then site there, you will just loose anything above that.


Another option is to upgrade to a 100/20 or 100/30.

I run 400w on 100/30's.



...

Another option is to use multiple controllers,

Just put your 200w on the Victron, then the 175w panel on a Renogy solar controller.... Or any other.

You can add as many controllers or chargers to a battery as you like.

...

Fwiw.. im now running two 200w Renogy suitcase units .... I also have the 100w suitcase.

And flex panels.

 

[Dellmassive]

Lee,
You said somewhere in the thread that you'd need a controller from Solar Panel to leisure battery.
Do the panels not come with a controller?
If i were to buy one, I'd simply want it to just clip/plug into my leisure battery and that be it. Simple and quick.

Or am I being thick? lol

Yes you need a controller.

But you can buy panels allone, or complete kits.

..


Look at 100w-200w kit per 100ah leisure battery.

...

Short cut.

Buy the Renogy suitcase kit.

Either the 100w or 200w.


....

Eg.

https://amzn.to/3PqmdnX

.





...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RLX2NYH/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_VJM937RGSQRGCHS5X8QT?psc=1&linkCode=ml2&tag=techvlog0d-21

.


Iv got both and can vouch for them.

Plug and play.

Just clip on battery.

 

[DaveCrampton]

Here is my Renogy 200W suitcase kicking out 5 Amps off the French sunshine.



Just noticed that a lot of sun is reflecting off my panels. I'm reflecting power back... :-(

 

[Nigel W]

Yes you can over panel the controller.


Provided you don't exceed the max VOC.... Which is 75v in your case.


I've put 300w worth of panels across a 75/15 with no issues. (3* 100w panels in series)





It will just go up to the max current of 15A. ..then site there, you will just loose anything above that.


Another option is to upgrade to a 100/20 or 100/30.

I run 400w on 100/30's.



...

Another option is to use multiple controllers,

Just put your 200w on the Victron, then the 175w panel on a Renogy solar controller.... Or any other.

You can add as many controllers or chargers to a battery as you like.

...

Fwiw.. im now running two 200w Renogy suitcase units .... I also have the 100w suitcase.

And flex panels.

I saw you had increased your stock yet again haha, Wish now I had bought the 200 panel but the 175 panel is under £140 if I use your code so it seems like the way to go and to hold the suitcase in reserve for dull days.

 

[Dellmassive]

Here is my Renogy 200W suitcase kicking out 5 Amps off the French sunshine.

View attachment 164893View attachment 164894

Just noticed that a lot of sun is reflecting off my panels. I'm reflecting power back... :-(

View attachment 164895

Looks like you are partially shaded too...

 

[DaveCrampton]

@Dellmassive yes, I kept moving it initially but after a while just live with the output variance.
The shade does provide relief from the mid 30s temps. The battery does get topped up though and after a while shows Battery Full on the display panel.

For me being used to the cool temps of Scotland the shade does help especially when it is near 30 degrees in the local town at night. This was after we returned to the campsite in the cooler countryside.

 

[DaveCrampton]

For anyone who has yet to configure their setup, and is interested in how everyone else has theirs for comparison:

I have a shuttle which isn't converted but has a leisure battery under the driver's seat. At 62Ah it is ok for our needs for now. We only run usb outputs to charge our four phones, plus any wireless headphones etc ... I have a Victron charger, as per @Dellmassive 's suggestion up thread, and for off grid, we have a 200Watt solar suitcase, plus a 6m extension to allow my to route the solar panels in the sun front of rear of the van. I poke the DC solar leads through my front windows as I have wind deflectors to keep rain out whilst the windows are open.

My four smart phones use around 3 amps whilst charging, and an unobstructed panel here in France gives up to 5 Amps, so far, depending on shade, cloud or tree cover.

We are getting by with our 62 Ah battery but for anything else, we might need a larger panel.

We have mains on site but only one hookup, so that has the fridge on permanently. Next time I'll bring a UK extension lead with 4 sockets on, instead of the two I have in the van.

 

[evans1089]

Thanks for the links Lee!

 

[Dellmassive]

Victron 2.41 FW update brings in live data feed on the status screen....




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Happy day's.




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